Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 133

Kurtenbach: Game 3 was the shorthanded Warriors’ best shot. Does this team have another surprise left in them?

Winning one game — just one — of their second-round playoff series against the Timberwolves with superstar Steph Curry sidelined was always going to be a difficult task for the Warriors.

And one can’t help but wonder after the Dubs’ 102-97 loss if the team’s season was effectively ended by tired legs and soft foul calls.

Did Golden State just blow its best shot to extend the series to six games and a possible (just possible) Curry return?

“When (Curry’s) not (playing), there’s no room for error,” Jimmy Butler said after Saturday’s Game 3. “You can’t make mistakes. You can’t turn the ball over. You can’t give back all of those things. And then you’ve got to take the right shots. You’ve got to move the ball the right way.

“Because he’s the one individual for sure on this team, and maybe in the league, that can make sure you’re never out of any game.”

And yet the Warriors did all of those things in critical moments.

Worse yet, they were doing so many things right before that.

Imagine if I had told you before Game 3 that:

• Butler was going to shoot the ball 26 times, score 33 points• Jonathan Kuminga would add 30 points with 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc• The Warriors would hold Minnesota to 43 percent shooting• Minnesota would end the game with more turnovers than Golden State• The Wolves did not control the offensive glass

You would have presumed the Warriors would have won. It was almost a perfect scenario for the Dubs.

So for that to lose the game is a gut punch of the highest order.

“We have to put our big boy pants on and go out and compete at a high level and get this one on Monday,” Butler said.

Butler’s game Saturday suggests it might not be a matter of either pants or willpower.

The Warriors had a five-point lead early in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Playing through Butler on offense and into Draymond Green on defense, the Dubs had turned the game into a low-volume, high-efficiency, only-the-truly-proficient-will-survive playoff basketball game. Shorthanded and, in the cases of some Dubs, overwhelmed, Golden State was going to steal the game they needed.

But when Butler goes 1-for-7 from the floor in the final frame, including missing three shots at the hoop, and Green picked up two fouls in a matter of 18 seconds with under five minutes to play in the game — one via review and the second coming from a can’t-call-that-there decision from referee Mitchell Ervin — the Warriors were left floundering on both sides of the floor. Golden State lost the final frame by nine and the game’s critical moments (minute five to 1:17 remaining) by five.

You can’t win in the playoffs with only three-quarters of a game. Not when the margins are as tight as on Saturday.

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It has been suggested that Butler was saving his energy for Game 3. Yet, he didn’t have enough to get through the full game Saturday. When the Warriors needed him most, his legs weren’t there to make the shots needed to win.

How can anyone expect him to have a big Game 4 given the circumstances?

I can appreciate Butler’s healing ritual of dominoes, coffee, and kids (I don’t drink coffee and my children have allowed me to find new levels of exhaustion, but playing dominoes sounds fun!), but with due deference to his injury, the output has not been steady this postseason. His success is not an every-other-game circumstance, but it’s not far off. And Game 3 was an “on” game.

And if the Warriors don’t win Game 4, there’s next-to-zero chance they’re winning three straight to claim the series — with or without Curry. It’s simply too much to ask this team, with all its inconsistencies, to make such a comeback.

As such, the stakes couldn’t be higher for the Dubs ahead of Monday’s game. The season is unquestionably on the line, but Butler is exhausted, Green is lost on offense without Curry and lacking the foot speed to execute everything he wants on the defensive end without being subject to the whistle, and the Warriors’ offense is now running the same kind of no-movement, drive-and-kick-with-a-bigger-ball-handler stuff that the Lakers did in the first-round against Minnesota — a five-game “gentleman’s” sweep for the Timberwolves, despite Minnesota’s offensive ineptitude in the series.

This is dire stuff, and all the Warriors can reasonably do is pray that Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and Buddy Hield step up (or in the case of Kuminga, stay up) and save the season.

Perhaps they can — this postseason has been a steady series of surprises, both good and bad.

The way Monday is shaping up, they’ll need a good surprise for Game 4.

Warriors coach Kerr lauds Kuminga’s Game 3, mulls Butler’s minutes load

Steve Kerr knows the Warriors’ biggest challenge with Steph Curry out injured will be scoring.

Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga combined for 63 points on Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough to earn a win as Golden State lost 102-97 in Game 3 of its playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He’ll need more than 34 points from the rest of his team to win Game 4 on Monday (7 p.m. PT, TNT).

Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (5) jaw in the 1st quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

“I’m very confident that both JK and Jimmy will play well, but to expect 63 points combined again is probably unrealistic,” the Warriors’ coach said in a Sunday conference call.

Kuminga, who had been out of the Warriors’ rotation, scored 30, including three 3-pointers on four attempts. He is 19-of-29 from the field over the last two games as the Warriors have turned to his aggressive offense to keep them in games without Curry.

“Really a fantastic effort from JK and really happy for him,” Kerr said. “The way he stayed ready through the last couple of weeks where things hadn’t gone his way and we’re going to need him, obviously, going forward.”

Butler led Golden State with 33 points on 26 shots and 43 minutes. At 35 years old and less than two weeks removed from a glute injury that forced him to miss Game 3 of the Warriors’ series against Houston, Butler is still signaling to Kerr that he’s ready to take on more.

“In hindsight, I would have loved to have gotten him a couple more minutes (of rest) during the meat of the game, but it’s tricky,” Kerr said. “As I said, without Steph, we’re walking a fine line, so we’ve got to balance the risk of keeping him off the floor versus the gain of getting him a little more rest.”

