Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 123

High School boys basketball: Kanow named Salinas’ new coach

SALINAS – He’s been a fixture in the gym on the Salinas campus during basketball season at all three levels for the better part of 15 years.

Along his journey, Cory Kanow was worked and coached with the likes of Joe Chappell, Jenz Gordon, Jerod Stewart and Lawrence Zenk.

Yet, each time the job opened up to become the head coach, Kanow just felt the timing wasn’t right to make a commitment to be in charge of running the program.

“When the position opened up in the past, the timing just didn’t fit in with my job and family,” Kanow said. “I wasn’t ready. But my daughter is a little older and my job is more settled.”

Throwing his name in the hat when the position opened up in the off-season, the 1999 Salinas graduate was named the new boys basketball coach.

“Cory’s leadership is rooted in clear communication and purposeful action,” Stewart said. “He has a remarkable ability to articulate vision, align around shared goals and hold everyone to a high standard on and off the court.”

Kanow, who played under Chappell, was an assistant for him for 10 years before becoming a head coach at the freshman and junior varsity levels for five years under Stewart, returning last year to the varsity as an assistant under Zenk.

“I was nervous interviewing for the position, even with the people I’ve known,” Kanow said. “I think it’s a good thing. It shows I’m excited about it. I think if I didn’t have nerves, that would say something as well.”

For the first time in 17 years, the Cowboys missed the postseason last winter, going winless in the Gabilan Division and finishing 3-21 overall.

“With injuries and a couple of kids not coming out, it was the perfect storm,” Kanow said. “Add two underclassmen starting and that is where our struggles began. In the Gabilan Division, there’s no opportunity to catch your breath. It was relentless.”

Kanow pointed out that several players that are returning got on-the-job training and invaluable experience, while he will have a 22-2 junior varsity team from last season to add depth.

“We’re still going to be young,” Kanow said. “I do think a little more continuity from the lower levels will do this group wonders. If we can add to what we still have, it will be a good mix. We still have to learn by doing.”

Rather than drop a division to rebuild that confidence, the Cowboys — two years removed from winning the Gabilan Division — chose to remain in the league this coming winter.

“We have a couple of really strong classes coming up,” insisted Kanow. “I just think there’s so much potential at Salinas High in general. There is so much raw material to work with.”

Stewart, who guided Salinas to its first league in 12 years in 2023, advocated for Kanow to the hiring committee, even writing a letter on his behave.

“I’ve watched him earn kids’ trust by listening, encouraging and challenging them in the right ways,” Stewart said. “The culture he cultivates is one where players are empowered to grow as athletes and as people.”

It didn’t take long for word to leak out or spread around campus that Kanow was not only remaining in the program, but will be calling the shots.

“The kids knew I was a candidate,” Kanow said. “It felt good to know I had a lot of kids in my corner. I’ve been receiving a few texts from former and current players. I’m excited to get started.”

Kanow will play what he calls modern basketball. Meaning expect the Cowboys to get out on the break and not be shy about shooting on the perimeter with a talented core of wing players.

“We want to get out and run,” Kanow said. “We have some good athletes. We want to space the floor and let their God given talent take over. We want to play an exciting brand of basketball. I think the kids enjoy playing that way.”

An emphasis, though, will be on defense. Last year Salinas gave up 70 plus points in five of their last six games and 80 plus points five times.

“We have to be defensive-minded,” Kanow said. “That’s something we have to instill in the kids. Defense really travels. That has to be one of our calling cards. Every team will have off nights. But if you’re a great defensive team, it raises our floor.”

Kanow will be able to get a jump start with a summer program, address changes and implement his system, with an emphasis on putting last year in the rear view mirror.

“A real benefit being on staff last year and over the past few years is knowing what I’m stepping into,” Kanow said. “We’re going to hit the ground running this summer. We have a lot of work to do. Last year was a tough season.”

Tax bill passed by House Republicans would gut Biden-era clean energy tax credits

By MATTHEW DALY, ALEXA ST. JOHN and MATTHEW BROWN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package passed by House Republicans early Thursday would gut clean energy tax credits that Democrats approved three years ago while supporting increased mining, drilling and other traditional energy production.

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A marathon session that began Wednesday resulted in 1,100-plus page legislation that curbs billions of dollars in spending across food assistance, student loans, Medicaid and action to address climate change.

The bill, which now heads to the Senate, repeals or phases out more quickly clean energy tax credits passed in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act during former President Joe Biden’s term. Biden’s climate law has been considered monumental for the clean energy transition, but the House bill effectively renders moot much of the law’s incentives for renewable energy such as wind and solar power.

Clean energy advocates said the bill walks back the largest government investment in clean energy in history.

“In a bid to cut taxes for billionaires and provide a grab bag of goodies to Big Oil, the majority in the House took a sledgehammer to clean energy tax credits and to the protection of our public lands,” said Christy Goldfuss, executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“These credits are delivering billions of dollars in new investments in homegrown American energy — creating jobs, lowering energy costs and addressing the climate crisis that is fueling floods, fires and heat waves,” Goldfuss said.

President Donald Trump celebrated the bill’s passage, calling it “arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country.” Trump appealed to the Senate to pass the measure as soon as possible and send it to his desk.

