Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 141

Moms in crisis, jobs lost: The human cost of Trump’s addiction funding cuts

By Aneri Pattani, KFF Health News

When the Trump administration cut more than $11 billion in COVID-era funds to states in late March, addiction recovery programs suffered swift losses.

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An Indiana organization that employs people in recovery to help peers with substance use disorders and mental illness was forced to lay off three workers. A Texas digital support service for people with addiction and mental illness prepared to shutter its 24/7 call line within a week. A Minnesota program focused on addiction in the East African community curtailed its outreach to vulnerable people on the street.

Although the federal assistance was awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic and some of the funds supported activities related to infectious disease, a sizable chunk went to programs on mental health and addiction. The latter are both chronic concerns in the U.S. that were exacerbated during the pandemic and continue to affect millions of Americans. Colorado, for example, received more than $30 million for such programs and Minnesota received nearly $28 million, according to health and human services agencies in those states.

In many cases, this money flowed to addiction recovery services, which go beyond traditional treatment to help people with substance use disorders rebuild their lives. These programs do things that insurers often don’t reimburse, such as driving people to medical appointments and court hearings, crafting résumés and training them for new jobs, finding them housing, and helping them build social connections unrelated to drugs.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s cuts, allowing the programs to continue — for now — receiving federal funding. But many of the affected programs say they can’t easily rehire people they laid off or resurrect services they curtailed. And they’re unsure they can survive long-term amid an environment of uncertainty and fear, not knowing when the judge’s ruling might be lifted or another funding source cut.

The week it slashed the funding, the Trump administration also announced a massive reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the consolidation of the main federal agency focused on addiction recovery services. Without a stand-alone office like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, many advocates worry, recovery work — and the funding to support it — will no longer be a priority. Although private foundations and state governments may step in, it’s unlikely they could match the tranches of federal funding.

“Recovery support is treated as optional,” said Racquel Garcia, founder of HardBeauty, a Colorado-based addiction recovery organization.

The federal cuts put at risk a roughly $75,000 grant her team had received to care for pregnant women with substance use disorders in two rural counties in Colorado.

“It’s very easy to make sweeping decisions from the top in the name of money, when you don’t have to be the one to tell the mom, ‘We can’t show up today,’” Garcia said. “When you never have to sit in front of the mama who really needed us to be there.”

Mental health conditions, including substance use disorders, are a leading cause of maternal mortality in the U.S. And although national overdose deaths have decreased recently, rates have risen in many Black and Native American communities. Many people in the addiction field worry these funding rollbacks could reverse hard-earned progress.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Emily Hilliard told KFF Health News that the department is reorganizing to improve efficiency, foster a more coordinated approach to addiction, and prioritize funding projects that align with the president’s Make America Healthy Again initiative.

“We aim to streamline resources and eliminate redundancies, ensuring that essential mental health and substance use disorder services are delivered more effectively,” she said in a statement.

But to Garcia, it doesn’t feel like streamlining. It feels like abandoning moms in need.

Racquel Garcia, founder of the Colorado- based addiction recovery organization HardBeauty, helps a woman giving birth. (Cortnie Watson/KFF Health News/TNS)Susann Plenus is a peer recovery doula for HardBeauty, a Colorado- based addiction recovery organization. She supports pregnant women with substance use disorders in two rural counties in the state’s Western Slope. Half her salary came from a grant supported by federal dollars and is now at risk. (Susann Plenus/KFF Health News/TNS)Kaleab Woldegiorgis and his colleagues at Niyyah Recovery Initiative used to spend several hours a day at soup kitchens, community events, and mosques and on the streets of East African and Muslim neighborhoods in Minneapolis, trying to connect with people using drugs and offer them recovery services. (Ryan Brown/Brown & Company/KFF Health News/TNS)Six of its Kentucky chapters have been affected by federal funding cuts, leading them to curtail community events including cleanup days, in which chapter members gather used syringes off the street, pass out the overdose reversal medication naloxone, and talk to people using drugs about the possibility of recovery. (Billy O’Bryan/KFF Health News/TNS)Six of its Kentucky chapters have been affected by federal funding cuts, leading them to curtail social events such as group hikes and Ultimate Frisbee games, which help people have sober fun and build social connections without drugs. (Billy O’Bryan/KFF Health News/TNS)Six of its Kentucky chapters have been affected by federal funding cuts, leading them to curtail social events such as group hikes and Ultimate Frisbee games, which help people have sober fun and build social connections without drugs. (Billy O’Bryan/KFF Health News/TNS)Six of its Kentucky chapters have been affected by federal funding cuts, leading them to curtail social events such as group hikes and Ultimate Frisbee games, which help people have sober fun and build social connections without drugs. (Billy O’Bryan/KFF Health News/TNS)Show Caption1 of 7Racquel Garcia, founder of the Colorado- based addiction recovery organization HardBeauty, helps a woman giving birth. (Cortnie Watson/KFF Health News/TNS)Expand

Between the time the cuts were announced and when the federal judge paused them, two women served by Garcia’s program gave birth, she said. Though her grant funding was in limbo, Garcia told her employee to show up at the bedside for both moms. The employee followed up with daily check-ins for the new moms, connected them to treatment or housing services when needed, and helped them navigate the child services system.

“I just can’t leave moms” without services, Garcia said. “I just can’t do it.”

Nor can she abandon that employee, she said. Although the federal funding provided half of that employee’s salary, Garcia has continued to keep her on full time.

Garcia said she primarily employs women in recovery, many of whom spent years trapped in abusive situations, relying on welfare benefits. Now they’re sober and have found meaningful work that allows them to provide for their families, she said. “We created our own workforce of mamas who help other mamas.”

This type of recovery workforce development seems to align with the Republican Party’s goals of getting more people to work and reducing reliance on welfare benefits. The Trump administration’s drug policy priorities, released in early April, identified creating “a skilled, recovery-ready workforce” and strengthening peer recovery support services as crucial efforts to help people “find recovery and lead productive, healthy lives.” Many recovery programs train people for blue-collar jobs, which could support Trump’s goal of reviving the manufacturing industry.

But the administration’s actions appear to conflict with its stated goals, said Rahul Gupta, the nation’s drug czar during the Biden administration.

“You can’t have manufacturing if people can’t pass a urine drug test or continue to suffer from addiction or relapse,” said Gupta, who is now president of GATC Health, a company using artificial intelligence for drug development.

Even if jobs return to rural America, cutting funding for recovery services and the main federal office overseeing such efforts could mean fewer people are employable, Gupta said.