Emphasizing the details

Curry is out for Monday’s game, and his hamstring injury, which he suffered in Game 1, will be re-evaluated on Wednesday before Game 5.

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Kerr said he wants his team to focus on game plan details rather than anything they can’t control, including great individual efforts from Wolves stars Anthony Edwards (28 second-half points) and Julius Randle (triple-double), whom the coach credited for Minnesota’s surge after halftime.

“You can’t really control Anthony Edwards making a fadeaway 3 from the wing with one second on the shot clock. You’re not going to be able to do anything about that,” Kerr said. “But you can do something about the offensive rebounds, kick-out 3s, losing vision on cutters — all those things are controllable.”

About those foul calls

As for the officiating, Kerr lauded the control that crew chief Scott Foster and his group created early in the game, but disagreed with two late fouls on Draymond Green — a blocking foul that he challenged unsuccessfully and a shooting foul at the rim that was Green’s sixth.

Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) fouls out of the game trying to block a shot by Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels (3) in the 4th quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

“I thought the one we challenged was a charge. I understand when the league talks about legal guarding position, but I think that is superseded by an offensive player going through your chest,” Kerr said. “Those are always subjective calls and you just live with them. I didn’t like the sixth one, but it doesn’t matter.”

Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) fouls out of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 4th quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

SF Giants swept by Twins despite Ramos’ big afternoon

MINNEAPOLIS — Heliot Ramos believes he cost the Giants a win on Saturday evening. On Sunday afternoon, he responded by playing arguably his best game of the season.

It wasn’t enough for the Giants to avoid being swept.

Less than 24 hours after making a costly baserunning mistake, Ramos hit his seventh homer of the year, drove in a season-high four runs, and reached base four times. For good measure, he made a pair of diving catches to take away hits.

Despite Ramos’ two-way play, the Giants lost to the Minnesota Twins, 7-6, were swept for the second time this season, and ended the road trip with a 2-4 record.

“We had a good series in Chicago and a bad series here, unfortunately,” said manager Bob Melvin, who was ejected in the top of the ninth inning. “Would’ve been nice to be able to pull this one out today, especially since we scored some runs and we weren’t scoring any runs this series.

“Sometimes baseball is a cruel game. Just a tough series for us. We have to go home and pick our heads up, play well at home like we have.”

The Giants, who now head home for a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks, only generated eight total runs over three games against the Twins, most of the offense deriving from Ramos. The 25-year-old went 6-for-8 with a double, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, two homers, and five RBIs against the Twins. Ramos’ teammates, by contrast, went 10-for-87 (.114) with one homer (Matt Chapman) and three RBIs.

“Obviously, we don’t want to get swept, but it was good, it was bad,” Ramos said of the road trip. “Last series was perfect. This one was just unfortunate.”

The Giants’ six-run Sunday was, by far, their most productive game of the series, but they could not maintain their leads.

They led 4-3 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but left-hander Erik Miller was charged with two runs after failing to retire any of the four batters he faced. They led 6-5 following David Villar’s RBI groundout in the top of the 10th, but the Twins countered with two runs in the bottom half, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. driving in the game-winning run with an opposite-field single.

Miller had only allowed one earned run over 12 1/3 innings (0.75 ERA) entering play, but ended up with his first clunker of the season. The Twins loaded the bases against Miller on two singles and a walk, then Royce Lewis knocked Miller out of the ballgame with an RBI single.

Camilo Doval inherited loaded bases with no outs and put out the fire to the best of his ability. Doval allowed the go-ahead run to score on Harrison Bader’s broken-bat fielder’s choice, but limited the damage to one run.

“We took a lead — first time we had a lead here — and felt pretty good about where we were going,” Melvin said. “We had our backend bullpen guys ready to go, and it just didn’t work out. Had some good at-bats, had some bad at-bats, game had a little bit of everything.”

A little bit of everything includes an ejection.

Melvin was tossed in the top of the ninth inning after pinch-hitter Christian Koss struck out as he tried to check his swing. Melvin jogged from the third-base dugout to first-base umpire Ramon De Jesus following the call, vehemently arguing with De Jesus before heading back to the Giants’ clubhouse.

“I thought he checked his swing,” Melvin said. “He threw me out pretty quickly, it felt like.”

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San Francisco couldn’t plate a run following Melvin’s ejection, but Tyler Rogers sent the game to extra innings by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth, lowering his ERA to 1.40.

The Giants scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning on David Villar’s weakly hit groundout to drive in Jung Hoo Lee and give San Francisco a 6-5 lead.

But the Twins had their response. Minnesota’s Ty France scored the tying run when third baseman Matt Chapman couldn’t cleanly field a grounder, then the Twins won the game on Keirsey’s opposite-field single.

Landen Roupp had another mixed bag of an outing, allowing three earned runs over five innings with three strikeouts to no walks. Roupp allowed one baserunner through three innings, but surrendered a two-run homer to Brooks Lee in the fourth and a sacrifice fly off Bryon Buxton in the fifth.

Worth noting

Jung Hoo Lee started his first career game at designated hitter before entering in the eighth inning as a center fielder. Lee went 1-for-4 with a sacrifice fly but his OPS dipped below .800 for the first time since early April.

From the archive: Derek Carr nearly quit football for preacher’s life before his rookie season

Editor’s note: This story was initially published before the 2019 season. We are sharing it again after Derek Carr announced his retirement from the NFL.