The Senate hopes to wrap up its version by early July. At least four Republican senators, led by Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have urged continuation of energy tax credits, including support for traditional and renewable energy sources. Republican-led states and Congressional districts have benefited from billions of dollars in clean energy manufacturing investments spurred by the Biden-era subsidies.

Full-scale repeal of current credits “could lead to significant disruptions for the American people and weaken our position as a global energy leader,” the senators said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

“A wholesale repeal, or the termination of certain individual credits, would create uncertainty, jeopardizing … job creation in the energy sector and across our broader economy,” the senators wrote in the April 9 letter. The letter was also signed by GOP Sens. John Curtis of Utah, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Jerry Moran of Kansas.

In a win for House moderates and some Western lawmakers, the House bill strips language that would have allowed the sale of hundreds of thousands acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada. Opponents argued the sales would have opened the door for more oil and gas drilling.

What was gutted in the bill

The House bill takes an axe to tax credits for rooftop solar installments and eliminates electric vehicle tax credits after 2025, with a one-year exception for EVs manufactured by automakers that have sold fewer than 200,000 cars that qualified for the credit.

FILE – Ken Honeycutt demonstrates charging his Kia Soul electric vehicle in San Lorenzo, Calif., Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Credits for solar and electric vehicles, which reduce harmful emissions, help to boost demand for the technologies and drive down their cost.

House Republicans also tightened tax credit restrictions for projects associated with foreign entities, including China — an added blow to domestic clean energy expansion since China dominates much of the supply chain.

The bill slashes a three-year phase-down schedule previously proposed, and instead cuts off projects that don’t start construction within 60 days of the bill’s passage. Those projects would also have to start operating before 2029.

“This bill threatens the clean energy industry at a time when it’s proving to be not only economically beneficial — lowering costs, creating jobs and fueling local economies — but also essential to America’s energy future,” said Andrew Reagan, president of Clean Energy for America, an industry group.

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents the oil and gas industry, applauded the bill as a step to “restore American energy dominance.”

“By preserving competitive tax policies, opening lease sales” for oil and gas drilling and advancing permitting reforms, the legislation “is a win for our nation’s energy future,” API President Mike Sommers said in a statement.

No sale of public lands

At the behest of Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke and some other Republicans, lawmakers stripped a provision that would have sold or transferred about 460,000 acres of federal land in Nevada and Utah to local governments or private entities.

The proposal exposed sharp divisions between Western Republicans who say the federal government controls too much of their states and others such as Zinke, a former Interior secretary in Trump’s first term whose state is protective of access to lands for hunting and recreation.

“At the heart of the matter is that public land that’s in the federal estate belongs to everybody,” Zinke told The Associated Press Thursday. “To suggest that you’re going to sell land to pay off the debt, I think that’s misguided and, quite frankly, disingenuous.”

FILE – Then Rep.-elect Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., stands on the East Front of the Capitol after participating in a class photo of newly-elected members of Congress, Nov. 15, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

The land sales had been inserted in the bill following a late-night committee vote, despite earlier pledges from Republican leaders that the sales were off the table.

Supporters said they would generate revenue and ease growth pressures by creating room for more and cheaper housing in booming Western cities such as Las Vegas, Reno, Nevada, and St. George, Utah. Those communities are hemmed in by federal property, which makes up 80% of the land in Nevada and 63% in Utah.

A spokesperson for Nevada Republican Rep. Mark Amodei, who sponsored the bid to sell federal lands in his state, said his office was “exploring all options” to make the transfers happen.

Housing advocates had cautioned federal land is not universally suitable for affordable housing, and some of the parcels to be sold were far from developed areas.

Tracy Stone-Manning, president of the Wilderness Society and a former director of the Bureau of Land Management under Biden, said she appreciated Zinke’s work to prevent the public lands sale.

But she said the bill was still a “big giveaway” to the private sector. “By opening hundreds of millions of acres to drilling, mining and logging to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, this bill harms the tens of millions of people who like to hike, recreate or find solace in the outdoors,” she said.

Trump targets Biden’s climate policy

At the same time the bill slashes support for clean energy, it paves the way for oil, gas and coal.

Through the bill, natural gas pipeline developers can pay a $10 million fee for expedited permitting, and applicants for a potential liquefied natural gas export site can pay a $1 million fee to be deemed in the “public interest,” circumventing what is usually a regulatory challenge.

St. John reported from Detroit and Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

Read more of AP’s climate coverage at apnews.com/climate-and-environment. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

A look at the deportees on plane that headed for South Sudan from US

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON

The foreign men convicted of crimes who were placed on a deportation flight headed for the chaotic nation of South Sudan were originally from countries as far away as Mexico and Vietnam. They had lived in various places from California to Iowa, Nebraska to Florida, with one serving a sentence of nearly 30 years.

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They were accused and convicted of crimes ranging from murder, to rape, robbery and assault.

Despite their criminal records, a federal judge says the White House violated a court order on deportations to third countries, adding these eight migrants aboard the plane were not given a meaningful opportunity to object that the deportation could put them in danger.

Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston ordered a new set of interviews with the migrants, either back in the U.S. or abroad. Trump administration officials accused “activist judges” of advocating the release of dangerous criminals.

“No country on Earth wanted to accept them because their crimes are so uniquely monstrous and barbaric,” said Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.

These are the migrants who were part of the deportation flight.

