Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 13

Horoscopes Sept. 17, 2025: Doug E. Fresh, share your thoughts, and push forward with enthusiasm

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Patrick Mahomes, 30; Danielle Brooks, 36; Doug E. Fresh, 59; Kyle Chandler, 60.

Happy Birthday: Speak with confidence, and you’ll wield power this year. Believing in who you are, what you do and where you stand on important issues will determine who you attract into your life. Greater involvement in proactive groups or organizations will help you bring about change. Share your thoughts, and push forward with enthusiasm. Embracing something new will lead to fresh opportunities. Your numbers are 9, 14, 20, 27, 35, 41, 43.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Explore and discover what’s available, and do your best to expand your connections. Activities that get you moving and conversing with people heading in a similar direction will encourage you to regulate how you want to present yourself to others. Set a budget that allows you the freedom to pursue your heart’s desires. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take a moment to evaluate your life and how you can make the most of each day. Learn to say no to those trying to convince you to live their dream instead of pursuing your own. Design your space and lifestyle to ensure you find the happiness you’re searching for. Live life your way. 2 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Look for alternative ways to express yourself and to reach people who share your concerns. Participate in functions, and volunteer to make a difference using your skills and connections. Avoid taking risks that could cause domestic problems or confusion with someone you care about. Disagreements will set you back. Choose peace over discord. 4 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You can think big, but don’t let impulse lead to mistakes. Choose your projects wisely, and set a budget that doesn’t compromise your lifestyle. Avoid emotional situations that can lead to temptation or hinder your long-term plans. Loyalty, drive and a good imagination will help you reach your target. Financial gain is apparent. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Change begins with you. Revise your plans to suit your needs. You’ll gain momentum if you stick to a budget and call in favors that can help you reach your destination on time and within your means. Take control of the situations you encounter. It’s what you do that will help you get into the winner’s circle. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t give up; get moving. You have plenty to gain if you are direct, innovative and open to taking on tasks that will help you reach your goal. Reach out to institutions to ensure you have your paperwork in order. Overcompensating for others will slow you down. Stay focused on results, not on gaining popularity. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Direct your energy wisely. Helping a cause will be uplifting and encourage interesting connections with people who have something to offer. Don’t feel pressured to donate cash when your time and skills will bring richer results. Use your space wisely, host a meeting, or dedicate your heart to professional growth, gaining recognition and achieving self-satisfaction. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Search for opportunities to utilize your skills, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you in the interim. Dedicate time and effort to those who are appreciative and seasoned in understanding how best to apply what you have to offer. Implement what you long for most. Reach out to someone you want to reconnect with. 2 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Think less and do more. Let your actions speak for you, and you’ll get the highest return. Let go of the past and embrace change; the result will be new beginnings with people who are more in tune with what makes you happy. Make the most of your day, and you’ll surpass your expectations. 5 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Think, research, bide your time and avoid being bamboozled into putting your efforts behind someone else’s dream. Look for opportunities that align more closely with what you want out of life. Maintain a low profile, keep a watchful eye on what’s happening around you, and develop a solid, affordable plan that benefits you. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Gravitate toward what’s new and exciting, but don’t rush into or finalize something before you thoroughly check the possibilities and the ratio for success. Share your likes and dislikes with someone you love, and make plans to develop a partnership that requires trust and compatibility. Reworking your space to suit your needs is favored. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Deal with relationship issues swiftly to avoid situations escalating into something unmanageable. Use your intelligence, look for common ground and suggest a plan that fosters compatibility. Having a positive frame of mind and a willingness to compromise will help you sort through any differences you encounter. Don’t pay for other people’s mistakes. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are brave, loyal and competent. You are enthusiastic and meticulous.

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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SF Giants can’t protect another early lead, drop fourth straight game

PHOENIX — For the second time in the last four days, the Giants have scored four runs in the first inning against a left-handed pitcher. For the second time in the last four games, the Giants failed to protect that lead.

The Giants’ playoff odds further dwindled on Tuesday night at Chase Field as they dropped their fourth straight game, a 6-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks (77-75) as Jordan Lawlar delivered a walk-off single. With the Mets beating the Padres, San Francisco (75-76) is three games back of the third and final NL wild card spot with 11 games remaining and on the verge of being swept.

“All these games we lose like that are frustrating, especially against a lefty,” said manager Bob Melvin. “We had a tough time with him last time. To be able to score four in the first and another one in the third, then after that, it didn’t even feel like we had a baserunner.”

Rodriguez turned in one of his best starts of the season when he faced San Francisco at Oracle Park last week, pitching 6 1/3 shutout innings with six strikeouts as the Giants failed to complete a sweep. On Tuesday, by contrast, the Giants jumped on Rodriguez from the jump by putting up a four-spot.