“ God sent the Raiders quarterback, of all people. The Raiders. I sent that dude. A little dude out of Fresno, California. I sent him to be the Raiders quarterback so that maybe people would listen to him. Who else do I have to send to tell you the truth?”

— Derek Carr addressing a gathering during a sermon entitled “Holy Fire” at Brave Church in San Ramon on July 7, 2019

SAN RAMON — Something was nagging at Derek Carr, and it wasn’t as simple as trying to learn the nuances of an NFL offense for the first time.

Having just arrived at training camp in 2014, the second-round pick out of Fresno State was realizing a vision he’d been chasing since he’d tagged along with his older brother David, the former No. 1 overall pick of the Houston Texans, 12 years earlier.

Being an NFL quarterback is all Derek Carr ever dreamed about. He was a prodigy who was watching game film, and comprehending it, by age 10. Although he didn’t know it yet, the second-round pick was about to be anointed a rookie NFL starter because of that readiness that was all too apparent.

And just as suddenly as that dream was about to begin, the pang in Carr’s gut was growing more undeniable. As he lifted weights in the makeshift field house behind the Napa Valley Marriott, nothing could soothe his soul. A guy about to be handed the keys to an NFL offense as a rookie was looking for something more that he didn’t completely understand.

And how could he?

“In my heart, I’d never had this feeling where I was so overcome with my thoughts that I was like, ‘I can’t do anything right now,’” Carr said as he sat at a table in the lounge of an East Bay hotel. “The thought was, ‘You need to stop playing football and preach.’”

Carr didn’t hesitate to speak back at his inner voice. “I’m thinking, ‘I’ve dreamed of being an NFL quarterback my whole life, so chill out.’”

But chilling was easier said than done for the restless rookie. Carr was soon knocking at the door of Dennis Allen, telling his head coach he was considering walking away from the sport before ever participating in a single padded practice.

“He didn’t take it too great, obviously,” Carr said with a chuckle. “He didn’t even know what to say to me.”

Although veteran Matt Schaub had been signed as a free agent, Carr’s work in the offseason had made it clear he would be ready to play as a rookie.

Some 13 years earlier, running back Napoleon Kaufman, a talented former first-round draft pick, retired after six seasons to devote his life to ministry. The Raiders signed Charlie Garner and moved on.

This was different. Carr had formed an instant bond with his teammates. His arm made Schaub’s look like a pop gun. Carr was smart, mature and more game-ready than anyone had realized. The Raiders were convinced they’d gotten a franchise quarterback at No. 36 overall to go along with linebacker Khalil Mack at No. 5.

(Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks to pass during the Oakland Raiders training camp in Napa, Calif. on Saturday, July 27, 2019. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass as he works on drills during the 2014 rookie minicamp at the Raiders training facility in Alameda, Calif., on Friday, May 16, 2014. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)With a franchise quarterback and an elite pass rusher in the fold, things were looking up. Only now a big part of the equation was in question.

What ensued was an ultra-secret period of damage control. Allen quickly sent a text to offensive coordinator Greg Olson, urging him to talk with his quarterback.

While Olson is reluctant to delve into specifics of private conversations, this much is known: Olson urged Carr not to say anything until he’d thought it through. Derek said his parents were on their way to Napa and were going to bring him home. They knew of Derek’s intention to walk away and were on board.

Carr’s grandfather on his mother’s side was a preacher. Sheryl Carr had told Derek she was sure one of her three sons would be a preacher, and now it was on the verge of becoming a reality.

Then-Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, along with Olson, tried to reason with Carr. As a devout Christian himself, McKenzie’s words carried some weight. He told Carr he was walking away from probably $60 or $70 million down the road. Carr said he didn’t care about the money.

Football, McKenzie and Olson reasoned, would give Carr a bigger platform from which to preach and reach people. Carr remained non-committal, but promised not to tell anyone about his decision until he was sure.

Only a few people knew of Carr’s crisis of conscience — his immediate family, Allen, Olson, McKenzie, owner Mark Davis and one member of the media relations staff.

Carr missed a day of meetings while he soul-searched. The direction of the franchise, as well as the future of those who put themselves out on a limb by drafting this future cornerstone quarterback, not a preacher, hung in the balance.

“Oley told me, ‘Go spend time with your family. No matter what you decide, I love you, man. I’m here for you — love that guy,’” Carr said. “Reggie McKenzie was the same way.”

Carr talked it over with his family after they arrived in Napa. He prayed on it, and ultimately came to a decision.

“It wasn’t my time yet,” Carr said of walking away from his NFL dream. “It was cool to know I believed in something so much.”

Five years later, as the second year of Jon Gruden’s return unfolds, Carr says retirement from football is the furthest thing from his mind.

He’s become increasingly active as a preacher, not only at Brave Church in San Ramon but other Christian churches as well. But that off-field pursuit ends as soon as training camp begins.

With his near change of heart as a rookie far in the past, he says God and family and football — in that order — are in proper balance. Even if he played well into his 30s, Carr now understands that there is plenty of time for his next career.

There is no clock winding down.

* * *

It’s the first week of July, and the 8 a.m. crowd has filed out of the church auditorium on a sunny day, with another capacity crowd of approximately 350 making its way in to hear Derek Carr deliver a 10 a.m. sermon entitled “Holy Fire.”

Carr already spoke at the first service, and waits in a side room with his wife, Heather, and infant son, Deakon, as the room begins to fill up once again.