Research on recovery programs, particularly those run by people with personal addiction experience, suggests they can increase engagement in court-ordered treatment, reduce the prevalence of rearrest, bolster attendance at treatment appointments, and improve the likelihood of families reunifying and stabilizing.

Billy O’Bryan sees these benefits daily. As a state director for the national nonprofit Young People in Recovery, O’Bryan oversees about a dozen chapters in Kentucky that teach people in recovery life skills, such as balancing a checkbook and interviewing for jobs, and show them how to have fun in sobriety, through group hikes and glow-in-the-dark Ultimate Frisbee games.

Providing recovery services “is when we really invest in their future,” said O’Bryan, who is in recovery too.

Six of his chapters were affected by the federal funding cuts. That has meant dipping into his organization’s rainy day fund to pay staff and cutting back on community events, including cleanup days in which chapter members gather used syringes off the street, pass out the overdose reversal medication naloxone, and talk to people using drugs about the possibility of recovery.

He’s exploring fundraising efforts now, but not all his chapters have the same ability.

“In a city like Louisville, fundraising is not a problem,” O’Bryan said, “but when you get out into Grayson, Kentucky” — a rural area in the Appalachian Mountains — “there’s not a lot of opportunities.”

In Minnesota, Kaleab Woldegiorgis and his colleagues at Niyyah Recovery Initiative used to spend hours a day at soup kitchens, community events, mosques, and on the streets of East African and Muslim neighborhoods, trying to connect with people using drugs. They spoke Somali, Amharic, and Swahili, among other languages.

Those outreach efforts allowed them to “find individuals in need of recovery services” who “weren’t seeking it out themselves,” said Woldegiorgis, who previously attended Niyyah’s support groups when he was dealing with addiction.

After building relationships with people, Woldegiorgis could help them connect with formal recovery services that bill their insurance, he said. But help couldn’t always wait for a contract.

One afternoon shortly before the federal funding cuts, Woldegiorgis and his colleagues spoke with a man who began weeping, recounting how he had wanted to get treatment a few days earlier but had lost his belongings, returned to using drugs, and ended up on the street. Woldegiorgis said he helped the man reconnect with a sister and begin exploring treatment options.

With the federal funding cuts, Niyyah may no longer be able to support this type of outreach work. Woldegiorgis fears it means people won’t receive the message of hope that can come from interacting with role models in recovery.

“People don’t pick up pamphlets to receive these messages. And people don’t read emails and people don’t look at billboards and find inspiration,” he said. “People need people.”

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

Buying an older vs. new home might not be the answer to unaffordable housing

By Jeff Ostrowski, Bankrate.com

Homes are acutely unaffordable, a reality that’s pushing stressed-out buyers to consider fixer-uppers. While older homes might offer bargains upfront, there’s a catch: Aging properties saddle owners with maintenance costs that squeeze budgets and test patience. Homebuyers need nearly $117,000 in household income to afford a home, so buying an older one that needs work isn’t necessarily an ideal solution.

How old are America’s homes?

America’s housing stock is graying. The median age of owner-occupied homes nationally climbed to 41 years old in 2023, up from 31 years in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Put another way, the typical American now lives in a home built in the early 1980s or before.

Homes are getting long in the tooth in large part because builders simply aren’t adding new homes at the pace they once did.

“We underbuilt housing from 2013 up until COVID,” says Robert Dietz, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders.

The sluggish pace of homebuilding after the Great Recession intensified the housing boom of recent years. It’s Econ 101: When demand outpaces supply, prices rise. That’s exactly what’s going on in the U.S. housing market, as an ever-growing population of potential homebuyers vies for an increasingly scarce supply of homes.

Fully 81 percent of aspiring homeowners say the down payment and closing costs pose a “very significant” or “somewhat significant” obstacle to owning a home someday, according to Bankrate’s 2025 Down Payment Survey. The survey found that 18 percent of buyers would consider a fixer-upper as a way to break into an unaffordable market.

Is it better to buy new?

A third of U.S. housing inventory is new construction, while the other two-thirds of properties for sale are existing homes, Dietz says. The state of those existing homes can vary widely, from fully renovated places that need no work to dated structures with shag carpet, linoleum floors, musty basements and failing heating and air conditioning units.

Generally, newer places cost more upfront, while older homes that need work could require ongoing maintenance.

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Dietz says. “With a newer home, you’re going to have the new home price premium, so it’ll be more expensive, but the operating costs will be lower.”

New vs. older home: Pros and consPurchase price

New homes are often more expensive than existing homes, at least in terms of acquisition costs. The higher price stems from a combination of inflation, newer homebuilding regulations and more costly materials and finishes.

Most mortgages are based on the value of the home when you buy it; the loan amount doesn’t account for upgrades. However, you might be able to finance repairs as part of the mortgage by taking a HomeStyle Renovation or Federal Housing Administration 203(k) loan, which rolls the purchase price and renovation costs, up to a limit, into one loan.

Home size and features

Home sizes have grown over the years, and lifestyles have evolved. The typical size of a new home built in 2023 was 2,233 square feet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 1982, that figure was just 1,520 square feet. What’s more, older homes often have features that have fallen out of favor, such as formal dining rooms.

Lot size

No, it’s not your imagination. New homes — even large, expensive ones — are being built on smaller and smaller lots. As of 2023, the median lot size of new single-family homes in the U.S. was 8,877 square feet, or a fifth of an acre, the Census Bureau reports. In 2009, the number was 10,994 square feet, or quarter-acre.

Home maintenance costs

In addition to budgeting for a monthly mortgage payment, you’ll also need to set aside money and time to deal with repairs and renovations, typically about 2 percent of the home’s purchase price per year. In that sense, the edge goes to newer homes: They tend to be more energy-efficient, and it should be years before you need to touch major systems such as the roof and heating and air conditioning. Older homes will likely require more spending on maintenance.

Commute times

Housing development has been slow in part because land is scarce. As a result, many new developments are going up in the suburbs and exurbs. If you work from home, great — but if you value a short commute, you might have more luck with existing homes.

©2025 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Horoscopes May 4, 2025: Rory McIlroy, pick your battles wisely

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Rory McIlroy, 36; Erin Andrews, 47; Will Arnett, 55; Randy Travis, 66.