Heliot Ramos began the night with a double, and Rafael Devers followed with a single. Matt Chapman drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly, Wilmer Flores followed with an RBI single and Jerar Encarnacion drove in two with a double. Before Tristan Beck threw a pitch, San Francisco owned a commanding 4-0 lead.

The rest of the Giants’ night was tranquil. Wilmer Flores hit a solo homer in the top of the third, his 16th home run of the season, but San Francisco totaled just three hits after the first inning. Those five runs wouldn’t be enough against this Diamondbacks offense, which plated three runs off Beck and two against Trevor McDonald to tie the game at five after five.

“Certainly looks like that when you go down that quickly,” said Melvin when asked if his hitters were being overly aggressive. “It puts a little pressure on the pitching to go right back out there too.”

Neither San Francisco or Arizona scored in the sixth, seventh or eighth, but the Giants gifted the Diamondbacks their share of extra opportunities.

In the seventh, with one out, runners at the corners and José Buttó on the mound, the Diamondbacks’ Blaze Alexander hit a sharp grounder to Flores, who appeared to tag first before firing home. Geraldo Perdomo was out by about 10 feet, but Flores never tagged first before throwing. Instead of an inning-ending double play, it was two outs with runners on first and second for Lawlar.

Buttó escaped the inning without allowing a run thanks to another oddity. When Lawlar hit a chopper to the infield’s right side, Flores collided with Alexander while going for the grounder. Flores still stayed with the play and fired to Buttó, but first base umpire Dan Merzel deemed the play dead and called runner’s interference.

“In Flo’s case, he’s trying to get the out at home, so you can understand you’re not perfect — the priority is getting the out at home,” Melvin said.

The Giants had to work around another self-inflicted wound in the eighth. Buttó fired an errant throw into right field on Alek Thomas’ bunt, allowing Thomas to advance to second with no outs. Thomas moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt, but Ryan Walker entered with two outs and kept the game scoreless by getting Ketel Marte to ground out.

San Francisco’s luck ran out in the ninth. Corbin Carroll began the inning with a single, and Walker walked Gabriel Moreno to put runners on first and second with no outs. Alexander laid down a sacrifice bunt, but the Giants didn’t record an out when second baseman Casey Schmitt didn’t get his foot on the bag when covering first.

Schmitt’s mistake immediately proved costly. With the bases loaded, Lawlar tapped a check-swing grounder past Walker’s glove. Since the bases were loaded — not second and third with one out if Schmitt recorded the out — the speedy Carroll ran on contact. Flores fielded and fired home, but with Carroll’s speed, the Giants had no shot at getting the force.

“There’s a lot of new things for Casey at second base, but one of them is that he’s got to get on the bag,” Melvin said. “Obviously he didn’t, and that was huge.”

The Giants found themselves within arm’s reach of catching the Mets and snatching that final wild card spot following Patrick Bailey’s dramatic walk-off grand slam. They’re now on the verge of being swept, an outcome that would drop their slim odds closer to zero.

SF Giants recall Trevor McDonald as ravaged bullpen seeks boost

PHOENIX — As the Giants cling to their fading playoff hopes, they’re searching for pitching help wherever they can get it.

Ahead of Tuesday’s quasi-bullpen game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants optioned right-hander Keaton Winn and recalled right-hander Trevor McDonald, who has yet to pitch an inning in the majors this season.

“It’s something you have to do,” said manager Bob Melvin. “(Kai-Wei) Teng pitched pretty well last night. … Just kind of blew up on us in the sixth. You know you’re going to have to go through these. We’ve had some games where we’ve been successful with it and other ones we haven’t.”

The Giants’ bullpen, due to both injuries and trades, has undergone significant changes over the last two months. Left-hander Erik Miller hasn’t pitched since early July due to a left elbow sprain. Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval were dealt at the deadline. Randy Rodríguez will undergo Tommy John surgery at the end of September.

Despite all those moving parts, San Francisco’s bullpen collectively still found ways to prevent runs. On Aug. 22, Rodríguez made his last relief appearance of the season. From Aug. 23 to Sept. 12, the Miller-less, Rogers-less, Doval-less, Rodríguez-less bullpen still managed to post a 2.82 ERA and 3.16 FIP.

Over their last three games, San Francisco’s bullpen has been shellacked. The Giants’ relievers have allowed 19 earned runs over their last 14 innings, the central reason as to why the team has been outscored 31-10 over these last three games. This current unit has had spurts of success, but trying to replace four high-leverage relievers is a tall, if not impossible, task.

San Francisco’s rotation is facing its own problems as well. Landen Roupp is likely out for the rest of the regular season due to a bone bruise, and Carson Whisenhunt is currently recovering from a back strain. Right-hander Blade Tidwell, acquired in the Rogers trade, is also recovering from a right shoulder injury that has delayed his Giants debut.