The atmosphere is relaxed and casual. Suits and ties are scarce, giving way to Tommy Bahama shirts and cargo shorts. There’s one man in a No. 4 Carr jersey and two teenagers in gym shorts who appear to be headed to a basketball camp after the service.

Seated in the third row are Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who is seeing Carr preach for the first time in person, and his wife, Cindy.

A five-piece band, some wearing backwards ball caps and t-shirts, plays soft rock gospel, with the crowd clapping in rhythm.

Samuel Laws, the pastor at San Ramon’s Brave Church, takes the microphone and tells the crowd of upcoming events before introducing the special guest, who receives loud applause.

Carr, wearing a short-sleeved collared shirt and jeans, takes the microphone. He speaks to the gathering rather than at them. There is no fire, brimstone or solemn warnings about failing to heed God’s word.

Rather than requesting people to silence their cell phones, Carr tells the crowd they can reference Google to find scripture relevant to his talk.

It’s a relaxed and honest tour de force. Carr is in many ways the same kid who drove his mom crazy because he approached strangers in the grocery store with a disarming friendly sincerity. His delivery is easy, natural and sincere, whether you believe in the message he’s delivering or not.

“I want to tell you some stories. You guys like stories, right?,” Carr said. “And none of them are about football today, I’m sorry. If you want to hear football stories you could leave now … or if you’re a 49er fan you can leave.”

Laughter and applause ensue, and Carr, with a perfect sense of timing, reminds them of the obvious.

“I’m just kidding,” he said.

Carr’s 45-minute talk is mostly preaching, part testimony of his own experiences and, yes, he does manage to work a little bit of football in now and then.

Gruden, talking in the parking lot after the service, said he was so impressed with what he heard that he and Cindy will consider making Brave their regular church.

“Derek is what he says he is — No. 1, he’s a man of faith; No. 2, he’s a family man, and third is football.” Gruden said. “And he’s put forth as much effort as any man could possibly put forth in those three areas.”

* * *

Carr got serious about Christianity after a “big man on campus” period in college where  he became a major partier. His behavior resulted in a letter from his eventual wife Heather, who told him “You’re not the man I thought you were.”

His father Rodger, mother Sheryl and older brothers David and Darren also had their say.

Derek decided to begin living the life he had professed to lead and gradually began searching for more.

“You can be on the right path, but still realize something is missing,” Carr said.

The more Carr spoke before church groups, the more he simply began recounting his daily thoughts which come from reading his Bible and applying those lessons to the world around him. He easily mixes in life stories from family and football and is unafraid to discuss his own vulnerabilities and insecurities.

Carr’s previous engagement at Brave came in late January, shortly after he challenged ESPN host Max Kellerman and co-host Stephen A. Smith to a fight in a UFC Octagon. Kellerman had said on the air that Carr “didn’t look like he wanted it.”

He saw it on his phone while working out, fired off a retort, and instantly regretted it.

“Not the brightest move by me,” Carr said. “I saw instantly it was going to blow up. They were talking about it for four days.”

So Carr included his social media mistake with the gathering and told them God had already fought the important battles.

The notion of Carr being “soft” because of his Christianity provokes a laugh. He played threw a broken finger on his throwing hand in 2016, had his season ended by a broken fibula that same year. In 2017, Carr missed just one game with three fractured transverses processes in his back.

(Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)”When I put my helmet on, I’m ultra competitive, talking trash,” Carr said. “Tough, gritty, those are things that have been in me since I was a little kid. I have two big brothers. I had to be. None of that changes what I believe, or what goes on in my heart.”

Perspective allows Carr to push aside talk of it being a crucial year for his Raiders career and that he could be playing for his job in 2020.

Despite plenty of speculation last spring that the team would consider drafting eventual No. 1 overall draft pick Kyler Murray and possibly part ways with Carr, instead he goes into this season with his $19.9 salary for 2019 guaranteed.

Carr realizes when a team goes 4-12, the quarterback takes the heat. Even after posting career bests in completion percentage (68.9), passing yards (4,049) and yards per attempt (7.3) and posting a QB rating (93.9) that trailed only his 2016 season that had people talking MVP before he suffered a broken fibula headed into the playoffs.

Somehow, Carr made it through 16 games of 2018 while being sacked 51 times behind a patchwork offensive line. The Kellermans and Smiths of the world point to moments where he’s too timid, makes questionable decisions with the ball for a veteran QB, throws short of the stake on big downs too often. They point to a QBR rating that puts him at 27 among NFL quarterbacks.

If there is a whisper of discontent among teammates, it’s been well hidden. Kelechi Osemele, traded to the New York Jets, recently called Carr one of the best teammates he ever had.

Defensive tackle Justin Ellis entered the league with Carr and has watched the progression as closely as anyone.

“He has evolved as a player — the longer you’re in it, the smarter you are,” Ellis said. “He’s always been the guy who he is to this day. But now, it’s his team. When he was young, he was a rookie trying to take his role. But now he knows he’s one of the main guys, he walks with it, he leads by example.”

Running back Jalen Richard, also a Christian, believes Carr’s faith is a key component to his leadership. The positivity and focus on doing things right sets the proper tone and pushes those around him.

“He’s a nice model to have around you, a family man, does everything the right way,” Richard said. “When you’ve got a guy like that, who has so much faith, no matter what’s going on, that picks up your faith and makes you start to search for faith in yourself.”

Is his QB soft? Richard laughs.