Happy Birthday: Pick your battles wisely. Refuse to waste time and energy on people and matters you have no control over. Your best efforts will come from how you treat yourself, what you learn and how you use your skills and clout to make your life and the world better. Take pride in who you are, what you do and how you help others. Gratitude will carry you to the winner’s circle. Your numbers are 3, 11, 18, 26, 30, 37, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Set your mind free. Use your creative imagination, and you’ll discover ways to make your life more meaningful through thought-provoking activities, friendships and events. You can also raise your awareness and be encouraged to do things uniquely. Mental, physical and emotional changes look promising. Social events and romance are favored. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Rethink your strategy and pay attention to detail. Acting in haste or letting stubbornness or anger take over will only worsen matters. Stick close to home or go to a safe place to release tension. Considering all your options will help you find a unique and effective way to modify whatever upsets you. 2 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Press forward enthusiastically, and your actions will encourage others to help. Turn your home into your preferred comfort zone using restorative components. A change will revive your faith and give you hope for better days ahead. Take a unique approach to people and situations you want to confront, and you’ll gain respect and confidence. 4 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Plan to do something that brings you joy and makes you feel good about who you are and what you do to contribute to something meaningful. Today is about purpose, kindness and gratitude for what you have. When you are at peace with yourself, you exude happiness and hope. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Lock into a group offering insight into something you want to pursue. Learn and reach out to experts for answers to questions that can help you reach your objective. There is power in positive thought coupled with physical action. If you want to grow, expand your interests and press forward. Romance is favored. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take time to get your finances in order and map out an investment plan that helps you budget for something that enhances your life. Changing your environment will offer insight into new possibilities and potential moves. You can satisfy your dreams and stick to your budget if you follow your initial plans. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take whatever you want to achieve to the next level. Your energy, vision and connections will collectively give you the edge necessary to get things done. Home improvements, partnerships and making a difference in matters that concern you are yours to behold. Make unique plans, socialize and pursue romance. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When in doubt, observe. Stepping away from uncertainty will give you a different perspective regarding what’s possible and the best way to get things done to your liking. Embrace the changes that put your mind at ease. Think twice before you engage in a joint venture. Partnerships will come with unexpected discrepancies. 2 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Trust your instincts, speak on your own behalf and refuse to let anyone undermine or belittle you. Take hold of your investments, protect your assets and build opportunities that help you secure your position and stabilize your lifestyle. Travel and entertainment are favored. Engage in social activity, love, romance or family fun. 5 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Nurture what’s yours. Make domestic changes that offer peace of mind and comfort for you and your loved ones. Look through your financial papers and consider how you can adjust or make changes that will lower your overhead. A move, renovation or upgrade that reduces utility costs will pay off. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Refuse to let anyone box you into a corner. Call the shots, make the decisions and stick to a game plan that suits your objective. Pay attention to where each dollar goes and how you look and present yourself. Feeling and looking your best will help you go the distance. Romance is favored. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t underestimate your talent, insight or ability to bring about positive change. Distance yourself from negative people and suggestions. Consider what makes you happy and do your best to make it happen. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Be the force behind your dreams, and you’ll find the means to reach your goal. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are adaptable, brave and caring. You are astute and innovative.

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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College roundup: Emerson advances to state track in two events for Hartnell

OROVILLE — Jenna Emerson wanted to eclipse her mother Tanya’s mark in the 100 meter hurdles.

Mission accomplished.

With it came a spot in the Community College State track and field championships after Emerson finished third overall Saturday for Hartnell College at the Northern California finals at Butte College.

“From the end of the track, I couldn’t see my time because I have poor vision,” Emerson said. “I was so stoked to break that barrier. This event has been so challenging for me.”

A Rancho San Juan graduate, Emerson dipped under 15 seconds for the first time in her career, clocking 14.96, the fifth fastest time in school history.

Emerson, who won the Coast Conference title last week, came in with a season best of 15.24, a tenth of a second off her mom’s time at Hartnell, accomplished in the late 1990’s.

The freshman will be competing in multiple events at the state championships after Emerson ran a personal best of 64.54 in the 400 low hurdles, placing fourth.

“I was super nervous,” Emerson said. “I was aggressive. Making state as a freshman is cool. I didn’t anticipate that at the start of the season. It (state) really didn’t come into focus until last week. I will appreciate it when I’m there.”

Joining Emerson at the state championships in two weeks at College of San Mateo will include Dominayah Black, who finished fifth in the triple jump for the Panthers.

A North Salinas graduate, who missed the first half of the season playing basketball for Hartnell, Black had never competed in the triple jump before.

Extending their seasons in the men’s division included Jesse Blanco, who finished second in the 10,000 at 33:01.50 and Armando Amaro, who took fourth in the hammer throw, unleashing it 158-feet-11.

Headlining a trio of athletes from Monterey Peninsula College heading to state include Pacific Grove graduate Oliver Ottmar, who sailed 6-foot-4 3/4 in the high jump to finish fourth overall.

Having equaled his career best, which occurred last week in capturing the Coast Conference title for the Lobos, Ottmar had near misses at 6-6.

Ariel Ferrell extended her season after finishing in a tie for third in the pole vault, clearing 11-1 3/4. The Santa Cruz graduate, who broke the school record four times this year, became the first MPC women’s vaulter to qualify for state.

Ferrell will be joined by teammate Katie Buller, who finished sixth. The freshman from Oregon, who doubles as a volleyball player in the fall for the Lobos, cleared 10-2.

Laura White is headed to the state meet as well for the Lobos in the shot put after uncorking it 39-4 1/2 to finish third at the NorCal championships.

College softball

Hartnell 3, Sacramento City 1: Charlee Hoover tossed another gem in the circle, hurling the Panthers into the second round of the 3A2A State Northern California playoffs, sweeping host Sacramento City in a best-of-three series.

Hoover, who struck 14 in a 2-1 win on Friday, handcuffed Sacramento City on four hits, fanning six in picking up her 14th win of the season.

The all-conference hurler, who has a perfect game and a no-hitter to her credit this spring, also collected two hits and drove in a run for Hartnell (24-14), who has rattled off five consecutive wins.

Malaya Carrillo knocked in a run for the second straight game for the Panthers, who finished in third in the Coast Conference, one game behind co-champions West Valley and San Mateo.

Owners of 28 wins this season and the higher seed, Sacramento City came into the postseason riding a six-game winning streak and was 18-3 at home this spring.

MPC 5, Sequoias 2: Staging off elimination earlier in the day with a 3-2 win, the Lobos built off that confidence, using extra innings in the third and deciding game to end higher-seeded Sequoias’ season in the 3A2A State Northern California playoffs.

Amelia Visesio won her 18th and 19th games in the circle for MPC, shutting out Sequoias over the final four frames in the final game of the best-of-three series.

Haley Koda collected three hits and drove in a run for MPC, while Ky Dahle and Johana Alonzo each finished with two hits and an RBI.

The Lobos came into the postseason just 3-7 in their last 10 regular season games, finishing fifth in the Coast Conference,

Falling in the opener on Friday, the Lobos staged off elimination in the first game on Saturday as Visesio won her 18th game of the spring over the Central Valley conference champions.