With Roupp, Tidwell and Whisenhunt on the mend — Whisenhunt will pitch for Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday — the Giants are trying to cobble together innings on days where Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander don’t start.

Teng was limited to four innings on Monday and isn’t expected to pitch deep into games. The fifth and final spot in the rotation remains in flux too, as evidenced by Tristan Beck starting on Tuesday. Whisenhunt stands to assume that spot when he’s healthy, but his timetable to return is unclear.

At the minimum, McDonald has the capacity to help the bullpen cover innings. The 24-year-old owns a 5.31 ERA with Sacramento, partially the product of pitching in the Pacific Coast League, he’s pitched 142 1/3 innings with the River Cats and tossed at least six innings in five of his last six appearances.

McDonald, who pitched three innings for the Giants last season, has narrowed his repertoire with Sacramento, downsizing to a three-pitch mix featuring a sinker, slider and changeup. The rookie also believes he’s made strides with his maturity, saying that he’s “not letting things spiral and staying in control as a pitcher.”

“He’s been pitching a lot better lately,” Melvin said. “The sinker and slider have been really good, kind of streamlined his repertoire recently to what works for him. Sometimes in the (Pacific Coast League) you can get a little tricky and try to throw too many pitches to try to find something, but that’s kind of his best repertoire.”

The Giants can help mitigate their pitching woes by putting up runs, but San Francisco’s offense has suddenly gone cold over the last week and change.

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On Sept. 5, the Giants totaled 18 hits, matching their season-high, and extended their home run streak to 18 games, one shy of the franchise record. Since then, they’re posting a collective .189 batting average and .606 OPS, scoring three runs or fewer in five of their last nine games.

“We need to hit to win. That’s what’s kind of got us over the hump as far as going through a bad stretch. When we don’t hit, it doesn’t feel great. We haven’t the last three games and we’ve given up a lot of runs, but all it takes is one game and we have guys in our lineup that can hit.”

TasteFood: Fend off the cool weather with buttery clams

By Lynda Balslev | TasteFood

If you’re looking for a warm and cozy fall meal, try this simple dish. A bowl of garlicky clams, steamed in wine and swimming in their buttery juices, is not only easy to make, but it will warm you as you embrace the cooler weather.

If possible, choose littleneck clams for this recipe. Littlenecks are the smallest of the hard-shell clams and are known for their sweet flavor and tenderness. They’re a favorite for serving lightly steamed, as well as raw on the half shell, and tossed with pasta. One pound will yield 10 to 12 clams, depending on their size. If you can’t access littlenecks, you can also use soft-shell clams or Manila clams.

Once purchased, store the clams in your refrigerator in a breathable container such as a mesh bag or a bowl covered with a damp cloth, and use within one day of purchase. When ready to prepare, before washing, discard any opened clams that do not close when tapped or any clams with broken shells. Rinse the clams under cold water, gently scrubbing them clean. When the clams are cooked, their shells will open. If any remain unopened, discard them.

Ladle the clams and broth into wide bowls and serve with slabs of crusty bread or garlic bread for soaking up the sweet broth.

Buttery Garlic Clams

Active Time: 20 minutesTotal Time: 20 minutesYield: Serves 3 to 4

3 tablespoons unsalted butter1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil4 garlic cloves, minced1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes1 1/2 cups dry, un-oaked white wine, such as sauvignon blanc2 tablespoons fresh lemon juiceKosher saltFreshly ground black pepper2 pounds littleneck clams, about 24, rinsed and scrubbed clean1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leavesLemon wedges for serving

In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter in the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine, lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.

Bring to a gentle boil, then add the clams. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Steam the clams until the shells open, 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the size of the clams, shaking the pan once or twice.

Remove the lid and discard any unopened clams. Taste the broth and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Divide the clams and cooking liquid between serving bowls. Sprinkle the parsley over the clams and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve immediately with crusty bread or garlic bread.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer based in northern California. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.

Pentagon says troops can only be exempt from shaving their facial hair for a year

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that troops who need an exemption from shaving their facial hair for longer than a year should get kicked out of the service.

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While commanders are still able to issue service members exemptions from shaving — a policy that has existed for decades — they will now have to come with a medical treatment plan, Hegseth said in an Aug. 20 memo made public Monday. Troops who still need treatment after a year will be separated from service, the memo says.

“The Department must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos,” Hegseth wrote in his memo.

Most shaving waivers are for troops diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB, a condition in which hair curls back into the skin after shaving and causes irritation. It is a condition that disproportionately affects Black men.

The memo is silent on what treatments the military would offer for troops affected by the new policy or if it will front the cost for those treatments.