SOUTH SUDAN: Dian Peter Domach

The only man from South Sudan on the flight was 33-year-old Dian Peter Domach. He was convicted in 2013 of robbery, for which he was sentenced to 8 to 14 years in prison; and of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, for which he was sentenced to 6 to 10 years. Those sentences were to be served one after the other. The Department of Homeland Security said Domach was also convicted of driving under the influence.

While in prison, he was convicted of “assault by a confined person” and sentenced to an additional 18 to 20 months. According to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, Domach was released on “discretionary parole” on May 2 and arrested by immigration authorities six days later.

Records said he represented himself on appeal and in the most recent prison assault case.

LAOS: Thongxay Nilakout

One of the two deportees with life sentences is 48-year-old Thongxay Nilakout from Laos. He was convicted of killing a German tourist and wounding her husband in 1994 when he was 17. The couple was visiting a popular tourist lookout east of Los Angeles during a trip to see their daughter.

Nilakout was sentenced to life in prison but was released in 2023 after his case was reviewed following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said mandatory life sentences for minors were unconstitutional.

He was arrested by immigration authorities in January.

MYANMAR: Kyaw Mya

Kyaw Mya, a man from Myanmar who lived in Iowa, was convicted of sexually abusing a child under 12 years of age and sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in February.

An attorney for Mya did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

MYANMAR: Nyo Myint

Nyo Myint, another Burmese deportee, lived in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was accused in 2017 of sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman with “diminished mental capacity” who ended up pregnant. The woman’s sister said the victim had a mental capacity equal to a 3-year-old and that Myint had told her he was the child’s father.

An arrest affidavit filed by the police said Myint admitted to having sex with the woman at least two times, saying he knew her since 2003 and knew she had gone to a school for children with mental disabilities. He admitted he made a mistake and felt it was wrong to have sex with her.

He was given a 12- to 14-year prison sentence in 2020 but released on probation in May 2023. ICE took custody of Myint in February.

Nathan Sohriakoff remembers defending Myint in the Nebraska case and communicating with him via interpreters. He hadn’t heard he was part of the deportee group, which Trump administration officials are calling “barbaric monsters.”

“He was a small man, very petite. He didn’t speak a word of English and didn’t resist the charges,” Sohriakoff said. “I don’t remember feeling like he was dangerous. My general feeling of him was that he was limited in his ability as well, like cognitively, but not to the degree that I felt he was incompetent.”

VIETNAM: Tuan Thanh Phan

The Department of Homeland Security says the flight included a Vietnamese man. Tuan Thanh Phan was convicted of first-degree murder and second-degree assault and sentenced to 22 years in prison. He was arrested by ICE earlier this month.

CUBA: Enrique Arias-Hierro and Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Quiñones

The Department of Homeland Security says the flight included two men from Cuba: Enrique Arias-Hierro and Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Quiñones.

Florida court records show Arias-Hierro, now 46, served 15 years in a state prison after being convicted of robbery, kidnapping and falsely impersonating an officer. Homeland Security officials say he was also convicted of homicide and armed robbery, but the records in Miami-Dade County did not include that.

The attorney who last served as his public defender in 2024 did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment. Arias-Hierro was taken by ICE earlier this month.

There was no further information immediately available on Rodriguez-Quiñones.

MEXICO: Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez

A Mexican man was also placed on the deportation flight. The Department of Homeland Security says Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

It was unclear why he would be flown to South Sudan or beyond when Mexico is just south of the United States.

Associated Press writer Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

Supreme Court declines to reinstate independent agency board members fired by President Donald Trump

By MARK SHERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Thursday said President Donald Trump likely has the authority to fire independent agency board members, endorsing a robust view of presidential power.

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But the court suggested that it could block an attempt to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who Trump has complained has not cut interest rates aggressively.

The court’s action essentially extended an order Chief Justice John Roberts issued in April that had the effect of removing two board members who Trump fired from agencies that deal with labor issues, including one with a key role for federal workers as Trump aims to drastically downsize the workforce.

The firings have left both agencies without enough board members to take final actions on issues before them, as Trump has not sought to appoint replacements.

The decision Thursday keeps on hold an appellate ruling that had temporarily reinstated Gwynne Wilcox to the National Labor Relations Board and Cathy Harris to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

While not a final ruling, the court said in an unsigned order that the Constitution appears to give the president the authority to fire the board members “without cause.”

The court’s three liberal justices dissented. “Not since the 1950s (or even before) has a President, without a legitimate reason, tried to remove an officer from a classic independent agency,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The court refused to reinstate Harris and Wilcox while their cases play out in the courts over warnings from their lawyers that their action would signal that Trump is free to fire members of every independent agency, including the Federal Reserve Board.

“That way lies chaos,” lawyer Neal Katyal wrote in a high court filing on behalf of Harris.

Defending Trump at the Supreme Court, Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the justices that firing Fed governors was a “distinct question” that is not presented in this case.

Trump has mused about firing Powell and his remark in April that the central bank leader’s “termination cannot come fast enough” caused a stock market selloff. Trump then said he had no plans to fire Powell.

The conservative justices appeared to agree, noting that the Federal Reserve “is a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity.”

The immediate issue confronting the court was whether the board members, both initially appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, can stay in their jobs while the larger fight continues over what to do with a 90-year-old Supreme Court decision known as Humphrey’s Executor. In that case from 1935, the court unanimously held that presidents cannot fire independent board members without cause.