A North County High product, Visesio also homered, snapping Sequoias seven game winning streak. Dahle and Celeste Camarena also drove in runs to force a third and deciding game.

College baseball: CSUMB clinches fourth straight conference title

SEASIDE — Next year it will be one for the thumb. This spring it’s flashing four fingers to commemorate a historic achievement.

For Cal State Monterey Bay, the journey is just beginning. Yet, that doesn’t take away the appreciation of an unprecedented milestone.

A jubilant group of Otters celebrated on the mound Saturday, clinching their fourth straight California Collegiate Athletic Association baseball title on the final day with a 9-3 win over San Francisco State at the Otter Complex.

“I don’t think people understand how hard this is,” CSUMB coach Walt White said. “The common person sees you keep doing it, so it becomes an expectation. It’s our expectation as well. But this isn’t easy. This was the hardest one yet.”

With the title, the Otters became the first baseball program in the CCAA since Cal State Northridge — now a Division I program — to win four straight conference titles from 1970-73.

The Otters, who came into the weekend series a game behind San Francisco State and Dominguez Hills, took three-of-four games from the Gators, while Dominguez Hills dropped three straight to Cal State Los Angeles to fall out of contention.

“Wally (Walt White) lost his mind,” said CSUMB shortstop Max Farfan during the celebration. “I mean four in a row. God, it’s so cool. The best part is all of our families got to be part of the celebration.”

CSUMB (33-16), which will look to defend their title next week in the CCAA tournament, likely ensured itself of a spot in the NCAA West Regionals in two weeks.

“This series against SFS should put us in there comfortably,” White said. “We have one of the best records in the region. But I want to win the conference tournament. Then we’ll turn our attention to the regionals.”

Last year CSUMB came within three outs of advancing to the NCAA Division II World Series before falling in extra innings at Point Loma, then dropping the third and deciding game.

“I have a pillow from Point Loma that I still take with me on the road to remember,” said Farfan, a Salinas graduate, who homered and drove in five runs. “Everyone remembers. It drives us.”

For the second straight season, the Otters won the conference title on the final day of the regular season, then went on to beat San Francisco State twice in the conference tournament and again in the West Regionals.

In what could be San Francisco State’s final season after the baseball program was informed that it will be cut next year, the Gators had gone 14-2 in its last 16 conference games coming into their four-game series with CSUMB.

“I think they (San Francisco State) are playing with a chip on their shoulder,” White said. “They started finding a way to get over the hump last year. That gave them some belief. We believe that we’ll see each other down the road.”

Falling in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday to the Gators kept CSUMB from clinching the title, making the season finale the biggest game of the year.

“We have 28 seniors,” White said. “All of their families were here today. The place was packed. Just a cool atmosphere. We were able to draw on our experiences from the previous year. It helped us move forward.”

Tied at one in the fourth, the Otters turned to their local recruits, as Monte Vista Christian graduate Dominic Felice sent a shot over the fence for a three-run homer to stake them to a 4-1 cushion.

“Dominic set the place on fire when he hit that bomb,” said White, who has over 400 wins in his Otters’ coaching career. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard this place that loud.”

The lead was extended to eight during a five-run fourth, highlighted by Farfan ripping a three-run homer, his 11th of the season. His two-run double in the eighth padded his RBI total to 49 in 49 games this spring.

“They were blowing me up with inside fastballs on Friday,” Farfan said. “I took my ego out of it and gave up the inside pitch. I went the other way on the double. I let it fly on the 3-1 pitch in the third.”

The Otters put a lineup on the field that had five starters hitting over .300, including KW Quilici and his .388 batting average, who drove in a run in the seventh.

Seven of the nine hitters in the lineup had at least one hit, with Javier Felix collecting three of the team’s 16 hits, singling home a run in the eighth, and Farfan driving in two more runs to extend CSUMB’s lead to 13-3.

“Even when we lost yesterday, there’s this weird confidence that never leaves us,” said Farfan, a four-year starter at Salinas, whose senior season was cut short because of the pandemic.

Getting six strong innings from Mitchell Torres, White turned the game over Andrew Kotin, who tossed three innings of scoreless relief, lowering his earned run average to 3.00.

“He’s had some arm and knee issues,” White said. “He didn’t pitch a lot last year. He didn’t pitch at all in the fall. The last intra-squad game before I set the roster, I wasn’t going to put him on the roster. Then he goes out and throws 93 mph and I’m like ‘you are not going anywhere.'”

As conference champions, CSUMB won’t play in the conference tournament at Cal State, Los Angeles until Thursday against an opponent yet to be determined.

Seaside May Day Strong demonstration draws hundreds

SEASIDE — Workers, immigrants, students, and families gathered at Laguna Grande Regional Park on Saturday for the May Day Strong protest rally and march, part of a nationwide day of action.

Hundreds took part in the event, jointly organized by Indivisible Monterey Bay, 50501 Monterey, and Unite Monterey County, called for increased public investment in housing, education, health care and workers’ rights, and pushed back against cuts to social safety nets under the Trump administration.

“This is very much about the current administration. People often think our message is scattered, it’s really not — the fascist regime is scattered and it’s affecting our most vulnerable communities,” said Colleen Ingram, one of the event organizers and member of Indivisible Monterey Bay and 50501 Monterey. “That’s why we’re coming together today, there’s a lot of messaging, because they (the Trump administration) are hitting everything.”

(Kyarra Harris/Monterey Herald)

Speakers included Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew, immigration rights lawyer Adriana Melgoza, trans activist Karen Cusson and Seaside Mayor Ian Oglesby. Rosalia Webster of Big Surcus emceed the event.

Many other city leaders and officials also made their way to the park Saturday, including Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson.

The protest included a march along Canyon Del Rey Boulevard, chanting, and informational tables hosted by local advocacy groups. Attendees were encouraged to bring signs, chairs, and non-perishable food donations for All In Monterey County.

“The goal is to get a response from 3.5 percent of the (county) population,” Ingram said. “It’s been studied that when there’s a movement, that’s the number of people it takes to inspire change.”

The protest was peaceful, with organizers emphasizing that no violence would be tolerated.

Participants called for an immediate halt to attacks on immigrants and marginalized communities, full funding for public services and strong protections for workers regardless of race or immigration status.

Lynne Haller, from Pacific Grove, said she attended her first protest two weeks ago after learning about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the 29-year-old who was deported from the U.S. to El Salvador “in error.”

“If that can happen to him, it can happen to me or anyone I know,” Haller said. “That’s not my vision for America. It seems like every day there’s something new to be outraged about, we need to get back to the rule of law.”