It is also unclear if policies like broad exemptions from shaving for special forces troops who are in operational settings or soldiers stationed in the Arctic climates of Alaska where shaving can pose a medical hazard in the extreme cold will be affected by the change.

The announcement applies to all the military services. The Army this week announced its own grooming standard update, which significantly changes acceptable appearance standards for soldiers, especially for women, including revisions for nails, hairstyles, earrings and makeup.

Kurtenbach: Rookie Connor Colby’s strong game justifies the 49ers’ ‘Brawnyball’ O-line approach

If you want to make a 49ers fan’s blood pressure spike like the temperatures in the Bay this week, you don’t talk about Brock Purdy’s contract, Kyle Shanahan‘s clock-management, or the team’s errant trade for Trey Lance.

No, you say two simple, powerful, and seemingly maddening words:

“Offensive line.”

It’s the part of football that is, for most fans, a complete mystery — a series of grunts and shoves and bodies piling up. The secrets of a zone run or a pass-pro slide are known only to a crazy few with bad backs, oversized t-shirts, dirt under their mangled fingernails, and a permanent dent on their foreheads.

Yet even a 5-foot-5, 150-pound pencil pusher understands that a bad offensive line is an incurable disease for a football team.

Despite that, for years, the Niners have treated it like I treat my home improvement projects:

They don’t spend a bunch of money on it. They don’t use high-level draft picks to help it out. They’ve watched Hall of Famer Trent Williams get older and older and haven’t exactly gotten around to finding his replacement.

Instead, the Niners insist that Shanahan’s offensive scheme and offensive line coach Chris Foerster’s magic touch can turn a pile of mismatched spare parts (and Williams) into a functional front.

And when you see Brock Purdy scrambling for his life on second-and-long, it’s hard to believe them.

But then there’s a game like Sunday’s against the Saints, where the 49ers provided a clear, undeniable reminder that their unique philosophy isn’t a pipe dream, but rather a fully-functioning, if slightly-insane reality.

Starting left guard Ben Bartch, a journeyman for whom “starter” was still a bit of a stretch, played 10 snaps and left the game with an ankle sprain. And in came Connor Colby, a seventh-round rookie; a kid who was described by his coaches as a “project” in training camp and was in a legitimate battle for a roster spot with an undrafted free agent.

It had all the makings of a football horror story.

Instead, it was a 310-pound fairy tale.

Colby wasn’t just “not bad.” He was outstanding. He wasn’t a liability. He was a force.

And the 49ers’ game plan didn’t shrink with him on the field; it grew.

He was so good, in fact, that it’s fair to wonder if the 49ers just found their starting left guard for the next five years with the 249th pick of this most recent draft.

This, despite offensive lines around the league being so starved for talent that guys like former Niner Aaron Banks can get a $77 million contract.

This is simply not normal.

Unless you’re the 49ers, that is.

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Foerster explained the team’s o-line philosophy last year, saying there’s a line with offensive line play. If you drop below it — the “can’t block anybody” point — it’s a “gaping hole” and you’re in a world of trouble as a team.

But if a lineman — tackle, guard, or center — is at that line, or just above it, the Niners can get by.

The Niners’ philosophy is to find a bunch of guys who can be “at that line.” A bunch of guys who everyone else overlooks, but who, with their system and coaching, become just good enough.

Yes, the Niners are doing Moneyball, but with the offensive line.

Call it Brawnyball.

And, of course, it helps to inherit Joe Staley to play left tackle, and then replace him with Williams in one of the NFL’s all-time trade heists, but look at their starting front now: a future Hall of Famer, sure, but also a seventh-round rookie, a third-round sophomore who started all of his rookie season, and a center and a right tackle who were once practice squad guys. It’s not exactly the Avengers.

Colby fits right in. And he is, unquestionably, above Foerster’s line. His college tape from Iowa showed a kid with excellent movement skills, perfect for the Niners’ offense, but with awful footwork in pass protection. He’d lunge, he’d get too heavy, and he’d be demolished rep after rep.

But on Sunday, against a heavy Saints front, his feet kept moving, he stayed balanced, and he didn’t allow a single pressure. His movement skills were on full display in the run game, as he not only reached second-level defenders, but he also delivered serious force to them.

No one saw this coming from him. Perhaps not even the Niners. And yes, it was just one game, but the performance was undeniable. The kid can play.

The 49ers, it seems, have found another unheralded gem from their dusty, dowdy-looking mine. And in doing so, they’ve proven once again that their externally maligned approach to the offensive line isn’t just a gimmick, it’s a bonafide method.

And it’s a huge reason why they have been able to go from a chaotic month of off-field nonsense and never-ending injuries to a 2-0 start and a season that’s still on track.

