Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 177
March 28, 2025
Monterey Council will take field trip to public safety facility
The Monterey City Council will get an update on infrastrucutre for the city’s law enforcment, first responders and emergency management, going on-site to take a tour of their facilities and identify what needs upgrading.
The council will visit the Central Public Safety Facility, which includes the Monterey Police Department, Fire Station 11, Fire Administration and the Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday. The facility known as the “El Cuartel” building has been in use for nearly 66 years and faces significant challenges with heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing systems according to city staff.
Council members will be given a guided tour, highlighting ongoing issues and current challenges with the facility. The tour will be lead by the public works director and will include information about the facility’s needs from the police chief, fire chief and public works general services superintendent.
There will also be an opportunity for public comment at the end of the tour.
The Monterey Police Department will also be giving a presentation on their military equipment use, as part of a yearly requirement by the state of California.
The police department currently owns:
53 semi-automatic patrol rifles4 unmanned aircraft systems2 Remington 870 less lethal shotguns3 Remington 870 breaching shotguns14 40mm less lethal single + multi launchers2 37mm less lethal launchers2 Desert Tech SRS M2 precision rifles2 pepper ball launchersThe department will be requesting one Crisis Negotiation Team command vehicle, which was approved by the council in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The vehicle is being built and anticipated to be completed this summer. The department will also request to purchase eight semi-automatic patrol rifles to replace eight older ones that are 20 years old, and four unmanned, remotely piloted, powered ground vehicles.
The Monterey City Council will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Monterey City Hall, 580 Pacific St. At 5:30 p.m. The council will cross the street together to visit the public safety facilities at 351 Madison St. The council will reconvene at 7 p.m. for the evening session at Monterey City Hall. The meeting will be streamed, but the field trip will be in-person only and will not be recorded. The council meeting can be streamed online and can be watched via Zoom at https://monterey-org.zoomgov.com/j/1607729333.
Hegseth’s younger brother is serving in a key role as liaison and senior adviser inside the Pentagon
By TARA COPP, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s younger brother is serving in a key position inside the Pentagon as a Department of Homeland Security liaison and senior adviser, Hegseth’s office confirmed.
The high-profile job has meant meetings with a UFC fighting champion, a trip to Guantanamo Bay and, right now, traveling on the Pentagon’s 747 aircraft as Hegseth makes his first trip as defense secretary to the Indo-Pacific.
Phil Hegseth’s official title is senior adviser to the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and liaison officer to the Defense Department, spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson said in a statement Thursday.
“Phil Hegseth, one of a number of talented DHS liaisons to DOD, is conducting touch points with U.S. Coast Guard officials on the Secretary’s Indo-Pacific trip,” which includes stops in Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines and Japan, Wilson said in response to a query by The Associated Press.
Border security, the responsibility of DHS, has been highlighted as one of the top priorities for President Donald Trump, and thousands of U.S. troops have been deployed to the border to assist DHS with curbing illegal immigration.
Liaison roles are commonIt’s common for the Defense Department and other federal agencies to have liaisons. Each military branch sends liaisons to Capitol Hill. The Pentagon, State Department and others all use interagency liaisons to more closely coordinate and keep tabs on policy.
But it is not common for those senior-level positions to be filled by family members of the Cabinet heads, said Michael Fallings, a managing partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC, which specializes in federal employment law.
Jennifer Rauchet, third from left, and Phil Hegseth, fifth from left, listen as Pete Hegseth appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing to be Defense Secretary, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)Based on Phil Hegseth’s publicly available resume, his past experience includes founding his own podcast production company, Embassy and Third, and working on social media and podcasts at The Hudson Institute.
It’s not the first time Phil Hegseth has worked alongside his older brother. When Pete Hegseth was CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, a nonprofit that fell into financial difficulty during his time there, he paid his brother $108,000 to do media relations for the organization, according to federal tax records.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Phil Hegseth’s job title and said this “interagency mission is part of Mr. Hegseth’s preview,” presumably meaning “purview.”
DHS said Phil Hegseth, while on the Indo-Pacific trip, has been meeting with representatives from Homeland Security Investigations, the law enforcement arm of the department, “and other DHS components and interagency partners.”