Demonstrators were encouraged to bring signs and flags to the march. (Kyarra Harris/Monterey Herald)Supervisor Wendy Root Askew (District 4) speaks to the crowd before the march begins at Laguna Grande Park Saturday. Askew called out the federal government for cutting into necessary services and failing to work for the working and middle classes during her speech. (Kyarra Harris/Monterey Herald)More than 500 people showed up to the May Day protest Saturday. Hundreds lined up between Laguna Grande Park and the Chili’s Restaurant down the road calling for cars to honk in support. (Kyarra Harris/Monterey Herald)Show Caption1 of 3Demonstrators were encouraged to bring signs and flags to the march. (Kyarra Harris/Monterey Herald)Expand

Demonstrators said being in a community like Monterey County, where more than 60 percent of voters chose cast their ballots for Democrats in 2024, has made them feel safer in voicing their opinions.

“I like meeting other like-minded people here,” said Nancy Kelly, from Monterey. She and her husband Rich Kelly have attended multiple demonstrations targeting the Trump Administration this year. “For us it’s about our dissatisfaction with the federal government, showing up to support the community and have our voices heard.”

Many people have turned to recurring protest events as a way to stay engaged, connected, and informed. Organizers say this sustained visibility is critical as national policies continue to impact local lives — from housing and health care to education and immigration enforcement.

“I would love to see more young people out here,” said Linda Buffey, from Carmel Valley. “What this administration is doing affects us all, but for the younger generations — this could be their future. You’ve got to say something.”

The ‘F1’ team on adapting some of the spirit of ‘Top Gun’ to Formula One film with Brad Pitt

By LINDSEY BAHR, Associated Press

“Top Gun: Maverick” filmmaker Joseph Kosinski came to Formula One like many Americans: “Drive to Survive.”

In that popular Netflix series, he saw the potential for a cinematic event, full of immersive thrills, the high stakes of the competitive racing world and the idea that your teammate could be your greatest rival.

“I don’t think there’s any other sport that’s quite like that,” Kosinski said. “It’s ripe for drama.”

FILE – Actors Brad Pitt, left, and Damson Idris appear on the grid before the British Formula One Grand Prix race at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, on July 9, 2023, for the filming of “F1.” (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

The movies have loved car racing since their earliest days, and the popularity of F1 has exploded in recent years. Giving it the “Top Gun” treatment made sense. But it would take nearly four years for that dream to become “F1,” which is speeding into movie theaters on June 27.

It was a complex operation that would involve unprecedented coordination with the league, groundbreaking innovation in camera technology, and letting one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Brad Pitt, drive a real race car at 180 miles an hour on film. Many, many times.

Getting F1 on board

Hollywood, it turned out, was a little easier to convince to make the film than the league. By the time Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer approached them, Pitt had already agreed to star and they’d decided to go with Apple to help make the movie at the level they needed, with the guarantee of a robust theatrical release (which Warner Bros. is handling). Then came the Formula One meeting.

“When you come in, the first thing they think is you’re going to make them look bad,” Bruckheimer said. “I went through this with when I went to the Navy the first time on ‘Top Gun.’”

FILE – Actor Brad Pitt appears on the grid before the British Formula One Grand Prix race at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England on July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

There were many concerns: About anything going wrong, accidents, and the question of the villain. But, the filmmakers explained, this story wasn’t about a villain. It’s a competition between two drivers — a younger driver (Damson Idris) and an older driver (Pitt) trying to make him better.

Bruckheimer said it took almost a year to get the league on board, and then they had to go around to the individual teams to explain it to them as well. But once everyone bought in, they committed and opened their world to the filmmakers.

“The amount of, let’s say, conversations regarding things not related to the actual filmmaking has been massive just from a coordination point of view,” Kosinski said. “But there’s no way we could have made this film without that partnership with Formula One.”

An image of actor Brad Pitt from the upcoming film “F1” is reflected in an advertisement for Tom Cruise’s new film “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” on the opening day of CinemaCon, the official convention of Cinema United, on Monday, March 31, 2025, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Among the things they got to do: Build a garage at the Grand Prix for their fictional team; Drive on the track during Grand Prix weekends in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators; Put their Formula One cars on the track with the film’s cars (and drivers); Have Pitt and Idris stand at the end of the national anthem in both Silverstone and Abu Dhabi; And sit in on drivers meetings and technical briefings.

“It was full-on integration of these two worlds coming together,” Kosinski said. “There’s no way the film could have happened or look like it does without that partnership. I think you’ll see the result of that on screen because you couldn’t recreate what we were able to capture by doing it for real.”

“We’re going to need a smaller camera”

In true “Top Gun” spirit, part of “doing it for real” meant trying to create the experience in the driver seat for the audience. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who was involved in the film from the earliest days, told Kosinski that he’d never seen a film that had really captured what it felt like to be in one of those cars.

“These Formula One cars, they deal in grams,” Kosinski said. “Adding 100 pounds of camera equipment works against the very thing you’re trying to capture. It became a technical engineering project for a year to figure out how to get very tiny cameras that are IMAX quality onto one of these cars.”

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

During “Top Gun: Maverick,” they had six Sony cameras inside the cockpit. Here, engineers were able to slim those down to about a quarter of the size (he estimates a 10×10 cm cube). Panavision also developed a remote control that allowed director of photography Claudio Miranda to pivot the cameras left and right, which they didn’t have on “Maverick.”

They had 15 camera mounts built into the cars and were able to run up to four at a time keeping the weight penalty to a minimum, and the close-ups real.

“Every time you see Brad or Damson’s face, they’re really driving that car,” Kosinski said. “It’s not being driven for them.”

And once it was go-time on the tracks, it was a race against the clock.

“It was a technical feat and an organizational feat,” Bruckheimer said. “You get limited access and we’d get in there between some of their qualifying laps and have eight minutes to get on the track and off the track. It’s precision, you can’t be at nine minutes.”

F1 driver Lewis Hamilton reacts during the official opening of the brand-new flagship Fanatics Collectibles store on Regent Street in London, Friday April 25, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

When Hamilton first saw some of their racing footage cut together, Kosinski got a confidence boost.

“He smiled and said, ‘It looks fast,’” Kosinski said. “I was like, ‘Oh, thank God.’ If Lewis says that we’re in a good place.”

The Brad Pitt factor

“This movie needed an icon kind of at the center of it,” Kosinski said. “It’s a big, complicated, expensive film. And I needed one of our, you know, top, top movie stars.”

Kosinski knew Pitt liked cars. About a decade ago he, Tom Cruise and Pitt actually developed a car movie that never came to be. Plus, he said, “I just felt like it was a role that I always wanted to see him play.”