Kagan wrote that her colleagues were telegraphing what would happen. “The impatience to get on with things—to now hand the President the most unitary, meaning also the most subservient, administration since Herbert Hoover (and maybe ever)—must reveal how that eventual decision will go,” she wrote.

The New Deal era case led to the creation of many agencies and bolstered others that were run by bipartisan boards that relied on expertise and were, to a degree, independent of presidential control, Kagan wrote.

But the ruling has long rankled conservative legal theorists, who argue it wrongly curtails the president’s power. Roberts was part of the current conservative majority on the Supreme Court that already has narrowed its reach in a 2020 decision.

In its emergency appeal, the administration had suggested the justices should take up and decide the broader issue of presidential power. But the court ignored Sauer’s suggestion of a hearing in May, with a decision by early summer, preferring to let the case proceed on its normal path.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 7-4 to return Wilcox and Harris to their jobs while their cases play out. The action of the full appeals court reversed a judgment from a three-judge panel that had allowed the firings to go forward.

The NLRB resolves hundreds of unfair labor practice cases every year. Wilcox was the first Black woman to serve on the NLRB in its 90-year history. She first joined the board in 2021, and the Senate confirmed her in September 2023 to serve a second term, expected to last five years.

The other board in the case reviews disputes from federal workers and could be a significant stumbling block as the administration seeks to carry out its workforce cuts.

The board members’ reinstatement “causes grave and irreparable harm to the President and to our Constitution’s system of separated powers,” Sauer wrote. Harris and Wilcox are removable “at will” by the president, he wrote.

In the lower courts, Wilcox’s attorneys said Trump could not fire her without notice, a hearing or identifying any “neglect of duty or malfeasance in office” on her part.

Perhaps foreshadowing the coming confrontation, the lawyers argued that the administration’s “only path to victory” was to persuade the Supreme Court to “adopt a more expansive view of presidential power.”

Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.

Work requirements could transform Medicaid and food aid under US budget bill

By GEOFF MULVIHILL and DAVID A. LIEB

The U.S. social safety net would be jolted if the budget bill backed by President Donald Trump and passed Thursday by the House of Representatives becomes law.

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It would impose work requirements for low-income adults to receive Medicaid health insurance and increase them for food assistance as well as cut funding for services like birth control to the nation’s biggest abortion provider.

Supporters of the bill say the moves will save money, root out waste and encourage personal responsibility.

A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over a decade.

The measure, which also includes tax cuts, passed the House by one vote and could have provisions reworked again as it heads to the Senate.

Here’s a look at the potential impact.

Work would be required for most people to get Medicaid health insurance

Starting next year, many able-bodied Medicaid enrollees under 65 would be required to show that they work, volunteer or go to school in exchange for the health insurance coverage.

Some people who receive Medicaid were worried Thursday that they could see their coverage end, even if it is not immediately clear whether they might be covered by an exception.

Raquel Vasquez, a former cook who is battling two types of cancer and has diabetes, said she believes she could be affected because she has not been able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. “I cannot even afford this life now because of my disabilities,” said the 41-year-old Bakersfield, California, resident. “But my country won’t even help me.”

About 92% of people enrolled in Medicaid are already working, caregiving, attending school or disabled. That leaves about 8% of 71 million adult enrollees who would need to meet the new requirement. An estimated 5 million people are likely to lose coverage altogether, according to previous estimates of the bill from the Congressional Budget Office.

Only Arkansas has had a work requirement that kicks people off for noncompliance. More than 18,000 lost coverage after it kicked in 2018, and the program was later blocked by federal courts.

FILE – In this Sept. 12, 2018, file photo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, center, talks at a news conference at the State Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., about the state’s work requirement for its expanded Medicaid program. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo, File)

“The people of Arkansas are generous and we want to help those who cannot help themselves, but we have no interest in helping those who are unwilling to help themselves,” said Arkansas Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, a Republican. “I’m glad the federal government is starting to align with our thinking.”

Work requirement could hit harder in rural areas

Increased eligibility checks and red tape related to work requirements may result in some people wrongly getting booted off, said Eduardo Conrado, the president of Ascension, a health care system that operates hospitals across 10 states.

That could spell trouble for rural hospitals, in particular, who will see their small pool of patients go from paying for their emergency care with Medicaid coverage to not paying anything at all. Hospitals could have to eat their costs.

“Adding work requirements is not just a policy change, it’s a shift away from the purpose of the program,” Conrado said of the rule.

That is also a concern for Sandy Heller, of Marion, Massachusetts.

Her 37-year-old son, Craig, has Down syndrome and other complicated medical needs.

She worries the changes would make it harder for hospitals in out-of-the-way places like hers to stay afloat and offer the services he could need.

If they don’t, he would have to travel about 90 minutes for care.

“It could mean life and death for my son if he needed that medical care,” Heller said.

More people would be required to have jobs to receive food assistance

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, already requires work for some of its roughly 42 million recipients. Adults ages 18-54 who are physically and mentally able and don’t have dependents must work, volunteer or participate in training programs for at least 80 hours a month, or else be limited to just three months of benefits in a three-year period.

The legislation passed by the House would raise the work requirement to age 65 and also extend it to parents without children younger than age 7. The bill also would limit the ability to waive work requirements in areas with high unemployment rates.

The combination of those changes could put 6 million adults at risk of losing SNAP benefits, according to the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Like work requirements for Medicaid, those for SNAP tend to cause a decrease in participation without increasing employment, according to an April report by the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project.