The Pentagon did not respond to a request to interview Phil Hegseth. Neither the Pentagon nor the Department of Homeland Security has responded to queries about his qualifications for the job..
A close ally to the secretaryHe has been his brother’s close ally, appearing alongside him throughout his fraught confirmation process in the Senate. In photos, as Pete Hegseth walked the halls of Congress, Phil Hegseth is often right there by his side.
He now has offices just down the hall from him along the Pentagon’s E-Ring, according to a U.S. official familiar with the office location, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth holds a joint press conference with and Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippines, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerard Carreon)Photos posted by the defense secretary’s official Flickr account show Phil Hegseth at the secretary’s table as he met with officials or high-profile guests, including Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Conor McGregor this month.
He traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with Pete Hegseth in February.
Nepotism laws guide government hiringA 1967 federal nepotism law prohibits government officials from hiring, promoting or recommending relatives to any civilian position over which they exercise control.
An image of an office organizational chart obtained by The Associated Press shows Phil Hegseth in a small group of officials directly beneath his brother, with Phil Hegseth labeled as a senior adviser to the defense secretary.
Related Articles US Naval Academy ends affirmative action in admissions Trump commutes the sentence of Ozy Media co-founder Carlos Watson Appeals court clears way for DOGE to keep operating at USAID What is the Smithsonian, and why is President Trump unhappy with it? Wisconsin attorney general sues Elon Musk to block $1 million payment offersFurther review of Phil Hegseth’s hiring would be needed to determine if it ran afoul of federal nepotism laws, “but it does not pass the smell test,” Fallings said.
However, if he is wholly employed by DHS, that “would avoid a nepotism violation, unless it can be shown that (Pete) Hegseth was involved in the hiring or had asserted his authority to help hire his brother.”
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it wholly employs Phil Hegseth, whether he is paid and if so at what federal pay level.
There are also some exceptions to the nepotism law for the president’s office. In his first term, Trump appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner to serve as his senior adviser. When he was president, Bill Clinton named first lady Hillary Clinton to serve on his health care task force.
In the Biden administration, Jake Sullivan served as national security adviser to the president while his brother, Tom Sullivan, was the counselor of the State Department.
Top Amazon Big Spring Sale deals that are rarely on sale
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has only just begun, and some of the hottest products are seeing significant price drops. Although the big-ticket items are flying off the shelves, we’ve got a lot of not-so-known items on our radar, including other popular ones that don’t go on sale very often.
Our curated list has the best deals on items that aren’t on sale very often. That makes them worth checking out during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. Several bestsellers, such as vacuum cleaners, tablets, smartwatches, TVs, air fryers and more, are available at a nice discount.
Top Amazon Big Spring Sale deals that are rarely on sale 
These over-ear headphones have a premium build and design, comfortable earcups, and outstanding sound quality, which is ideal for bass lovers. They have two distinct listening modes: Active Noise Canceling and Transparency mode, and dynamic head tracking delivers immersive listening.
If you’re an avid reader looking for a way to travel light, the latest Kindle is worth your time. It has a high-contrast 7-inch color display that’s easy on the eyes and a feature that lets you highlight pages in pink, yellow, or green. You’ll have access to over 15 million titles, and the waterproof design makes it suitable for poolside reading.
Whether you want a smartwatch for tracking your daily activity or for accessible smartphone connectivity, the Apple Watch SE 2nd Generation is a fantastic choice. It has multiple exercise modes and sensors for monitoring heart rate, sleep and blood oxygen. It’s water resistant up to 50 meters and supports Apple Pay.
An exercise ball is a terrific way for beginners to tone and sculpt their bodies by working out their core. This exercise ball is excellent for yoga and Pilates and features a puncture-resistant PVC body with a smooth matte surface and horizontal ribbed contours for superior grip. Plus, it’s available in six colors and three sizes.
These veterinarian-recommended treats are excellent for supporting your dog’s anal glands in top health condition. Each treat is loaded with five probiotic strains, two prebiotic strains, omega fatty acids and other beneficial enzymes to aid in digestion.