“He wants us to go hurt somebody — but not really hurt ’em. But it’s a battle,” he said. “It’s a battle when you’re fighting for Christ. You do battles every day. The devil is continuously throwing his little darts at you and you’ve got to put on that armor of Christ. He’s talked about that before, putting on the full armor of Christ. He’s still a battler.”

Ultimately, Carr will be judged by the Raiders’ improvement in the win-loss department.

With a much better supporting cast on both sides of the ball and having a year of Gruden’s system under his belt, even a brutal six-week road stretch will be no excuse for anything resembling 4-12.

Carr understands this on some level, but has too much faith in his coaching staff and teammates to verbalize the possibility of failure. Being negative in public isn’t a part of his makeup.

He plans on being the Raiders quarterback in 2020 in Las Vegas. There, Carr will find a new Christian community while also being involved with Brave Church and making regular visits.

“I believe God has given me talents and abilities to be my very best and work harder than anybody else,” Carr said. “I feel like I’m doing it for a higher purpose than just money, a higher purpose than fame.

“There’s a quote, and it’s not scripture, it’s from Steve Prefontaine, the runner, who said, ‘To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.’ I’ve taken that to heart. I believe to give anything less than my best is to sacrifice the gift that God has given me.”

Floods exposed weaknesses in California prisons’ emergency plans. They still aren’t ready

In 2023, amid record-breaking rain and snow, two prisons in the southern San Joaquin Valley faced a serious risk of flooding. But neither prison, California State Prison, Corcoran or the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility, had a robust evacuation plan on hand and ready for the looming disaster.

Instead, the prisons developed a joint plan to transfer roughly 8,000 incarcerated people to other state prisons within 11 to 14 days — or longer. Wheelchair-bound individuals, the plan stated, would take six days to evacuate. And department buses intended to shuttle people to safety could take up to a day to arrive.

The floods that year ultimately did not reach the prisons, but the threat they posed illustrated how California’s 90,000-prisoner corrections system has failed to prepare for natural disasters. That’s according to a report issued last week by an independent agency that oversees the department’s disciplinary process and internal investigations.

“While California’s prisons are vulnerable to wildfires, floods, and earthquakes, we found they are not adequately prepared to respond to emergencies posed by natural disasters,” stated the report by the Office of Inspector General, which reviewed emergency plans for 30 state prisons after fielding concerns about the department’s disaster response.

The report detailed deep fractures in the department’s emergency preparedness, including issues of transportation, varied risk assessment methodologies, lacking mutual aid agreements, timely evacuations, and prison overcrowding. As of December, California’s prison system was operating at roughly 120% – or 16,000 people – over its designed capacity, according to the report.

“Not only are some prisons overcrowded, but the department is unable to evacuate the incarcerated population and staff at most prisons within the first critical 72 hours of an emergency,” the report noted. “Without the ability to quickly evacuate prisons, it is likely that wildfires, floods, and earthquakes will result in loss of life within the incarcerated population.”

Notably, the inspector general found that none of the prisons included a plan to evacuate incarcerated people outside their gates, but rather focused on moving “the incarcerated population to and from locations within the prison.”

The report concluded with a list of 18 recommendations, including ones that would bring the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation into compliance with California regulations around emergency planning.

Carlee Purdum, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Houston who researches how disasters impact incarcerated people, said the report is a “first step” in identifying more resources to support prisons and corrections agencies as they plan and prepare.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Purdum said. “Prisons and corrections agencies are very marginalized and isolated in the emergency and disaster planning space. The significant takeaway should be that we have not engaged in these kinds of discussions, and put forth the kind of state level resources and accountability into these institutions.”

Advocates for years have been sounding the alarm over the ways in which California prisons are ill-equipped to confront climate hazards due to issues such as overcrowding and aging infrastructure. A 2023 report by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the nonprofit organization Ella Baker Center for Human Rights chronicled those concerns and urged the state to implement safeguards.

“People inside have a fear that the actual plan is to abandon them in the case of an emergency. It is deeply troubling,” said James King, director of programs for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. “In these public health crises, it’s not just going to affect the people in the prisons, either incarcerated there or working there. It’s going to impact the entire county, the entire community.”

Trucks driving through the flooded intersection on Highway 43 near Corcoran on March 15, 2023. The flood was caused by rising water levels on the Tule River after a series of storms. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Those concerns were echoed by Dax Proctor, statewide coordinator for Californians United for a Responsible Budget, a statewide coalition of organizations that view climate hazards as a key reason to close prisons.

“The number one solution to address these issues at hand is to reduce the number of people locked up in California prisons as rapidly as possible,” Proctor said. “A good starting place would be those most vulnerable to climate hazards.”

Officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services answered questions about the report before lawmakers at a hearing Thursday. They assured lawmakers that the department would not work alone in a large-scale emergency.

“California has a vast amount of resources and we would rely heavily on our federal, state and local partners to assist us with the evacuation of an entire prison,” said Melissa Prill, special agent-in-charge at the corrections department’s Office of Correctional Safety.

But Sen. Laura Richardson, a Democrat from Inglewood, said that in an unpredictable situation, those partners “may be busy assisting other people.”

“To assume that these other agencies are going to be available to help you, or to help us in a prison environment is not something, going forward, we have the freedom to assume,” Richardson said. “I would give this (office of inspector general)’s report of your organization — I would consider it an ‘F’ — frankly.”

Sen. Kelly Seyarto, a Republican from Murrieta, said he wasn’t “extremely critically concerned.”