States that cover immigrants lacking legal status would lose federal funds

Under the bill, the federal government would punish states that use their own state dollars to provide Medicaid-covered services to immigrants lacking legal status or to provide subsidies to help them buy health insurance.

Some states that provide that sort of coverage extend it only to children.

Those states would see federal funding for the Medicaid expansion population — typically low-income adults — drop from 90% to 80%.

That could mean states pull back that Medicaid coverage to avoid the federal penalty, said Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families.

KFF said the provision could affect 14 states that cover children regardless of their immigration status.

This month the Democratic governor of one of them — California’s Gavin Newsom — announced a plan to freeze new enrollments of adults in state-funded health care for immigrants who do not have legal status as a budget-balancing measure.

The bill could curtail abortion access by barring money for Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood says a provision barring it from receiving Medicaid funds could lead to about one-third of its health centers closing.

FILE – Security personnel stand outside a recently opened Planned Parenthood clinic, Sept. 10, 2024, in Pittsburg, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The group said about 200 centers are at risk — most of them in states where abortion is legal. In those states, the number of Planned Parenthood centers could be cut in half.

Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, also offers other health services, including birth control and cancer screening.

Federal money was already barred from paying for abortion, but state Medicaid funds in some states now cover it.

“We’re in a fight for survival — not just for Planned Parenthood, but for the ability of everyone to get high-quality, non-judgmental health care,” Planned Parenthood President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America celebrated the provision, saying “Congress took a big step toward stopping taxpayer funding of the Big Abortion industry.”

Health services for transgender people would be cut

Medicaid would stop covering gender-affirming care for people of all ages in 2027 under one provision.

Further, coverage of the treatments could not be required on insurance plans sold through the exchanges under the Affordable Care Act.

Trump has targeted transgender people, who make up around 1% of the U.S. population, since returning to office, including declaring that the U.S. won’t spend taxpayer money on gender-affirming medical care for transgender people under 19. The care includes puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries.

The bill would expand that to all ages, at least when it comes to Medicaid.

Some states already block the coverage, and some require it. It’s unclear how much Medicaid has spent on providing gender-affirming care, which has only been recently added to some coverage plans in some states.

Associated Press reporters Devna Bose in Jackson, Mississippi; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Amanda Seitz in Washington; and Leah Willingham in Boston contributed to this article.

Priceless 49ers helmet gets another Hall of Fame autograph

Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone brought his football helmet to the fifth annual Dwight Clark Legacy Series on Wednesday night in downtown San Jose, but he wasn’t planning to run a few plays. He had an entirely different game plan in mind.

Since the late 1990s, Stone — who has been a 49ers season-ticket holder since the magical 1981 season — has been getting Niners enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame to sign the helmet. He’s got signatures from legends including Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Y.A. Tittle, Bob St. Clair and Hugh McElhenny.

Bryant Young, an NFL Hall of Famer and former defensive tackle for the 49ers, autographs a 49ers helmet for Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone at the Hammer Theatre Center on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)

And it was Bryan Young’s turn Wednesday. The former defensive tackle, who entered the Hall of Fame in 2022, graciously signed Stone’s helmet during a reception for the Dwight Clark Legacy Series, a fundraiser for the Golden Heart Fund that provides support for former 49ers players after their NFL careers have ended.

“I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve gotten each one of these signatures personally,” said Stone, who says he’s not much of a memorabilia collector but can also get a little obsessive once he’s started something. He’s also on a mission to attend every major sporting event and only has a few, including the Iditarod sled-dog race, remaining on his bucket list. He’s planning to check off the Ryder Cup this fall in New York.

Of course, he also plans to keep adding to the helmet as long as 49ers keep making the Hall of Fame. Patrick Willis, you’re up next.

HISTORICAL BENEFIT: History San Jose recently joined the ranks of Blue Star Museums, institutions that provide free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families throughout the summer. The benefit started May 17 — Armed Forces Day — and runs through Labor Day, which is Sept. 1 this year. For History San Jose, this includes admission to History Park at Kelley Park, as well as the Gonzales/Peralta Adobe and Fallon House Historic Site in downtown San Jose.

Other valley museums that provide the benefit include the Campbell Historical Museum and Ainsley House, the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, the San Jose Museum of Art, New Museum in Los Gatos, the Japanese American Museum in San Jose and the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford. The Blue Star Museums program is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families.

GARDEN SOUNDS: If you’re looking for a different way to spend Memorial Day, Hakone Estate and Gardens in Saratoga might be the place. Taiko master Kenny Edo will help launch a new concert series, “Garden of Culture,” at the historic venue on Big Basin Way. The concert, “Sounds of Old and New,” begins at 6 p.m. Monday and also will feature guest artists Chizuko Endo, Mas Koga, Jay Lai and Hiroshi Tanaka. Tickets are available at hakone.com.

THEATER WITH A POINT: Absurdity sounds like a good antidote to all the strife and woe going on in the world right now. So it’s perfect timing for “Rhinoceros,” Eugene Ionesco’s imaginative comedy that’s being helmed by director Bruce McLeod for Foothill Theatre Arts. The one-act show, which opens at Foothill College’s Lohman Theatre in Los Altos Hills on Friday, explores what happens to a sleepy town when everyone is turned into a rhinoceros. After you see it, you can figure out whether you’d stand alone or go with the herd. It runs through June 8, and all the details are at www.foothill.edu/theater.