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Brad Pitt in a scene from “F1.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

The character is fictional driver named Sonny Hayes who was “the greatest who never was.” A phenomenon in the 1990s, he was destined to be the next world champion before an accident at a Grand Prix ends his Formula One career.

“Now he drives in every type of racing league you could imagine, but not Formula 1,” Kosinski said, from Le Mans to swamp trucks. “He likes to challenge himself to a new racing league and master it, but then he walks away.”

The audience meets him driving the midnight shift at the Daytona 24 hour race where he meets his old teammate and now Formula One team owner (Javier Bardem) who asks him to come back to help them win one race to save them from being sold.

“It’s a story about a last place team, a group of underdogs, and Sonny Hayes in his later years having one more chance to do something he was never able to, which is win a race in F1,” Kosinski said.

After the pitch, they went to the racetrack with Hamilton and Pitt “was hooked.”

Pitt trained for three months before cameras started rolling to get used to the physical demands of the precision vehicles. He and his co-star really drove the cars at speeds up to 180 mph, and sometimes in front of a couple hundred thousand people.

“The happiest day was when they said, ‘OK, it’s a wrap on driving,’ and he (Brad) climbed out of the car,” Bruckheimer said. “That was the best day for me because it is dangerous, it really is.”

The perfect summer blockbuster?

The film, everyone has acknowledged, was enormously expensive. They had the advantage of advertising on the cars, which helped offset some of the costs, but the operation was akin to building a real F1 team, Bruckheimer said. They built six cars, which they transported all around the world along with production.

“It’s like an army exercise moving vast groups of people and machinery around the world,” Bruckheimer said.

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But it was much less than the $300 million figure going around, both Kosinski and Bruckheimer said.

“It’s expensive, don’t get me wrong. It’s an expensive movie. But it was substantially lower than that number,” Bruckheimer said. “Hollywood is a very competitive place, and our friends sometimes inflate our budgets to make them look better.”

The biggest question is whether audiences will turn out in blockbuster numbers. So far, test scores have been very high across genders. And they promise you don’t need to be an expert or even a fan of the sport to enjoy the film, which will teach you everything you need to know.

“It’s emotional, it’s exciting, it has humor. It’s got great music with a Hans Zimmer score and a bunch of phenomenal artists,” Bruckheimer said. “We hope it’s a perfect summer movie.”

Key things to know about the upcoming summer movie season

By LINDSEY BAHR, Associated Press

Superman already has a lot on his shoulders. It seems unfair to add the fate of the summer movie season to his list. But he’s not alone — Marvel Studios is also returning to theaters in a big way with two movies this summer, “Thunderbolts” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the movie business to a halt, and two years after the strikes, the industry has yet to fully recover. Critics may have complained of superhero fatigue, but after several summers of depleted offerings, it’s clear that they’re a vital part of the mix.

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows David Corenswet in a scene from “Superman.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Superheroes alone don’t make for a healthy marketplace, however, and this year studios have set a full slate for every kind of moviegoer, with over 40 wide releases spanning genres.

“This is the summer where all this product that we’ve all been working on for the last few years is finally coming into the marketplace, so I’m very optimistic,” says Joseph Kosinski, who directed “F1” with Brad Pitt.

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Damson Idris, left, and Brad Pitt in a scene from “F1.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)Key movies in the summer 2025 lineup

Summer begins early in Hollywood, on the first weekend in May and that kick-off can make or break that pivotal 123 day corridor that has historically accounted for around 40% of the annual box office.

This image released by Disney shows the character Stitch, left, and Maia Kealoha, as Lilo, in a scene from “Lilo & Stitch.” (Disney via AP)

After the strikes upended the 2024 summer calendar, this year Disney is back in that familiar first weekend spot with “Thunderbolts.” Memorial Day weekend could also be a behemoth with the live action “Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” With a new “Jurassic World,” a live action “How to Train Your Dragon” and the Formula One movie also on the schedule through June and July, the summer season has the potential to be the biggest in the post-COVID era.

There are also family pics (“Smurfs,” “Elio”); action and adventures (“Ballerina,” “The Karate Kid: Legends”); horrors, thrillers and slashers (“28 Years Later,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “M3GAN 2.0″); romances (“Materialists,” “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life”); dramas (“Sorry, Baby,” “The Life of Chuck”); a new Wes Anderson movie (“The Phonecian Scheme”); and comedies (“Freakier Friday,” “Bride Hard,” “The Naked Gun”).

This image released by Marvel Studios shows, from left, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour and Florence Pugh in a scene from “Thunderbolts.” (Disney-Marvel Studios via AP)

“Draw me a blueprint of a perfect summer lineup: 2025 is it,” says Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.

What this summer’s big directors are saying

“It’s a fun twist on what a movie like this could be,” says “Thunderbolts” director Jake Schreier.

This image released by Netflix shows Christopher McDonald, left, and Adam Sandler in a scene from “Happy Gilmore 2.” (Scott Yamano/Netflix via AP)

“It’s a personal journey for Superman that’s entirely new,” says “Superman” director James Gunn. “But it’s also about the robots and the flying dogs and all that stuff. It’s taking a very real person and putting them in the middle of this outrageous situation and outrageous world and playing with that. I think it’s a lot of fun because of that.”

“It’s working on an incredibly large scale in terms of world building, but it’s also no different from all of the great comedies and dramas that I’ve done,” says “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” director Matt Shakman. “In the end, it comes down to character, it comes down to relationships, it comes down to heart and humor.”

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Mason Thames in a scene from “How to Train Your Dragon.”, (Universal Pictures via AP)

“People say, like, do you feel pressure and the most pressure I feel is from myself as a fan and to Steven Spielberg, to not disappoint him,” says “Jurassic World Rebirth” director Gareth Edwards. “Weirdly what’s great about doing a Jurassic movie is that everybody knows deep down that like half the reason they’re in this business is because of that film and Steven’s work.”

Why summer 2025 might be a big one for movies

Before the pandemic, all but one summer since 2007 broke the $4 billion mark. Since 2020, only one has: 2023, led by “Barbie.”

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The unstable economy might work in the industry’s favor, at least when it comes to moviegoing. Even with increased ticket prices, theatrical movies remain the most affordable entertainment outside of the home and attendance tends to increase during recession years. The annual domestic box office crossed $10 billion for the first time in 2009.

“By the end of this summer, hopefully people aren’t talking about being in a funk anymore and it feels like we got our mojo back and we’re off to the races,” Kosinski, who directed the pandemic-era hit “Top Gun: Maverick,” says.