“I think we’re getting a little overboard in terms of thinking that we are going to have to evacuate entire prisons,” Seyarto said. “It’s just not a practical thing to think that somehow the whole prison is going to catch on fire.”

In a statement to CalMatters, department spokesperson Mary Xjimenez said prisons take an “all-hazards” approach to emergency planning and that it coordinates its plans with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The department “follows the FEMA National Incident Management System, which is the national doctrine that provides all federal, state, and local response agencies with a consistent set of principles, management structures, and a systematic approach to emergency response.”

King said the department has a history of being unprepared for climate hazards and instead reacts to them once they inevitably occur.

“These are simply facts,” King said. The department “could accept these facts and do something about them — or they could try to manage their response to the report. Disappointedly, it seems like they’ve chosen the latter. This is an opportunity to improve their response, to see the gaps and to create plans that address the gaps. ”

Cayla Mihalovich is a California Local News fellow.

Looking back: When the Pope visited Monterey, 1987

PG&E plans to restart its Moss Landing battery facility by June 1

MOSS LANDING — PG&E has informed Monterey County it plans on reactivating its Elkhorn Battery Storage Facility in Moss Landing by June 1 after turning it off in January in response to a fire at the nearby Vistra battery plant.

In a letter addressed to Monterey County Board of Supervisors Chair Chris Lopez dated May 7, PG&E detailed the steps it has taken to improve safety measures at its battery facility in preparation to return it to service.

“The Elkhorn Facility, as constructed, allows for efficient storage and use of power,” PG&E said in the statement. “As summer approaches, it helps strengthen the reliability of the California power grid and protects PG&E’s customers from power limitations and related impacts. Accordingly, PG&E believes it is appropriate to return Elkhorn to service by June 1 to support grid reliability and that it is safe to do so.”

In a press release, Monterey County officials expressed concern over the plans to restart the battery facility and stated that a required emergency action plan in compliance with SB 38 has not been finalized and remains under review by the county and other agencies.

“The County of Monterey remains committed to public safety, environmental protection, and full regulatory compliance,” Monterey County officials wrote. “The County has reached out to and offered to work closely with all operators to ensure Emergency Action Plans adequately provide for the safety of the surrounding communities and the environment.”

The press release continued: “At this time, however, the County feels it is prudent to encourage PG&E to delay reactivation and continue to engage in additional open, transparent, dialogue with County officials, first responders, and the residents we collectively serve.”

PG&E stated in the letter that it has performed extensive inspection and clean-up at its Elkhorn Battery Storage Facility, including removal and proper disposal of ash/particulate matter, management of water runoff from heavy rains over the winter and continual air quality monitoring to asses any potential impacts. This came after PG&E coordinated with the Monterey County Incident Command to inspect the battery facility and review air quality data to confirm it was safe for personnel to return to the site.

On Sept. 20, 2022, a single Tesla Megapack battery caught fire at PG&E’s battery facility causing officials to close Highway 1 in the area as a precaution. The fire was extinguished and did not spread into adjacent megapacks or equipment, and PG&E said it continued to safely monitor the site until there was no risk of subsequent flare ups.

In the letter to Monterey County, PG&E stated that a subsequent investigation by Tesla “determined that the incident was caused by water ingress into the megapack due to the improper installation of deflagration vent shield panels.” Corrections were made to all 256 megapacks at the facility and an air dispersion model was created for the site. In consultation with Environmental Protection Agency personnel, PG&E also designed and installed a continuous air monitoring system that was commissioned in early 2025.

PG&E stated in the letter that it conducted training with firefighters, updated its emergency action plan and created an incident management team that was certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to enhance its emergency response capabilities for the Elkhorn site.

“Although the (Jan. 16) fire occurred at the Vistra Moss Landing battery facility, the above-mentioned measures were undertaken to safeguard the PG&E Elkhorn Facility and the surrounding natural environment. PG&E believes this was the appropriate response as a responsible member of the Moss Landing community,” PG&E wrote.

Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church, whose district includes the two battery plants, wrote in a social media post that “PG&E is a public utility regulated by the State of California. As such, Monterey County does not have the authority to prevent or limit the facility’s return to operation.”

Church wrote that the Monterey County Board of Supervisors asked PG&E and Vistra in January to not restart the battery facilities until the causes of the fires had been determined and addressed. He stated that the California Public Utilities Commission and Vistra are conducting investigations into the cause of the Jan. 16 fire, but, to this date, neither has released findings regarding the cause.

“I had hoped that PG&E would take a more transparent and collaborative approach in addressing the concerns of our surrounding communities, which are still grappling with the fallout of the largest BESS (battery energy storage system) fire in history,” Church wrote. “Restarting operations before investigations are complete and before stronger emergency protocols are in place is disappointing and deeply troubling. … Our residents deserve to feel safe, and our communities must have a stronger voice in decisions that affect their well-being.”

PG&E’s 182.5-megawatt Tesla Megapack battery in June 2022. (Tess Kenny/Monterey Herald)

Horoscopes May 11, 2025: Amanda Freitag, refuse to let anyone bully you

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Holly Valance, 42; Amanda Freitag, 53; Frances Fisher, 73; Eric Burdon, 84.