Yes, Brawnyball works. Even if you can’t quite understand why.

Pacific Grove city attorney stepping down, more funding needed for five-way intersection project

PACIFIC GROVE – Pacific Grove will have to undergo another city attorney transition, the second in less than five years after City Attorney Brian Pierik announced he would be stepping down during the Aug. 20 council meeting.

Pierik, who also serves as the city attorney for Carmel, will continue his position in the other city.

Pierik came on board in 2022, after former city attorney David Laredo was separated from the position following the council expressing concerns about his job performance.

He did not give a reason for his departure, but said he would help the city before he left.

“I will participate in a seamless transition process,” Pierik said.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the council will vote on whether to request an additional $137,961 from the Transportation Agency for Monterey County to continue the Cedar, Sunset and Congress Intersection Project. The city has up to $1 million in Measure X funds set aside, but costs for the Design Engineering Evaluation Report, or DEER, and environmental review are higher than expected.

The original contract with GHD was $797,574 for the project’s first phase, but Caltrans required a more detailed DEER process and the amended contract would increase the cost to about $1.137 million, according to Wednesday’s agenda.

If approved, the additional funds would cover the gap and allow work on the roundabout design to continue.

The intersection of Cedar Street, Congress Avenue and Sunset Drive is adjacent to Pacific Grove High School and Forest Grove Elementary School. The five-way crossing gets a lot of traffic and used daily by pedestrians and bicyclists, especially when school is out. City officials say it has long been in need of safety improvements.

The project has been in development since 2016, when TAMC, Caltrans and the city conducted a study on the Highway 68 corridor. While the report identified several areas of concern, the council opted to focus on the Cedar, Sunset and Congress intersection. Construction is expected to be completed after summer 2026, though additional funding agreements will be required for later phases.

The Pacific Grove City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Pacific Grove City Hall, 300 Forest Avenue. The meeting can be watched online through the city’s Youtube channel and can be participated in remotely via Zoom at https://www.cityofpacificgrove.org/Zo....

Tom Brady’s appearance in Raiders’ booth raises questions for the Fox Sports analyst

By JOE REEDY

The questions about Tom Brady’s dual roles as a Fox Sports NFL analyst and partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders have intensified after he was shown in the team’s coaching booth with a headset on during a 20-9 loss Monday night to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks on Tuesday sidestepped any such questions about the perception of a possible conflict of interest.

“I’m not going to answer that one. Good question, but not gonna answer that,” Shanks said when asked during Front Office Sports’ Tuned In event if he could sympathize with Chicago Bears fans who might see a conflict. Brady will be in Dallas on Sunday when the Cowboys host the Bears. The following week, Chicago is at the Raiders.

“I think if there’s a conversation that needs to be had after last night, we’ll have it,” Shanks added.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email to The Associated Press that Brady was sitting in the booth Monday night in his capacity as a Raiders limited partner.

“There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game,” McCarthy said. “All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System.”

Raiders coach Pete Carroll said he knew Brady would be in the booth and pointed out that Brady also was in the booth when the Raiders played the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason game on Aug. 16 in Las Vegas.

Carroll said he understands the attention and concerns Monday night’s appearance has generated.

“I think Tom’s really tried to honor that strictly with the concerns you’re talking about,” Carroll said. “He is not planning games with us. He is not talking to us about anything other than our conversations that are really random. They’re not structured. They’re not set up in any way. He knows. He’s very respectful of what he does otherwise. He’s of the opinion he doesn’t want to be that kind of factor and he’s not.”

The NFL has previously placed restrictions on Brady in his role as a broadcaster, though the league eased some of those this season. Brady is now allowed to participate in production meetings with teams ahead of a game, as long as they are conducted virtually or via Zoom. He still isn’t allowed to watch another team’s practices or set foot in a team’s training complex.

The Brady rules were put in place because the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback has a 5% ownership stake in the Raiders.

Last season, Brady couldn’t do production meetings until the Super Bowl in New Orleans, when he was allowed to attend meetings with Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles players and coaches. He wasn’t able to view practices.

Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, said to the AP on Aug. 27 that this year’s adjustments felt like a natural step forward.

Brady still isn’t allowed to be in another team’s facility or hotel. He can conduct an interview offsite with a player, which he did a couple times last season.

Many of the network broadcast crews have done their production meetings with teams virtually, even though some still prefer getting into a city on Fridays to watch the home team and then talk to the visiting team at their hotel the next day.

Brady did not answer a question posed by AP on Monday night about the easing of the broadcast restrictions. Instead, he discussed taking part in a flag football tournament in March in Saudi Arabia.

Fox Sports analyst Greg Olsen, who also was a speaker at the Front Office Sports event in New York, said it’s up to the teams to decide how to handle production meetings, whether it is with Brady or another broadcast crew.