If you want a healthier way to cook delicious foods such as french fries and chicken wings, the COSORI 9-in-1 Air Fryer is a fantastic kitchen appliance. This air fryer features multiple presets, including roast, bake, reheat and broil and uses TurboBlaze technology to cook foods rapidly and evenly on all sides.
You’ll want to add this snail mucin sheet mask to your skincare routine ASAP. It’s an excellent mask for moisturizing and soothing dry or damaged skin. Simply remove the film from the sheet, apply it to your face for 10-20 minutes and pat down the remaining formula for best results.
This drill and impact driver combo kit includes two batteries and a charger to help you complete your DIY jobs efficiently. It’s a lightweight tool with a half-inch single-sleeve ratcheting chuck for tight bit gripping strength and an ergonomic handle for improved control.
Whether you want a solid pair of earbuds for traveling or for listening to music during workouts, the Beats Studio Buds are an excellent pick. These earbuds offer rich sound quality, terrific noise-canceling technology, and an IPX4 water-resistance rating. Plus, they can last for up to 24 hours with the included charging case.
Want a TV with stunning picture quality for your home theater? This 65-inch 4K TV is a fantastic option thanks to its rich colors, image-enhancing HDS technology, and customizable frame. You can set it in Art mode when it’s not in use, and the smart UI offers access to tons of streaming options.
Other top Amazon Big Spring Sale deals that are rarely on saleCASABREWS Espresso Machine 20 Bar 23% OFF
INIU Portable Charger 36% OFF
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station 44% OFF
Anova Culinary Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro 36% OFF
Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor 10% OFF + $30 OFF COUPON
Amazon Fire HD 10 32% OFF
Fitbit Inspire 3 30% OFF
Crest 3D Whitestrips 31% OFF
Doset Facial Massager 33% OFF
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
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SAN FRANCISCO – A familiar scene played out Thursday when a heralded point guard, Walter Clayton Jr., swished a deep 3-pointer at Chase Center, providing Florida’s first bucket en route to a Sweet 16 win.
That’s chief resident Steph Curry’s move here.
Clayton is no Curry, but that hyperbolic comparison was volunteered by Maryland coach Kevin Willard some 24 hours before Clayton helped to an 87-71 win.
“He reminds me of Steph a little bit of how good he is off the dribble,” Williard said ahead of the matchup before lauding Clayton’s composure. “… If he misses three in a row, his body language, it don’t matter. A lot of kids get sensitive when they miss two or three in a row. He’s just going to keep coming right at you.”
“It means a lot to get those comparisons and get that little bit of recognition, but I have a long way to go until I’m even in the conversation with Steph,” Clayton humbly and correctly stated after his modest 13-point effort.
Florida (32-4) is not a one-man show, and Clayton’s unselfish style will be on display once more Saturday night against Texas Tech for the . The Red Raiders rallied from 16 down and beat Arkansas in overtime 85-83.
Clayton scoffed in Florida’s postgame locker room Thursday night when, after his subtle stats, a reporter asked if he was saving himself for Saturday. “I’m good. We had a good team effort tonight,” Clayton responded. “I wasn’t bottled up. It was other guys’ night.”
Five other Gators scored in double figures: Will Richard (15 points), Alijah Martin (14), Thomas Haugh (13), Denze Aberdeen (12), and Reube Chinyelu (10).
“We enjoy passing the ball. Night in, night out, we all show we can go and we trust each other,” Martin said.
Clayton passed up multiple open shots to dish the ball to more open teammates. That unselfish approach reflects a Curry-esque talent, which Martin said is not out of the ordinary: “Steph makes the right play, and Walt makes the right play.”
“Sometimes (Florida coaches) think I pass up open ones, and I think so, too,” Clayton said. “I’m always looking for a great shot rather than a good one.”
Clayton finished 3-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-6 on 3-point attempts. He had four assists but deserved twice as many with his passing and vision. He’s averaging 17.9 points per game this season, along with 4.2 assists.