Kurtenbach: Brock Purdy’s new 49ers contract isn’t just reasonable. It’s a steal

Remember last week, when it was first reported that the 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy had agreed to a five-year, $265 million contract? On the heels of that news, there was a loud and angry chorus from near and far, all singing the same three-syllable word:

“O-Ver-Paid.”

Those people look awfully silly now that the details for that contract have been released.

As I suspected, Purdy’s new contract isn’t merely team-friendly, it might as well have been a gift from their quarterback.

Purdy is still going to make a tremendous amount of money. He can easily pay off those Toyotas he bought his offensive line last season and can hitch a fishing boat to the back of each one of them. And Purdy’s camp was able to work in some nice job security in the terms of the deal, too. It’s a team-friendly deal, but it’s fair, too.

And like the vast majority of contracts in the NFL, that big headline number that comes out on Day 1 doesn’t remotely resemble the actual deal.

Purdy isn’t really on a five-year contract. No, he’s effectively on a two-year contract with a two-year team option.

If Purdy is everything the 49ers want him to be, he and the team will likely be back at the negotiating table after the 2026 season.

But there’s flexibility for the Niners in this new deal. If Purdy’s next two seasons are an unmitigated disaster — a la Russell Wilson with the Broncos or Aaron Rodgers with the Jets— the 49ers can cut or trade him after 2026 and take one year of a big dead-cap hit. They’ll be effectively free after that.

Of course, that would be an issue for another Niners head coach and general manager to figure out, because if Purdy’s career trends in that direction — and it would be a massive swerve — neither Kyle Shanahan nor John Lynch will still be employed by San Francisco anymore.

Also making an appearance in this deal: The April 1 guarantee structure the Niners put on the Brandon Aiyuk contract and, before that, the Colin Kaepernick deal. This works for both the Niners (the NFL cuts revenue distribution checks around this time) and Purdy, who avoids year-to-year decisions.

For instance, if Purdy is on the Niners’ roster April 1, 2026, his 2027 salary is guaranteed — hence why they might work a new deal between the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

But the Niners don’t have to do anything. They can stand pat and opt into two years of Purdy (2027, 2028) at a less-than-market rate after the ’26 season. It will cost them $30.8 million and $57.6 million against the salary cap in 2027 and 2028, and leave them with only a roughly $15 million dead-cap hit in 2029 should they decide to move on after that.

For reference, the Niners have a $15 million dead-cap hit for Arik Armstead for this upcoming season. The NFL’s salary cap should be above $350 million by that point, too.

This is an exceptionally reasonable contract for Purdy and the 49ers.

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And at no point in the four years does Purdy’s pay become unreasonable, and at no point is he being underpaid. There are also clear out dates for the Niners, should they want an escape.

If the Niners decide to go for the full four years, as written, they’ll pay Purdy almost every cent of the roughly $175 million he’s “guaranteed” in the deal. Yet at the same time, Purdy’s average annual cap hit will be $30.5 million per year.

That’s wide-receiver money, not quarterback money.

Seriously: The 49ers have Deebo Samuel counting for $34.1 million against their books this season. Purdy will go above that number one time — 2028 — on the actionable portion of his current deal.

Yes, Purdy will be paid well (though arguably under the market rate) but the Niners won’t have that kind of money reflecting on the books. That’s good accounting. (It was certainly enough to make my head spin.)

And this deal will never approach $265 million paid or even five years. It’s frankly a laughable sum given the true structure of this deal.

If the Niners’ front office can’t build a quality team around Purdy with this fancy accounting, then they’re simply not fit to run a team. Purdy will be paid less than Yetur Gross-Matos against the cap this season, less than Fred Warner next season, and is slated to make less than both Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk in 2027.

In all, this contract is anything but an albatross around the neck of the 49ers. It’s crafty, it’s clever, and it’s altogether shockingly unburdensome.

And no matter what happens with Purdy in the years to come, don’t let anyone tell you this contract is something different.

Horoscopes May 22, 2025: Amber Heard, pause, think and set your sights on your desires

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Amber Heard, 39; Sherri Shepherd, 58; Jeffrey Dean Morgan, 59; Jack Nicholson, 88.