“There are some teams that are very guarded with their information, and it doesn’t matter if you’re an owner of another team or not: They give you very little on the calls. It’s the minority,” Olsen said. “The vast majority of the coaches, especially the ones that you develop a good relationship with, are amazing on these calls. They really give you great insight that does make a difference. Every team can decide how they want to handle those, and whatever factors they place value on, that impacts how they handle them, that’s their every right to be as forthcoming or not so with the production crews that they want.”

Fox’s top crew of Brady, Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi opened the season with the matchup between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. Both teams face the Raiders later this season, but Commanders coach Dan Quinn didn’t seem fazed by Brady’s dual roles.

“It’s unique for sure, but they have a job to do, too, so I get that like that’s our responsibility to help them give some insights, what it could be, what could be there for the game. So, it’s really just for this game, like that’s what I think about,” Quinn said. “But not just because of Tom calling it and his relationship obviously with the Raiders, but really in every game because it’s just what do you have to do to win this game? You know, the information here wouldn’t be applied to another team in that way.”

Olsen, who was Fox’s top NFL analyst before being supplanted by Brady, said if he had the money to buy a stake in a team, he would do it.

“I’m not a hater. I say more power to him,” Olsen said. “And if I’m the Raiders and I have a minority owner like Tom Brady who I have access to and he has the experience and I can pick his brain, you would be silly not to. Why would you not utilize every resource and every aspect of your organization to try to find that slight margin to be the difference between winning and losing the game? So, from the Raiders’ perspective, I don’t blame them for using Tom.”

___

AP Sports Writers Stephen Whyno in New York and Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this story.

TAMC waiting for CDFW permit extension for FORTAG in Del Rey Oaks

DEL REY OAKS – Work continues on the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway project through Del Rey Oaks, including construction within the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve which is now not expected to be completed by mid-October as first projected, but tentatively expected to reopen in December.

According to the lead agency on the project – Transportation Agency for Monterey County – a requested California Department of Fish and Wildlife permit extension has not yet been granted and stands to impact the project to an as-yet-unknown degree.

“We have been communicating with CDFW and expressed the urgency for the project to receive the extension in order to avoid delays and impacts to the public, but they have indicated that they are still reviewing our request,” said TAMC spokeswoman Theresa Wright.

The Canyon Del Rey segment of FORTAG is a 1.5-mile stretch that runs through Del Rey Oaks and is part of a proposed approximately 28-mile continuous 12-foot-wide paved bicycle and pedestrian trail with an open-space buffer on both sides.

Work on the first segment of FORTAG hit a snag in mid-July with construction in the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve stymied due to a utility pole along the path as the project managers waited for direction from Pacific Gas and Electric Company on how to proceed.

The Canyon Del Rey segment of FORTAG runs from the intersection of North Fremont and Canyon Del Rey boulevards in Del Rey Oaks through Work Memorial and Del Rey parks, under Canyon Del Rey Boulevard — via a new roadway bridge constructed to carry vehicles using the highway — and into the corner of the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve, back up to Canyon Del Rey at Carlton Drive and on to Plumas Avenue, where it ends at Del Rey Woods Elementary School in Seaside.

The newly-built bridge on Canyon Del Rey Boulevard will enable hikers, cyclists and pedestrians to move freely under the highway through a 10.5-foot-high passageway connecting the parks to the preserve.

With half the bridge built, TAMC has said previously that certain construction activities in the Frog Pond need to be completed before traffic can be shifted to allow construction of the other half of the bridge and the passageway under the bridge can be completed.

Without guidance from PG&E, construction of the soldier pile retaining wall in the Frog Pond and other construction activities dependent on the wall’s completion, including finishing work of the Canyon Del Rey bridge, could not occur.

In late August, PG&E confirmed the requirements for Graniterock to safely construct the retaining wall in the Frog Pond and at that point, TAMC said that it no longer expected construction completion to go beyond the fall of 2026.

But the delay’s ramifications are now coming to light.

“We recently updated the anticipated time for the Frog Pond to reopen to December 2025,” said Wright. “This is dependent on the CDFW granting our request for a time extension beyond the end of the annual Oct. 15 work window.”

The project was striving to meet an Oct. 15 deadline from the CDFW for work in the Frog Pond Wetlands Preserve. Fish and Wildlife issued permits and designated times when certain construction activities are allowed, according to TAMC. Work under the permit is currently allowed between April 15 and Oct. 15 annually. Therefore, if construction of the retaining wall in the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve area and other related improvements are not completed by Oct. 15, the work will be pushed to the April 15, 2026-Oct. 15, 2026 work window and subsequent work will be delayed as well, pushing the project completion date to spring or summer of 2027.