“Obviously the way he shoots, especially to people in the Bay it might sound crazy to compare him to Steph, who’s won a ton of NBA championships and MVPs, but from a college version, I think it’s applicable to say he compares to Steph,” Florida coach Todd Golden said Wednesday. “His off-balance shooting, his ability to get his shot off at different times and just his confidence to let it fly from deep, those things are very similar to Steph.”
Richard agreed: “Walt shoots the ball at a high level – off the dribble, off the catch. I can definitely see that.”
Related Articles Clipboard: State records rewritten by Monterey High weightlifters College Athlete of the Week College track and field: Ferrell soaring to new heights at MPC Emotional win on the tennis courts for Main at TCU Clipboard: Stevenson grad off to fast start in ChicagoCurry, by the way, averaged 28.6 points and 5.6 assists en route to All-America honors his third and final season at Davidson in 2009, which ended with an NIT loss at Saint Mary’s, a year after Golden’s playing tenure ended there.
Now, back to that Clayton’s opening 3-pointer Thursday night: He said he wasn’t channeling Curry, “just shooting some shots, that’s all.”
Still, the Warriors’ championship aura is prevalent at Chase Center, to which Clayton said: “As you walk in, you see everything on the wall, so it’s definitely crazy to see those guys go on a historic run still, and Curry’s going crazy.”
Saturday night, Clayton hopes to be cutting down the nets with a Final Four-bound Florida team.
Horoscopes March 28, 2025: Lady Gaga, set goals and strive to pursue and achieve
CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Lady Gaga, 39; Julia Stiles, 44; Vince Vaughn, 55; Reba McEntire, 70.
Happy Birthday: Set goals and strive to pursue and achieve, and you won’t be disappointed. Refuse to let anyone interfere with your plans when it’s your turn to reach for the stars and shine. Make a point to do your best and to be your best. Put fitness, raising your appeal and taking control of your life and what you want to pursue first. Make a positive attitude and high energy your priorities. Your numbers are 3, 14, 22, 26, 35, 39, 42.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take care of pending legal, financial or medical matters, and start a routine that caters to getting your life on track and your goals in line for success. Network, socialize and embrace activities or events conducive to spending time with people who have information to share. A financial investment looks promising. 3 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Lift barriers, and make a move. A change at home will help you save time and money. Look inward, and you’ll discover what and who are essential to you. Set boundaries, goals and a convenient path; victory will be yours. Unleashing your ego will lead to a treadmill mentality and lifestyle. 4 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep close tabs on who says and does what to avoid being taken advantage of, misinterpreted or misrepresented. Setting standards, implementing constructive changes and determining how you want to transform your life or spend your valuable time is beneficial. Avoid crowds or taking risks with your health or emotional well-being. 2 stars
CANCER (June 21- July 22): Take a closer look at what makes you happy, your skills and how you can use them to do something you enjoy. Be true to yourself and revisit your options and what it will take to get you where you want to go. A professional change will generate opportunity, abundance and respect. 5 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Enjoy expanding your mind, interests, circle of friends and plans. A steady approach to your goals will help you avoid getting caught in someone else’s dream. It’s time to take charge and do what’s best for you instead of doing so for others. Learn from experience. 3 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Question everything and everyone. That’s the quickest way to find your place and to know your strengths and limitations. Someone will lead you to believe an opportunity is something it’s not. Make it clear what you want and what you are willing to do. A partnership will change how or where you do business. 3 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Refrain from letting anger set in; action, learning and progress count when you want to get ahead. When something doesn’t feel right, speak up and resolve matters before they have a chance to escalate. Invest more time and energy in yourself and into your personal life and your surroundings. 3 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Start the ball rolling. If you believe in something, follow through. Personal change will boost your confidence and offer insight into new possibilities. A trip, getting together with old friends or revisiting goals you have yet to achieve will encourage you to get back on track and make your dreams come true. 3 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Finding common ground with whoever you deal with is essential. Refrain from letting what’s happening around you fester when it can be transformed into something that can benefit you if handled with courtesy and care. View your situation, and you’ll gain perspective on keeping the ebb and flow in harmony. Personal growth and physical self-improvement are favored. 2 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let your actions speak for you. A kind gesture will impact those who witness what you do and make a difference in your life, how others treat you and what unfolds due to your insight and fairness. A lifestyle change will save you money. 4 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Establish what you want to achieve, and don’t stop until you feel good about what you accomplish. Let your power of persuasion take over, and you’ll convince others to see and do things your way. Use your physical attributes and skills to finish what you start, and reap the rewards. 3 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Socialize, network and try something new. Put your energy and thoughts out to the universe, and portray what you want to achieve to those with something to contribute. It will change how you do things moving forward and how you use, invest and handle your cash. 3 stars
Birthday Baby: You are hardworking, enthusiastic and intuitive. You are astute and pioneering.