When hospitals ditch Medicare Advantage plans, thousands of members get to leave, too

By Susan Jaffe, KFF Health News

For several years, Fred Neary had been seeing five doctors at the Baylor Scott & White Health system, whose 52 hospitals serve central and northern Texas, including Neary’s home in Dallas. But in October, his Humana Medicare Advantage plan — an alternative to government-run Medicare — warned that Baylor and the insurer were fighting over a new contract. If they couldn’t reach an agreement, he’d have to find new doctors or new health insurance.

“All my medical information is with Baylor Scott & White,” said Neary, 87, who retired from a career in financial services. His doctors are a five-minute drive from his house. “After so many years, starting over with that many new doctor relationships didn’t feel like an option.”

After several anxious weeks, Neary learned Humana and Baylor were parting ways as of this year, and he was forced to choose between the two. Because the breakup happened during the annual fall enrollment period for Medicare Advantage, he was able to pick a new Advantage plan with coverage starting Jan. 1, a day after his Humana plan ended.

Other Advantage members who lose providers are not as lucky. Although disputes between health systems and insurers happen all the time, members are usually locked into their plans for the year and restricted to a network of providers, even if that network shrinks. Unless members qualify for what’s called a special enrollment period, switching plans or returning to traditional Medicare is allowed only at year’s end, with new coverage starting in January.

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But in the past 15 months, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees the Medicare Advantage program, has quietly offered roughly three-month special enrollment periods allowing thousands of Advantage members in at least 13 states to change plans. They were also allowed to leave Advantage plans entirely and choose traditional Medicare coverage without penalty, regardless of when they lost their providers. But even when CMS lets Advantage members leave a plan that lost a key provider, insurers can still enroll new members without telling them the network has shrunk.

At least 41 hospital systems have dropped out of 62 Advantage plans serving all or parts of 25 states since July, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. Over the past two years, separations between Advantage plans and health systems have tripled, said FTI Consulting, which tracks reports of the disputes.

CMS spokesperson Catherine Howden said it is “a routine occurrence” for the agency to determine that provider network changes trigger a special enrollment period for their members. “It has happened many times in the past, though we have seen an uptick in recent years.”

Still, CMS would not identify plans whose members were allowed to disenroll after losing health providers. The agency also would not say whether the plans violated federal provider network rules intended to ensure that Medicare Advantage members have sufficient providers within certain distances and travel times.

The secrecy around when and how Advantage members can escape plans after their doctors and hospitals drop out worries Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the senior Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees CMS.

“Seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans deserve to know they can change their plan when their local doctor or hospital exits the plan due to profit-driven business practices,” Wyden said.

The increase in insurer-provider breakups isn’t surprising, given the growing popularity of Medicare Advantage. The plans attracted about 54% of the 61.2 million people who had both Medicare Parts A and B and were eligible to sign up for Medicare Advantage in 2024, according to KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.

The plans can offer supplemental benefits unavailable from traditional Medicare because the federal government pays insurers about 20% more per member than traditional Medicare per-member costs, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which advises Congress. The extra spending, which some lawmakers call wasteful, will total about $84 billion in 2025, MedPAC estimates. While traditional Medicare does not offer the additional benefits Advantage plans advertise, it does not limit beneficiaries’ choice of providers. They can go to any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare, as nearly all do.

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the U.S., serving parts of seven states from South Dakota to Michigan, decided to leave a Humana Medicare Advantage plan last year that covered 15,000 of its patients. “It’s not so much about the finances or administrative burden, although those are real concerns,” said Nick Olson, Sanford Health’s chief financial officer. “The most important thing for us is the fact that coverage denials and prior authorization delays impact the care a patient receives, and that’s unacceptable.”

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, representing insurance regulators from every state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, has appealed to CMS to help Advantage members.

“State regulators in several states are seeing hospitals and crucial provider groups making decisions to no longer contract with any MA plans, which can leave enrollees without ready access to care,” the group wrote in September. “Lack of CMS guidance could result in unnecessary financial or medical injury to America’s seniors.”

The commissioners appealed again in March to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Significant network changes trigger important rights for beneficiaries, and they should receive clear notice of their rights and have access to counseling to help them make appropriate choices,” they wrote.

The insurance commissioners asked CMS to consider offering a special enrollment period for all Advantage members who lose the same major provider, instead of placing the burden on individuals to find help on their own. No matter what time of year, members would be able to change plans or enroll in government-run Medicare.

Advantage members granted this special enrollment period who choose traditional Medicare get a bonus: If they want to purchase a Medigap policy — supplemental insurance that helps cover Medicare’s considerable out-of-pocket costs — insurers can’t turn them away or charge them more because of preexisting health conditions.

Those potential extra costs have long been a deterrent for people who want to leave Medicare Advantage for traditional Medicare.

“People are being trapped in Medicare Advantage because they can’t get a Medigap plan,” said Bonnie Burns, a training and policy specialist at California Health Advocates, a nonprofit watchdog that helps seniors navigate Medicare.

Guaranteed access to Medigap coverage is especially important when providers drop out of all Advantage plans. Only four states— Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and New York — offer that guarantee to anyone who wants to reenroll in Medicare.

But some hospital systems, including Great Plains Health in North Platte, Nebraska, are so frustrated by Advantage plans that they won’t participate in any of them.

It had the same problems with delays and denials of coverage as other providers, but one incident stands out for CEO Ivan Mitchell: A patient too sick to go home had to stay in the hospital an extra six weeks because her plan wouldn’t cover care in a rehabilitation facility.

With traditional Medicare the only option this year for Great Plains Health patients, Nebraska insurance commissioner Eric Dunning asked for a special enrollment period with guaranteed Medigap access for some 1,200 beneficiaries. After six months, CMS agreed.

Once Delaware’s insurance commissioner contacted CMS about the Bayhealth medical system dropping out of a Cigna Advantage plan, members received a special enrollment period starting in January.

Maine’s congressional delegation pushed for an enrollment period for nearly 4,000 patients of Northern Light Health after the 10-hospital system dropped out of a Humana Advantage plan last year.

“Our constituents have told us that they are anticipating serious challenges, ranging from worries about substantial changes to cost-sharing rates to concerns about maintaining care with current providers,” the delegation told CMS.

CMS granted the request to ensure “that MA enrollees have access to medically necessary care,” then-CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure wrote to Sen. Angus King, I-Maine.

Minnesota insurance officials appealed to CMS on behalf of some 75,000 members of Aetna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare Advantage plans after six health systems announced last year they would leave the plans in 2025. So many provider changes caused “tremendous problems,” said Kelli Jo Greiner, director of the Minnesota State Health Insurance Assistance Program, known as a SHIP, at the Minnesota Board on Aging. SHIP counselors across the country provide Medicare beneficiaries free help choosing and using Medicare drug and Advantage plans.