“Construction in the frog pond will not be finished by Oct. 15,” said Wright. “Either a permit extension will be required, or Graniterock will need to cease work in that area by Oct. 15 and then restart when the work window opens again on April 15, 2026.”

Without the permit’s extension, the completion date of the project will likely be mid-2027.

With half the bridge built, TAMC has said previously that certain construction activities in the Frog Pond need to be completed before traffic can be shifted to allow construction of the other half of the bridge at Highway 218 and the passageway under the bridge can be completed. (James Herrera/Monterey Herald)

“We requested a short two-month extension to Dec. 15,” said Wright.

Until CDFW issues its decision, other work on the FORTAG project proceeds. This week work continues on the project through Del Rey Oaks, including continued trail grading, installing trail lighting, irrigation systems and utility relocations in the Work Memorial Park area. Forming will continue, along with installing rebar, pouring concrete, removing forms and backfilling for sidewalks, ramps, stairs and retaining curbs and installing road signs along Carlton Avenue. Construction of retaining walls and drainage systems in the Frog Pond area will also continue, and road signs will be installed along Plumas Avenue.

Access to Work Memorial Park, the Butterfly Garden and tennis courts will be restricted during construction. The Frog Pond Wetland Preserve is closed for the remainder of stage one construction and is now expected to reopen in December 2025.

Carlton Drive is closed between Canyon Del Rey and Work Avenue through mid-October. Emergency vehicles and residents of the south end of Carlton will have access to their residences via Quendale Avenue or Highland Street.

Construction of the Canyon Del Rey Segment of the FORTAG project is being done in phases and different areas of the project will be affected at different times. As the project moves forward, residents and businesses will be provided additional notifications in advance of bridge foundation work — pile driving — and work that restricts driveway access.

For information about the FORTAG project or to sign up for updates, visit https://www.tamcmonterey.org/fort-ord... or email 79829@publicinput.com.

RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel expected to recommend delaying hepatitis B shot for children

By Jackie Fortiér, KFF Health News

A key federal vaccine advisory panel whose members were recently replaced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to vote to recommend delaying until age 4 the hepatitis B vaccine that’s currently given to newborns, according to two former senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.

“There is going to likely be a discussion about hepatitis B vaccine, very specifically trying to dislodge the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine and to push it later in life,” said Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “Apparently this is a priority of the secretary’s.”

The vote is expected to take place during the next meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, scheduled for Sept. 18-19.

For more than 30 years, the first of three shots of hepatitis B vaccine has been recommended for infants shortly after birth. In that time, the potentially fatal disease has been virtually eradicated among American children. Pediatricians warn that waiting four years for the vaccine opens the door to more children contracting the virus.

“Age 4 makes zero sense,” pediatrician Eric Ball said. “We recommend a universal approach to prevent those cases where a test might be incorrect or a mother might have unknowingly contracted hepatitis. It’s really the best way to keep our entire population healthy.”

In addition to the hepatitis B vaccine, the panel will also discuss and vote on recommendations for the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine and covid-19 vaccines. Pediatricians worry changes to the schedules of these vaccines will limit access for many families, leaving them vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.

Typically, ACIP would undertake an analysis of the data before recommending a change to vaccine guidelines. As of the end of August, this process had not begun for the hepatitis B vaccines, Daskalakis and another former official said.

“This is an atypical situation. There’s been no work group to discuss it,” Daskalakis said.

The second former senior official spoke to NPR and KFF Health News on the condition of anonymity.

In response to questions from KFF Health News, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon wrote, “ACIP exists to ensure that vaccine policy is guided by the best available evidence and open scientific deliberation. Any updates to recommendations will be made transparently with gold standard science.”

The draft agenda for the upcoming ACIP meeting was released to the public less than a week before it is scheduled to begin.

At the last ACIP meeting, in June, Martin Kulldorff, the chair and one of seven new members handpicked by Kennedy, questioned the need to vaccinate every newborn, citing only two of the many ways the virus can spread. Kulldorff is a former Harvard Medical School professor who became known for opposing some public health measures during the pandemic.

“Unless the mother is hepatitis B positive, an argument could be made to delay the vaccine for this infection, which is primarily spread by sexual activity and intravenous drug use,” he said.

The virus spreads via direct exposure to an infected bodily fluid like blood or semen. The disease has no cure and can lead to serious conditions like cirrhosis and liver cancer later in life. The CDC advisory panel may maintain the recommendation to inoculate newborns whose mothers have hepatitis B or are considered at high risk of the disease, the former officials said.

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In 1991, federal health officials determined it was advisable for newborns to receive their first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, which blocks the virus from taking hold if transmitted during delivery. While parents may opt out of the shots, many day care centers and school districts require proof of hepatitis B vaccination for enrollment.