Happy Birthday: Pause, think and set your sights on this year’s desired outcomes. There is no need to rush or take on unnecessary projects or responsibilities if they don’t fit your agenda. A clear picture of what you want and need in your life will make it easier to stay on target and reach your goal. Stick close to home and utilize your strengths to ensure you fulfill your dreams. Your numbers are 2, 12, 19, 26, 32, 41, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take advantage of an opportunity to discuss your interests and how to use your skills to market yourself effectively. Think outside the box, and you’ll discover how to diversify and update your attributes and experience to realign yourself with what’s trending in your field of expertise. 4 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keep moving. Idle time is your enemy today. Too much time to think, complain or get into trouble will stand between you and taking care of business. Be responsible and take better care of your health and finances. Avoid unnecessary spur-of-the-moment purchases. A physical change will boost your confidence. 2 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Broaden your horizons, participate in thought-provoking events and get in touch with people who can offer experience and hands-on help. However, find out what’s expected before you start. Communication is your greatest asset, so keep the conversation going and grab as much free information as possible. 5 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Zero in on what’s important to you instead of lurking around the outer perimeters of situations, topics and possibilities. Speak openly from the heart and directly to those most likely to tell the truth. Put more onus on how you appear and feel, and use your talents to reach your goals. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Finish what you start, do things by the book and take responsibility for yourself and what you say and do. Arguing will waste time and deter you from reaching your objective or destination. Rethink your strategy before you start a conversation that can alter your course, lifestyle or meaningful relationship. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are overdue for a change. Look at yourself, what you do, how you look and the goals you want to achieve. Be open to suggestions and learn all you can that might give you an advantage over anyone competing with you. A positive attitude will outweigh negativity and anger. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take a break. Get out and mingle, network or participate in something that motivates or stimulates you to give your all. Use your ingenuity, and you’ll devise a plan that helps you excel when dealing with associates and superiors. Now is the time to express yourself with confidence, not waffle. 5 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Accept change and keep moving forward. How you deal with what’s happening around you will determine how others perceive you and your influence on your goals. Run the show instead of letting someone step in and take over. A positive attitude will bring about progressive change. Personal gain looks promising. 2 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Social events will result in heartfelt discussions that give you something to think about and consider. Your reaction or what you agree to contribute will require time and effort. Be sure you can deliver before you commit. Falling short will be a reflection that can alter your reputation. 4 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take care of financial matters, apply for a position that interests you and manage your health care with finesse. Don’t leave anything to chance or up to someone else. Push for what you want, but use diplomacy, experience and knowledge to ensure you get what you’ve been working for. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Do your part to organize and set things up to accommodate what you can contribute. Look at the long-term effects and pace yourself accordingly. Refuse to let someone drag you into their drama when you are best to designate your time to what benefits you most. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Make changes that improve your lifestyle and health and encourage reaching your goals. Discipline and saying no to temptation is essential. Put together a plan to restrict overspending, allowing you to funnel your money into what’s necessary. Micromanagement, along with common sense, will help stabilize your life. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are resourceful, expressive and dynamic. You are assertive and productive.

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.

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Things to know about ‘no tax on tips,’ Trump’s tax pledge that’s included in GOP budget bill

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS and JONATHAN J. COOPER, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s “no tax on tips” pledge became a catchphrase for his 2024 campaign. Now it’s inching closer to reality.

The idea is firmly planted in the sprawling tax cuts package Republicans are hashing out in the House and aiming to pass in the coming days. And in a surprise move, the Senate voted this week to unanimously approve the idea.

The proposal has widespread support from the public, lawmakers in both parties and employers who believe such a law will bring relief to the working class. But many critics say that it would come with an enormous cost to the government while doing little to help the workers who need it most.

Here’s a look at the proposal and its potential impact:

What’s in the ‘No Tax on Tips’ provision?

It would create a new tax deduction eliminating federal income taxes on tips for people working in jobs that have traditionally received them, as long as they make less than $160,000 in 2025. The Trump administration would publish a list of qualifying occupations within 90 days of the bill’s signing.

Only tips reported to the employer and noted on a worker’s W-2, their end-of-year tax summary, would qualify. Payroll taxes, which pay for Social Security and Medicare, would still be collected.

FILE – Then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump dances at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

If adopted, the proposed deduction is set to expire after four years. Congressional budget analysts project the provision would increase the deficit by $40 billion through 2028. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, an advocacy group, projects the cost would be $120 billion over a decade if the tip exemption is made permanent.

What did Trump say during the campaign about eliminating federal taxes on tips?

Trump made the promise during a campaign stop in Las Vegas, where the service sector drives the economy, as part of his pitch to working-class voters struggling with rising costs.

Segments of his base eagerly spread the word, writing the catchphrase on their restaurant receipts or talking to their barbers about it while getting a trim.

Trump offered few details at the time, but later made similar pledges to eliminate taxes on other forms of income, including overtime wages and Social Security payments. Those ideas, along with a tax deduction for auto loan interest, are also included in the GOP’s budget bill.

FiLE – Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)

“No tax on tips” was later embraced — with limits — by the influential Culinary Union, which represents Las Vegas Strip hospitality workers, Nevada’s Democratic senators and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival.

How could it impact workers?

Experts say some middle-income service workers would benefit from a tax break but warn that it could potentially heighten inequities.

“If your goal is to help the poorest service workers, this is probably not the way to do it,” said Michael Lynn, a professor of services marketing at Cornell University whose research largely focuses on tipping and other consumer behavior.

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About a third of tipped workers make too little to owe income taxes. Those workers won’t benefit from the tax break, so its benefits will accrue to tipped workers with higher incomes, Lynn said.

“It’s overlooking non-tipped workers who need the help just as badly, and it’s giving the benefit predominantly to the least needy of the tipped workers,” Lynn said.

The median age for tipped workers is 31, a decade younger than the median non-tipped worker, and they tend to make lower wages, according to the Yale Budget Lab.

Among tipped workers who make enough to owe Uncle Sam, the average tax cut would be about $1,800, according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

The measure also would be complicated to enact.

What do employers say?

The National Restaurant Association is among industry groups that have been strong backers of a “No Tax on Tips” provision. When reached for comment Wednesday, a spokesperson pointed The Associated Press to a previous statement following the legislation’s introduction in January.