Providers serving about 15,000 of Minnesota’s Advantage members ultimately agreed to stay in the insurers’ networks. CMS decided 14,000 Humana members qualified for a network-change special enrollment period.

The remaining 46,000 people — Aetna and UnitedHealthcare Advantage members — who lost access to four health systems were not eligible for the special enrollment period. CMS decided their plans still had enough other providers to care for them.

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

Why cameras are popping up in eldercare facilities

By Paula Span, KFF Health News

The assisted living facility in Edina, Minnesota, where Jean Peters and her siblings moved their mother in 2011, looked lovely. “But then you start uncovering things,” Peters said.

Her mother, Jackie Hourigan, widowed and developing memory problems at 82, too often was still in bed when her children came to see her midmorning.

“She wasn’t being toileted, so her pants would be soaked,” said Peters, 69, a retired nurse-practitioner in Bloomington, Minnesota. “They didn’t give her water. They didn’t get her up for meals.” Her mother dwindled to 94 pounds.

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Most ominously, Peters said, “we noticed bruises on her arm that we couldn’t account for.” Complaints to administrators — in person, by phone, and by email — brought “tons of excuses.”

So Peters bought an inexpensive camera at Best Buy. She and her sisters installed it atop the refrigerator in her mother’s apartment, worrying that the facility might evict her if the staff noticed it.

Monitoring from an app on their phones, the family saw Hourigan going hours without being changed. They saw and heard an aide loudly berating her and handling her roughly as she helped her dress.

They watched as another aide awakened her for breakfast and left the room even though Hourigan was unable to open the heavy apartment door and go to the dining room. “It was traumatic to learn that we were right,” Peters said.

After filing a police report and a lawsuit, and after her mother’s 2014 death, Peters in 2016 helped found Elder Voice Advocates, which lobbied for a state law permitting cameras in residents’ rooms in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Minnesota passed it in 2019.

Though they remain a contentious subject, cameras in care facilities are gaining ground. By 2020, eight states had joined Minnesota in enacting laws allowing them, according to the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care: Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington.

The legislative pace has picked up since, with nine more states enacting laws: Connecticut, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. Legislation is pending in several others.

California and Maryland have adopted guidelines, not laws. The state governments in New Jersey and Wisconsin will lend cameras to families concerned about loved ones’ safety.

But bills have also gone down to defeat, most recently in Arizona. For the second year, a camera bill passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly but, in March, failed to get a floor vote in the state Senate.

“My temperature is a little high right now,” said state Rep. Quang Nguyen, a Republican who is the bill’s primary sponsor and plans to reintroduce it. He blamed opposition from industry groups, which in Arizona included LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit aging services providers, for the bill’s failure to pass.

The American Health Care Association, whose members are mostly for-profit long-term care providers, doesn’t take a national position on cameras. But its local affiliate also opposed the bill.

“These people voting no should be called out in public and told, ‘You don’t care about the elderly population,’” Nguyen said.

A few camera laws cover only nursing homes, but the majority include assisted living facilities. Most mandate that the resident (and roommates, if any) provide written consent. Some call for signs alerting staffers and visitors that their interactions may be recorded.

The laws often prohibit tampering with cameras or retaliating against residents who use them, and include “some talk about who has access to the footage and whether it can be used in litigation,” added Lori Smetanka, executive director of the National Consumer Voice.

It’s unclear how seriously facilities take these laws. Several relatives interviewed for this article reported that administrators told them cameras weren’t permitted, then never mentioned the issue again. Cameras placed in the room remained.

Why the legislative surge? During the COVID-19 pandemic, families were locked out of facilities for months, Smetanka pointed out. “People want eyes on their loved ones.”

Changes in technology probably also contributed, as Americans became more familiar and comfortable with video chatting and virtual assistants. Cameras have become nearly ubiquitous — in public spaces, in workplaces, in police cars and on officers’ uniforms, in people’s pockets.

Initially, the push for cameras reflected fears about loved ones’ safety. Kari Shaw’s family, for instance, had already been victimized by a trusted home care nurse who stole her mother’s prescribed pain medications.

So when Shaw, who lives in San Diego, and her sisters moved their mother into assisted living in Maple Grove, Minnesota, they immediately installed a motion-activated camera in her apartment.

Their mother, 91, has severe physical disabilities and uses a wheelchair. “Why wait for something to happen?” Shaw said.

In particular, “people with dementia are at high risk,” added Eilon Caspi, a gerontologist and researcher of elder mistreatment. “And they may not be capable of reporting incidents or recalling details.”

More recently, however, families are using cameras simply to stay in touch.

Anne Swardson, who lives in Virginia and in France, uses an Echo Show, an Alexa-enabled device by Amazon, for video visits with her mother, 96, in memory care in Fort Collins, Colorado. “She’s incapable of touching any buttons, but this screen just comes on,” Swardson said.

Art Siegel and his brothers were struggling to talk to their mother, who, at 101, is in assisted living in Florida; her portable phone frequently died because she forgot to charge it. “It was worrying,” said Siegel, who lives in San Francisco and had to call the facility and ask the staff to check on her.

Now, with an old-fashioned phone installed next to her favorite chair and a camera trained on the chair, they know when she’s available to talk.

As the debate over cameras continues, a central question remains unanswered: Do they bolster the quality of care? “There’s zero research cited to back up these bills,” said Clara Berridge, a gerontologist at the University of Washington who studies technology in elder care.

“Do cameras actually deter abuse and neglect? Does it cause a facility to change its policies or improve?”

Both camera opponents and supporters cite concerns about residents’ privacy and dignity in a setting where they are being helped to wash, dress, and use the bathroom.

“Consider, too, the importance of ensuring privacy during visits related to spiritual, legal, financial, or other personal issues,” Lisa Sanders, a spokesperson for LeadingAge, said in a statement.

Though cameras can be turned off, it’s probably impractical to expect residents or a stretched-thin staff to do so.

Moreover, surveillance can treat those staff members as “suspects who have to be deterred from bad behavior,” Berridge said. She has seen facilities installing cameras in all residents’ rooms: “Everyone is living under surveillance. Is that what we want for our elders and our future selves?”

Ultimately, experts said, even when cameras detect problems, they can’t substitute for improved care that would prevent them — an effort that will require engagement from families, better staffing, training and monitoring by facilities, and more active federal and state oversight.

“I think of cameras as a symptom, not a solution,” Berridge said. “It’s a band-aid that can distract from the harder problem of how we provide quality long-term care.”

The New Old Age is produced through a partnership with The New York Times.

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