The prospect of ACIP’s altering the recommendation has left some people living with the virus deeply unsettled.

“I am goddamn frustrated,” said Wendy Lo, who has lived with the liver disease, likely since birth. Years of navigating the psychological, monetary, medical, and social aspects of chronic hepatitis B has touched almost every aspect of her life.

“I would not want anyone to have to experience that if it can be prevented,” she said. Lo learned she had the disease due to a routine screening to study abroad in college.

Lo credits the vaccines with protecting her close family members from infection.

“I shared with my partner, ‘If you get vaccinated, we can be together,’” she said. He got the vaccine, which protects him from infection, “so I’m grateful for that,” she said.

The CDC estimates half of people with hepatitis B do not know they are infected. It can range from an acute, mild infection to a chronic infection, often with few to no symptoms. Most people with chronic hepatitis B were born outside of the U.S., and Asians and Pacific Islanders followed by Black people have the highest rates of newly reported chronic infections.

When her children were born, Lo was adamant that they receive the newborn dose, a decision she says prevented them from contracting the virus.

The earlier an infection occurs, the worse the consequences, according to the CDC. When contracted in infancy or early childhood, hepatitis B is far more likely to become a chronic infection, silently damaging the liver over decades.

Those who become chronic carriers can also unknowingly spread the virus to others and face an increased risk of long-term complications including cirrhosis and liver cancer, which may not become evident until much later in life.

“Now I’m in my 50s, one of my big concerns is liver cancer. The vaccine is safe and effective, it’s lifesaving, and it protects you against cancer. How many vaccines do that?” Lo said.

Thirty years of universal vaccination

Treatments like the antivirals Lo now takes weren’t available until the 1990s. Decades of the virus’s replicating unchecked damaged her liver. Every six months she gets scared of what her blood tests may reveal.

After a vaccine was approved in the 1980s, public health officials initially focused vaccination efforts on people thought to be at highest risk of infection.

“I, and every other doctor, had been trained in medical school to think of hepatitis B as an infection you acquired as an adult. It was the pimps, the prostitutes, the prisoners, and the health care practitioners who got hepatitis B infection. But we’ve learned so much more,” said William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and a former voting member of ACIP.

As hepatitis B rates remained stubbornly high in the 1980s, scientists realized an entire vulnerable group was missing from the vaccination regime — newborns. The virus is often transmitted from an infected mother to baby in late pregnancy or during birth.

“We may soon hear, ‘Let’s just do a blood test on all pregnant women.’ We tried that. That doesn’t work perfectly either,” Schaffner said.

Some doctors didn’t test, he said, and some pregnant women falsely tested negative while others acquired hepatitis B after they had been tested earlier in their pregnancies.

In 1991, Schaffner was a liaison representative to ACIP when it voted to advise universal vaccination for hepatitis B before an infant leaves the hospital.

“We want no babies infected. Therefore, we’ll just vaccinate every mom and every baby at birth. Problem solved. It has been brilliantly successful in virtually eliminating hepatitis B in children,” he said.

In 1990, there were 3.03 cases of hepatitis B per 100,000 people 19 years old or under in the U.S., according to the CDC.

Since the federal recommendation to vaccinate all infants, cases have dramatically decreased. CDC data shows that in 2022 the rate among those 19 or under was less than 0.1 per 100,000.

While hepatitis B is often associated with high-risk behaviors such as injection drug use or having multiple sexual partners, health experts note that it is possible for the virus to be transmitted in ordinary situations too, including among young children.

The virus can survive for up to seven days outside the body. During that time, even microscopic traces of infected blood on a school desk or playground equipment can pose a risk. If the virus comes into contact with an open wound or the mucous membranes of the eyes, an infection can occur. This means that unvaccinated children not considered at high risk can still be exposed in everyday environments.

Future access uncertain

If the CDC significantly alters its recommendation, health insurers would no longer be required to cover the cost of the shots. That could leave parents to pay out-of-pocket for a vaccine that has long been provided at no charge. Children who get immunizations through the federal Vaccines for Children program would lose free access to the shot as soon as any new ACIP recommendations get approved by the acting CDC director.

The two former CDC officials said that plans were underway to push back the official recommendation for the vaccine as of August, when they both left the agency, but may have changed.

Schaffner is still an alternate liaison member of ACIP, and hopes to express his support for universal newborn vaccination at the next meeting.

“The liaisons have now been excluded from the vaccine work groups. They are still permitted to attend the full meetings,” he said.

Schaffner is worried about the next generation of babies and the doctors who care for them.

“We’ll see cases of hepatitis B once again occur. We’ll see transmission into the next generation,” he said, “and the next generation of people who wear white coats will have to deal with hepatitis B, when we could have cut it off at the pass.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.