1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes.
2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others.
3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals.
4 stars: Aim high; start new projects.
5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.
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March 27, 2025
Trump executive order on Smithsonian targets funding to programs with ‘improper ideology’
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump revealed his intentions to reshape the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order Thursday that targets funding to programs with “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology.”
Related Articles What is ‘classified’ information? What are ‘secure’ communications? Here’s a primer Judge says he will order government to preserve Signal messages about Houthi military strike How eliminating the Department of Education would impact local schools Trump withdraws Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination for UN ambassador, citing tight GOP House margin New US airstrike campaign targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels more intense than last, AP review findsTrump said there has been a “concerted and widespread” effort over the past decade to rewrite American history by replacing “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”
He signed an executive order putting Vice President JD Vance in charge of an effort to “remove improper ideology” from the Smithsonian Institution, including its museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo.
Kurtenbach: There’s only one way to measure SF Giants success in 2025
Only one thing will make the San Francisco Giants’ 2025 season a success.
And it’s not a certain number of wins, a push of the Dodgers in the National League West, or even a playoff berth.
Of course, a winning season and the team’s first trip to the playoffs since 2021 would be nice, but this Giants’ season will be appropriately judged strictly by the conversation around the team.
If in two, four, and six months we’re talking about the Giants on the field—and not the former player at the helm of the front office or the future players in the farm system—you can consider this season a victory.
Perhaps Thursday’s season opener in Cincinnati is a step in the right direction towards that. It was undoubtedly a buzzy start. Down 3-2 with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Giants rallied to win behind a game-tying RBI single from Patrick Bailey and a go-ahead three-run home run from Wilmer Flores.
The Giants, who won 6-4, might not enter this season expecting to be world-beaters like their blue-clad archrivals, but being clutch can make up for a lot of deficiencies.
Belief is the hardest thing to earn in baseball; the Giants earned a bit of it Thursday.
Then again, the White Sox, who are expected to lose 110 games this season, also won their season opener on Thursday, too.
This is just one of 162.
But at least the conversation coming out of Thursday’s game isn’t about the $182 million man Willy Adames’ questionable play at shortstop, which nearly handed the Reds the win. Adames was the only big-money free-agent pickup in new director of baseball operations Buster Posey’s first offseason. However, maintaining the same roster didn’t detract from the cult of personality around the new boss.
Posey has justly built up immense trust with the fan base from his days as a player — those credits have transferred over to team-building, something he had never done before he gave himself the job in September.
How long can “In Buster We Trust” satiate? A long time. Longer than I initially thought. But surely it can’t last an entire season, right?
Either way, it brings us to the second prong of the look-over-here strategy: References to Giants’ 20-year-old prospect Bryce Eldridge. They were an incessant refrain in recent months.
Alas, calls for Eldridge, who has played 17 games above Single-A, will have to wait a few days to return, as the Giants blasted two big-time homers, the first from Heliot Ramos on the 11th pitch of an at-bat against Reds’ ace Hunter Greene, and then Flores’ game-winning blast.
As it stands, we have no idea what “Busterball” is supposed to be, and one game — even one like Thursday’s — isn’t going to define it.
But so long as it doesn’t require us to put more blind faith into to Posey and his lightly defined “vision” (which, to date, is only to be “prepared” and play “fundamental baseball” — as if other teams are winging it), or, worse yet, a 20-year-old prospect, that should be considered a win.