Happy Birthday: Hold on to your beliefs, integrity and standards, and refuse to let anyone bully you into something that goes against your morals and comfort zone. Be honest regarding your motives and focus on joining forces with those who feel like you do. You can make a difference if you are passionate about life, how you want to spend your time and what you want to achieve. Live life your way. Your numbers are 7, 15, 23, 28, 34, 39, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Try something new, such as an activity that gets you moving and helps you strive for a healthy lifestyle. Surround yourself with people who share your likes. Take a creative approach to whatever you do, and it will encourage you to pick up skills and tools that can help expand your interests. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Emotions will surface, and anger will mount if you get into a debate. Consider your actions and the consequences, and choose to put your energy to good use. Focus on personal progress, lifestyle and budgeting to ease financial stress. Life is about choices and using your strengths to reach positive goals. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Stretch your imagination. Looking beyond what’s possible will help shape your future. Set high expectations and shoot for the stars. Participate in events that help you grow, provide independence and promote connecting with people who have something to contribute. Express your feelings through action, and make romance a priority. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep your money, possessions and secrets to yourself. Joint ventures or sharing too much personal information will make you vulnerable. Your best efforts will come from self-improvement projects and exploring how to use your skills, connections and experience to further your interests. Trust your instincts and follow your heart. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Research and follow through with your plans. Short trips, reconnecting with old friends and discussing your plans with someone you want to spend more time with will offer insight into what’s possible. Spice up your itinerary and image, and prioritize love and romance instead of letting discord disrupt your plans and life. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Settle any difference and move on to what makes you happy. Attend a reunion, face your demons and pour your heart into self-improvement. Let go of old habits and replace them with healthy alternatives. It’s a new day and a chance to enhance your life. Be open, positive and proactive. 4 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Wander to places you want to explore. Communicate with those you encounter, and you’ll gain insight into exciting possibilities. A unique opportunity to partner with someone or to gain access to something you want to join or pursue will brighten your day. Don’t sit idle when interaction is the key to new beginnings. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Share your thoughts and feelings, and observe the response you receive. It’s time to weed out some people, pastimes and projects that keep you from enjoying yourself. It’s up to you to stifle stress and protect yourself from unhealthy situations. Discipline and a positive shift in mindset are overdue. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Tidy up loose ends and start anew. An innovative approach to how you live and run your home will send you on an adventure that frees up cash and points you in a direction that allows you to use the skills you enjoy most productively. Take control, and you’ll discover what’s possible. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take care of domestic responsibilities. Implement changes that simplify your life and allow you to spend more time with the ones you love or do the things that make you happy. If you take the path that leads to self-satisfaction, you’ll cross paths with those who share your heart’s desires. 4 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep your eye on the ball and your head in the game. Refuse to let anyone bait you into an argument. Nurture meaningful relationships and distance yourself from those who cause you grief. Be open to trying something new and expanding your circle of friends. Personal growth and romance are on the rise. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Attitude is everything. Put a positive spin on whatever you decide to do, and you’ll change the mood in the room. Be the uplifting light and love that creates a can-do attitude, and you’ll receive hands-on help. You get the highest return through your actions, not your words. A positive change is apparent. 5 stars

Birthday Baby: You are reflective, caring and patient. You are perceptive and efficient.

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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Warriors claim they are not ‘desperate’ after wasting vintage ‘Playoff Jimmy’ performance

SAN FRANCISCO – Facing a 2-1 deficit after dropping Game 3 of their second-round series against the Timberwolves on Saturday night, the Warriors spoke with a tinge of regret as they made sense of what went wrong.

Jimmy Butler, who flashed vintage “Playoff Jimmy” form by scoring 30 points, talked in a low voice as he looked at the box score that read “Minnesota 102, Golden State 97” from the postgame podium. 

“Didn’t get the shots we wanted to get, turned the ball over a few times, didn’t contest shots, didn’t take the three out of the game, and that was it,” Butler monotoned. 

After being relatively quiet in Games 1 and 2 of this Western Conference semifinal series, he had become the playoff hero the Warriors had been promised when they traded for Butler in February. 

He fired up close to 30 shots, taking on the lead ballhandling role as Steph Curry was shackled to the sidelines with a left hamstring strain and doing everything he could to will the Warriors to victory in 43 minutes. 

It was not enough. 

“Twenty-six shots, 36 shots, next time, it has to be in a win,” Butler remarked. 

Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10), Gary Payton II (0) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) are dejected at the end of Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Golden State Warriors 102-97. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Disappointment pervaded the Warriors’ locker room, but despair was nowhere to be found. 

“There’s no need to panic,” guard Gary Payton II told the Bay Area News Group while nonchalantly tying his shoes at his locker. “We’ll be alright.”

As a team with veteran leaders like Butler and Draymond Green, the players seemed certain they could stay in the series despite Curry’s injury.

“We can compete without Steph,” Butler said. “We’re still as confident as ever.”

Confident or not, the loss still stung. 

The Warriors overcame their 0-for-5 shooting from 3-point distance and led 42-40 at halftime in a game where Curry’s lack of shot creation was glaring. 

After 36 minutes, the Warriors led 73-69 after Hield and the team’s shooters went 6-for-11 from long range in the third period.

An improbable series lead was there for the taking, and the Warriors knew it. 

“We had the game in front of us,” the normally upbeat Hield said somberly. 

His mind wandered to a fourth quarter in which the Warriors led 82-77 with eight minutes remaining after Butler made a pair of free throws. 

The lead disappeared in a 9-0 Minnesota run that saw Anthony Edwards score five points, including a big dunk that were two of the more emphatic of his game-high 36 points. 

Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) fouls Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels (3) in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Golden State Warriors 102-97. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Coach Steve Kerr rued his team’s inability to grab loose balls, something that has plagued the Warriors for a month. An offensive rebound by veteran Mike Conley early in the fourth, which resulted in a Naz Reid 3-pointer and kept the deficit to just five, stood out in Kerr’s mind. 

“I thought that was the sequence that really shifted the game and the momentum,” Kerr said. “Thirteen offensive boards for them, 26 points that. Was a big factor in the fourth.”

Green fouling out in the fourth quarter did not help the Warriors’ cause. Two of his fouls came from replay reviews and the sixth while contesting a shot at the rim. 

It was a difficult development during a trying week for the veteran forward, who was the subject of racial abuse by two spectators in Minneapolis during Game 2. 

“The sixth one was a tough one,” Kerr said. “That didn’t feel great looking at the replay, but it is what it is and they outplayed us in the fourth and they deserved to win.”

Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (00) reacts after scoring two of his 30 points on a 3rd quarter dunk against Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (5) in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

The fourth-quarter collapse overshadowed what was a career night for 22-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga, who went from being out of the rotation to scoring 33 points on just 18 shots. 

Whether Kuminga was driving for dunks, making tough layups or burying 3-pointers, the Wolves had no answer for the fourth-year forward who said his ankle is starting to feel healthy. The injury caused Kuminga to miss 31 games in the middle of the season.

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Kuminga credited Butler for helping him thrive, even though Butler’s presence was a big reason Kuminga’s role was reduced. 

“It’s kind of actually easy,” Kuminga said. “It’s just the same way as Steph … you’ve got another player with Jimmy, and they are two different people, but they attract so much attention, you’ve just got to be alert when they’ve got the ball.” 

Kuminga and Hield were the only players who looked like they knew how to play with Butler on offense during Saturday’s game. The other five Warriors who played combined for just 20 points on 26 shots.

The Warriors will need another big game from Kuminga — and a bounce-back game from 1-for-10 shooting Brandin Podziemski — to even the series. They have a day of rest to figure out what else needs to go right. 

Facing a possible 3-1 series deficit will not factor into that preparation. 

“I’m not going to tell my guys to be desperate or any more urgent than anything,” Butler said. “You go out there and you play basketball and you hoop.”

Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert (27) position for a rebound in the 2nd quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Why Warriors’ shooting woes are exacerbated without Steph Curry

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors know they’re a vastly different team without Steph Curry in the lineup, simply unable to replicate the kind of offense the two-time NBA scoring champ has been known to create throughout his Hall of Fame-caliber career.

But the Warriors also know that to give themselves a chance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, they’ll still have to generate more quality looks from beyond the arc than they did Saturday.

After a cold-shooting first half, the Warriors finished 10-for-23 on 3-point attempts in a 102-97 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series at Chase Center.

For the first time since Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson wore the uniform during the team’s ‘We Believe’ era, the Warriors failed to make a 3-pointer in one half of a playoff game, going 0-for-5 in the first 24 minutes.

“It’s hard to generate threes,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “You have to gain an advantage and get rotations. It’s hard for us to do without Steph.”

No NBA team averaged less than 31 3-point attempts per game this regular season. That 2006-07 Warriors team, led by Davis, Jackson, and Jason Richardson, led the league with an average of 24 3-pointers attempted per game.

That likely won’t get it done in 2025. The Warriors’ 23 3-point attempts were well off their postseason average of 41.8, as they relied more on Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga getting to the basket and scoring in transition.

Butler scored 33 points, and Kuminga scored 30. However, the Warriors were 35 for 81 from the field, and now Minnesota has a 2-1 series lead going into a near must-win for the Warriors in Game 4.

“Jimmy obviously is creating plenty, but it’s different,” Kerr said. “It’s not the same level of stretching the defense out like Steph does. So we’ve got to find ways to score more, to try to generate more shots, and we’ll look at the tape and figure that out.”

The last time the Warriors did not make a 3-pointer through an entire half of a postseason game was April 25, 2007.

That day, Golden State did not make a shot from beyond the arc in the second half of their opening-round series against the Dallas Mavericks and lost 112-99 in Game 2. The Warriors would go on to upset the top-seeded Mavericks in six games.

Saturday, Buddy Hield missed all three of his shots from the field and attempted only one 3-pointer in the first half. He didn’t want to force shot attempts and take the Warriors out of rhythm, as they held a 42-40 lead at the break.

Hield spoke with Curry before the start of the third quarter about what he was seeing, then made Golden State’s first three just 35 seconds after halftime. Hield went 4-for-8 on 3-point attempts as he finished Saturday with a hard-earned 14 points.

“I think just talking to (Curry) at halftime, I was able to get shots off in the second half,” Hield said. “Just reading the defense, like I’m getting ‘The Steph Rules,’ right now. I told him, I see what you go through.

“But it’s fun. That’s why it’s a seven-game series. It’s always a challenge, and you’ve got to overcome these challenges.

The Warriors made five of their first eight 3-point attempts in the third quarter, with Butler making one with 2:04 left to give Golden State a 67-62 lead.

That’s about as good as it got for Golden State, which lost the lead midway through the fourth quarter and never recovered.

“You can’t suddenly install a new offense in one day,” Kerr said. “But we obviously will lean into Jimmy (Butler), play through him. We’re still going to run similar actions, but Steph is one of one, and a lot of the stuff he creates is not replicable, because we don’t call a ton of plays.”