“Eliminating taxes on tips would put cash back in the pocket of a significant number of workers in the restaurant and food service industry and could help restaurant operators recruit industry workforce,” Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs for the association, said at the time — calling the No Tax on Tips Act “sensible legislation” that he said includes “fiscally responsible” protections.

And in Nevada, the Culinary Workers Union specifically credited the state’s two Democratic senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, with working with Republicans to push the legislation forward — and called on the House to “get this done for working families.” The union represents about 60,000 casino and hotel workers across the state, including bartenders, food servers and cocktail servers who rely on tips.

But other groups representing workers shared criticism of the legislation.

One Fair Wage, an advocacy group made up of nearly 300,000 service workers and over 1,000 restaurant employers pushing to raise the minimum wage, said the measure would offer “moderate relief for some” but is part of a tax package that “just helps the richest while leaving the vast majority behind.”

“For all the bipartisan celebration … this bill is a distraction from the real fight,” Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, stated — again stressing that it was time to raise the minimum wage. The nonprofit also calls for ending tip credits that allow lower base wages for tipped workers in many states.

Cooper reported from Phoenix. AP Writer Rio Yamat contributed to this report from Las Vegas.

Cuomo’s comeback faces a new challenger: Donald Trump’s Justice Department

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE, Associated Press

With just weeks to go until New York City’s mayoral primary, one of the leading candidates, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, finds himself under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. He seems to think it might actually help.

In a new advertisement released Wednesday, the Cuomo campaign seized on the investigation as a potential selling point to voters, calling it an attempt by the Trump administration to “interfere with New York City’s election.”

“Why? Because Andrew Cuomo is the last person they want as mayor,” the ad says. “If Donald Trump doesn’t want Andrew Cuomo as mayor, you do.”

It added that Cuomo would be a mayor who stood up to “bullies.”

The investigation, confirmed to The Associated Press Tuesday by a person familiar with the matter, is centered on the truthfulness of statements Cuomo made to Congress last year about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as it spread through nursing homes. The person was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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In other times, revelations so close to an election that a major candidate was the subject of a criminal probe might mean political doom.

But while some of Cuomo’s opponents in the Democratic primary pounced, accusing the former governor of perjury during his Congressional testimony, others said they were disturbed by what they characterized as the political weaponization of federal law enforcement.

The Justice Department recently launched an investigation of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has battled Trump in civil court, over paperwork related to a home she helped a relative buy in Virginia. It filed criminal charges against a Democratic member of Congress for jostling with federal agents as they arrested the Democratic mayor of Newark, New Jersey outside an immigration detention center. The Secret Service interviewed former F.B.I. director James B. Comey about a message critical of Trump that he posted on social media.

Trump’s Justice Department also scuttled a criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams — a Trump ally on immigration policy.

Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic state lawmaker who is running for mayor, said that while he believed Cuomo had lied to Congress, “Donald Trump cannot be trusted to pursue justice.”

“While I believe New Yorkers should reject the disgraced ex-Governor at the ballot box, the Trump administration’s actions are dangerous,” Mamdani said in a statement.

Cuomo questioned over handling of report about nursing home deaths

Cuomo, who touts his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic on the campaign trail, has been dogged by a short-lived state directive that temporarily prevented nursing homes from refusing to accept patients recovering from the virus. The policy, intended to help alleviate hospital overcrowding, was reversed after criticism that it might accelerate virus outbreaks in nursing homes.

Amid the scrutiny, Cuomo’s administration substantially understated deaths in nursing homes in its public reports for several months, fueling more criticism that it was engaged in a cover-up.

Cuomo was grilled on the subject by a congressional panel last year, with the group saying it had evidence that Cuomo had reviewed, edited and drafted parts of a state health department report on nursing home deaths. Cuomo told the panel he was not involved in the report, but then later said he did not recall being involved.

The panel referred Cuomo to the Biden administration’s Justice Department for criminal prosecution over accusations that he lied to Congress, but no charges were brought. Months later, Republican Rep. James Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, then re-sent the referral to the Justice Department after Trump took office, releasing a statement saying Cuomo “must be prosecuted.”

Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said in an email that “Governor Cuomo testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the Subcommittee — but from the beginning this was all transparently political.”

The Justice Department has declined to comment. Jeanine Pirro, who has been a harsh critic of Cuomo’s pandemic nursing home response from her perch as a Fox News host, was recently appointed as the new leader of the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington. Pirro had unsuccessfully challenged Cuomo in a 2006 state attorney general race.

Probe may not change many people’s votes, former party leader says

Basil Smikle, former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, predicted that the investigation might not lead to many people changing their votes.

“If you’re a Cuomo voter, you’ve already made up your mind that you’re OK with all of the stuff that’s in his past,” he said. “I don’t know if this changes things much.”

That could change though, he said, if Cuomo were to be charged and it became clear that a criminal case would interfere with his ability to serve as mayor.

Still, the probe has allowed some of Cuomo’s opponents to hammer the former governor for, in their view, being insufficiently critical of Trump on the campaign trail.

“Andrew Cuomo believing he may need a pardon for committing perjury explains his incessant kissing up to Donald Trump,” said city Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running against Cuomo.

The current mayor, Adams, who dropped out of the Democratic primary but is still running for a second term on an independent ballot line, told reporters Wednesday that he wouldn’t comment on the investigation.

“I’m not going to do to him what others did to me,” he said. “I’m going to allow the investigation to take its course.”