Related Articles ‘He’s built for those moments’: SF Giants’ Flores delivers Opening Day win with dramatic homer Posey talks SF Giants’ hot spring, roster before first Opening Day as team president Here’s the SF Giants’ Opening Day lineup vs. Reds in Cincinnati These Bay Area baseball pizzas come with a slice of philanthropy Kurtenbach: Don’t let the stats overwhelm you. Baseball season is all about vibesThere’s plenty to like about the 2025 San Francisco Giants. They’re certainly not the hapless White Sox or Marlins. (Miami also won Thursday.) This team shouldn’t need us to project deep into the future when discussing them.
While every game won’t be as engaging as Thursday’s, this team should prove interesting enough to keep us in the moment and focused on the field in front of us. That would be a win.
Becasue the time to talk about this team in the abstract ended with the first pitch in Cincinnati. Let’s see what kind of (hopefully) winning reality the Giants can cook up in 2025.
‘He’s built for those moments’: SF Giants’ Flores delivers Opening Day win with dramatic homer
CINCINNATI — Wilmer Flores was never himself last season. He injured his knee early. He tried to play through the pain. He ended up with the worst season of his career, one that ended with him undergoing season-ending Tenex procedure on his 33rd birthday.
Still, the Giants’ brass maintained faith. They believed that with a clean bill of health, Flores could get back to the form he exhibited in 2023, when he hit a career-high 23 homers. Thursday, that faith was rewarded in the form of a go-ahead, three-run home run that delivered a 6-4 Opening Day win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
One game does not make a season, but if for just a day, San Francisco’s conviction in Flores is paying dividends.
“He’s built for those moments,” said left fielder Heliot Ramos, the Giants’ 19th consecutive Opening Day outfielder in the last 19 years. “The fact that it was him was super cool to see, bouncing back from last year and all the injuries.”
Added manager Bob Melvin: “He’s usually better when there’s more money on the line.”
For there to be money on the line, the hitters ahead of Flores needed to cash in on their own trips to the plate.
The Giants entered the ninth inning trailing 3-2, their only offense to that point deriving from Ramos’ two-run, opposite-field home run in the top of the fourth off Hunter Greene. Aside from that swing, San Francisco’s offense was mostly flat. The Giants had struck out 14 times and mustered three hits to that point. But in the ninth, despite striking out three more times, the Giants’ offense showed signs of life.
Jung Hoo Lee set the table by drawing a one-out walk, then advanced to third on Matt Chapman’s single to right field. Ramos struck out, bringing the Giants down to their last out, but Patrick Bailey drove in Lee with a single just beyond the outstretched glove of second baseman Matt McClain. That brought up Flores.
Prior to the game, Flores told shortstop Willy Adames that he’d never hit a home run on Opening Day. With one swing, he crossed that off the bucket list.
Reds closer Ian Gibaut hung Flores a middle-middle sweeper, and Flores promptly sent it into the left-field bleachers. Not only did Flores give the Giants the lead, but he kicked off a cacophony of boos. The fan who caught Flores’ home run ball threw it back on the field with such vigor that the ball ended up in the infield, rolling past Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz.
“He’s always been a clutch guy,” Melvin said. “A lot of walk-offs in his career. The bigger the situation, the better he’s been.”
“In 2023, Wilmer was our best player, by far,” said Giants starter Logan Webb, who allowed three earned runs over five innings with three walks. “Last year, you could obviously see he was in some pain and dealing with some knee stuff and struggling. It’s great to see it. We saw it all spring. … Wilmer’s a pro’s pro. You just know he’s always going to have good at-bats and he did it at the end.”
Before Flores’ game-changing swing, the at-bat of the afternoon belonged to Ramos. And in a vacuum, Ramos’ 11-pitch duel with Greene may have been more impressive.
When Ramos stepped to the plate in the fourth, San Francisco was trailing Cincinnati, 3-0, unable to generate any offense against Greene. Through three innings, Greene had seven strikeouts. Greene was one strike away from putting a fourth straight zero on the board; Ramos proceeded to get the Giants back in the game.
With Lee on first after drawing a walk, Ramos got into a 3-2 count and fouled off five straight fastballs. Ramos expected Greene to mix in a breaking ball at some point, but Greene kept hurling heaters. On the 11th pitch he saw, Ramos deposited a fastball into the right-field bleachers.
In Flores’ opinion, the pitch Ramos homered on — a down-and-away fastball clocking in around 99 mph — was the toughest pitch of the entire battle. At 344 feet, Ramos’ first homer of the year benefitted from the dimensions of Great American “Small Park.”
“It’s the confidence that I can hit the ball the other way,” Ramos said. “I’m not even going to lie, the splash (hit) gave me a lot of confidence last year, too. I always knew I had that pop. I just needed to make it better and polish it.”
Ramos has historically struggled against right-handed pitchers, entering the day with a career .656 OPS against righties compared to .956 OPS against lefties. He’ll likely see time in leadoff when a left-hander is on the mound. Despite his struggles against righties, the 25-year-old invites the challenge.
“Lefties, I know I can hit them. Obviously, lefties are going to get me out. They’re pitchers, too. They eat, too,” Ramos said. “But I’ve been wanting to face righties. I’ve been wanting to make that a point, for sure.”
With those swings from Flores and Ramos, the team, as a whole, has made quite a point too.
The Giants enjoyed a great spring training. They went 21-6. They were third in ERA and OPS. They excelled in every facet of the game.
They believe they can make the playoffs. They believe they can make noise, even in a stacked NL West. A win on Opening Day, one that gives Buster Posey a 1-0 record as president of baseball operations, was a step in that direction.
County budget review shows funding gap as costs rise
Monterey County is facing a growing funding gap as revenue increases alongside rising costs.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors received an update Tuesday on the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget development, as part of the county’s ongoing budget workshop. The county faces an estimated funding gap of $43.3 million next fiscal year, with the largest cost drivers being higher pension contributions, salaries, employee health insurance, workers’ compensation and general fund subsidies.
The supervisors are working with county staff to make significant cuts to the budget in order to cut down on the funding gap. The decisions will likely include funding priorities, staffing and service levels.
“This year’s budget is difficult,” said Chair Chris Lopez of District 3, which includes inland Monterey County including Greenfield and King City. “(This year’s process) in my opinion is more transparent, honest and upfront about what our budget situation is and what the numbers look like. I know there will be additional challenges in the coming year, but we are committed to working through that together.”
The county’s biggest revenue drivers are property taxes, which has continued to grow year after year according to staff, and the Transient Occupancy Tax, or TOT, a tax on hotels and vacation rentals stemming from the county’s tourism industry. County staff said while the TOT tax is the second largest source of revenue for the county, it is also the most volatile, as it responds quickly to changes in the economy. However, the county is projecting growth in the TOT tax, assuming there is no downturn in the economy.
During Tuesday’s meeting, several departments presented their budget needs for next year, many requested more funding for unfilled positions or to meet additional needs as the department’s services grow.
The supervisors had the opportunity to share their opinions on county priorities and where they are thinking of making changes. The county staff is still working on the budget proposal, and the recommended budget will be presented at the end of May.
What is ‘classified’ information? What are ‘secure’ communications? Here’s a primer
By DAVID KLEPPER, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration’s use of a popular messaging app to discuss sensitive military plans — with a journalist on the text chain — is raising questions about security and the importance of safeguarding the nation’s secrets.
It’s also highlighting the differences between classified and public information, and demonstrating that even encrypted apps like Signal can lead to embarrassing leaks if the humans doing the texting don’t follow basic security tips.
What’s the difference between ‘classified’ and ‘top secret’?President Donald Trump’s administration says no classified material was leaked when senior officials used Signal to discuss upcoming attack plans against the Houthi rebels in Yemen — even though a journalist was on the chat.
But even if the information had been declassified by the Pentagon, it contained details that would have been highly valuable to the Houthis or other adversaries, showing how sometimes the decision of what to classify is a judgment call.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, center, is flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel, left, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as the Senate Intelligence Committee holds its worldwide threats hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)The federal government routinely classifies vast amounts of information pertaining to military and intelligence operations. The material ranges from top secret nuclear programs or the identities of undercover agents all the way to mundane records that would be of little interest to anyone, let alone America’s adversaries. In 2011, for example, the CIA finally declassified its recipe for invisible ink — from 1917.
Advocates for open government have long complained that the push for secrecy goes too far, by protecting information that could shine a light on government activities or matters of public interest, including about UFO sightings and a 60-year-old presidential assassination.
While the public typically calls any information withheld by the government “classified,” that term only refers to the three broad categories used to “classify” information based on the need for secrecy: confidential, secret and top secret.
While files marked “confidential” contain information that’s not meant to be released, the need for security or access restrictions isn’t as great as for material considered “top secret,” which includes the nation’s nuclear secrets and other material that, if released, could pose a grave danger to national security.
Related Articles Trump executive order on Smithsonian targets funding to programs with ‘improper ideology’ Judge says he will order government to preserve Signal messages about Houthi military strike How eliminating the Department of Education would impact local schools Trump withdraws Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination for UN ambassador, citing tight GOP House margin New US airstrike campaign targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels more intense than last, AP review findsWhile the Pentagon hasn’t offered classification details about the information in the Signal chats, information about upcoming military strikes is typically tightly guarded to ensure adversaries don’t have advance warning that could jeopardize the mission or put American service members at risk.
The Pentagon closely guards even some publicly available information. Material categorized as “controlled unclassified information,” while not secret, is still considered sensitive enough that military service members are prohibited from discussing it on unsecured devices like personal phones.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were asked about that policy during a Senate hearing this week as they were grilled over the Signal chat. Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona noted that Department of Defense policy “prohibits discussion of even what is called controlled unclassified information on unsecured devices,” and asked if Ratcliffe and Gabbard, who oversees the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, were aware of that rule.
“I haven’t read that policy,” Gabbard said.
“I’m not familiar with the DOD policy,” Ratcliffe said.
Who decides to classify or declassify something?The power to classify or declassify lies in the hands of top federal officials, including the president and Cabinet secretaries. For military information like the attack plans discussed over Signal, the power lies with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has faced demands that he resign over the leak.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepares to give a television interview outside the White House, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)The president’s ability to declassify information has been invoked when presidents have been accused of mishandling secrets. In 2022, Trump ally Kash Patel, now the FBI director, testified that he witnessed Trump declassify material before FBI officials found it at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
The Pentagon hasn’t said whether Hegseth declassified the attack plans before or after the Signal conversation, but Ratcliffe, Gabbard and the White House have all said the chats contained no classified information.
“I haven’t participated in any Signal group messaging that relates to any classified information at all,” Ratcliffe proclaimed at one point.
That explanation has failed to satisfy Democrats who say that plans for imminent military strikes are regularly classified. National security experts agree. They say it would be highly unusual for the Pentagon to publicize such information and that any lower-level officer caught leaking such material on Signal would face serious repercussions.
There’s secure, and then there’s secure enough forclassified secretsFor many consumers, encrypted apps like Signal can offer greater protections for everyday conversations. But that doesn’t mean they’re secure enough for government secrets, or immune to human error, as the inclusion of a reporter on the text chain shows.
Senior federal officials who handle classified data receive extensive training about the need to use approved devices and platforms to discuss government secrets. Intelligence and national security agencies have whole departments devoted to cybersecurity and the protection of state secrets.
The Signal app on a smartphone is seen on a mobile device screen Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)Government cybersecurity officials have recommended that federal employees use encrypted apps like Signal, which can offer greater security for routine communication, and Ratcliffe said this week it was a “permissible” app for senior officials to use. But the app is only as secure as the device it’s downloaded onto.
The government’s most sensitive information is typically discussed in a facility known as a sensitive compartmented information facility, or SCIF, which is designed to allow officials to review or discuss secrets without fear of eavesdropping or cyber intrusion.
Any senior official using a personal device to discuss classified material could be at risk of cyberespionage, said Michael Williams, an expert on international relations and national security at Syracuse University.
“Signal may be encrypted, but it’s the devices that are really the issue,” Williams said. “All of these people are being targeted.”
