Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 28

Our NFL season predictions: Division winners, round-by-round playoff picks and Super Bowl MVP

It’s September, which means football season is officially back.

Related Articles Nick Bosa mentoring 49ers’ young defenders while trying to reclaim his own dominance 49ers’ Jauan Jennings gets new contract incentives, will play in Sunday’s opener 49ers mailbag: Week 1 depth chart sparks barrage of questions from Faithful Kurtenbach: Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson Jr. in the same 49ers backfield? Don’t bet on it Five 49ers offseason storylines that will prove to be myths in 2025

The 49ers’ last campaign didn’t go as planned. Now they’re looking to bounce back from a 6-11 season after signing Brock Purdy to an offseason extension.

At the other end of the NFC, the Eagles are coming off a dominant Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs, denying Kansas City a three-peat.

We asked our coverage team of Cam Inman, Jerry McDonald and Dieter Kurtenbach what they think will happen this fall and winter in the NFL.

Here’s what each saw in his crystal ball:

Cam Inman

AFC West: Kansas City ChiefsAFC North: Baltimore RavensAFC South: Jacksonville JaguarsAFC East: Buffalo Bills

Wild cards: Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots

Wild-card round

Ravens d. Patriots

Bengals d. Chiefs

Chargers d. Jaguars

Divisional round

Ravens d. Bengals

Bills d. Chargers

AFC Championship

Bills d. Ravens

NFC West: San Francisco 49ersNFC North: Minnesota VikingsNFC South: Atlanta FalconsNFC East: Philadelphia Eagles

Wild cards: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers

Wild-card round

49ers d. Packers

Rams d. Vikings

Commanders d. Falcons

Divisional round

Commanders d. Eagles

49ers d. Rams

NFC Championship

Commanders d. 49ers

Super Bowl

Bills 33, Commanders 24

MVP: Josh Allen (Buffalo)

Jerry McDonald

AFC West: Kansas City ChiefsAFC North: Baltimore RavensAFC South: Houston TexansAFC East: Buffalo Bills

Wild cards: Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots

Wild card round

Chiefs d. Raiders

Bengals d. Texans

Bills d. Patriots

Divisional round

Ravens d. Chiefs

Bills d. Bengals

AFC Championship

Bills d. Ravens

NFC West: San Francisco 49ersNFC North: Detroit LionsNFC South: Tampa Bay BuccaneersNFC East: Philadelphia Eagles

Wild cards: Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears

Wild card round

49ers d. Bears

Rams d. Packers

Lions d. Buccaneers

Divisional round

Eagles d. Lions

49ers d. Rams

NFC Championship

49ers d. Eagles

Super Bowl

Bills 30, 49ers 27

MVP: Josh Allen (Buffalo)

Dieter Kurtenbach

AFC West: Kansas City ChiefsAFC North: Baltimore RavensAFC South: Tennessee TitansAFC East: Miami Dolphins

Wild cards: Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans

Wild-card round

Chiefs d. Texans

Broncos d. Titans

Chargers d. Dolphins

Divisional round

Ravens d. Chargers

Broncos d. Ravens

AFC Championship

Chiefs d. Broncos

NFC West: Seattle SeahawksNFC North: Minnesota VikingsNFC South: Tampa Bay BuccaneersNFC East: Philadelphia Eagles

Wild cards: Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons

Wild-card round

Vikings d. Falcons

Buccaneers d. Bears

Packers d. Seahawks

Divisional round

Packers d. Eagles

Vikings d. Buccaneers

NFC Championship

Packers d. Vikings

Super Bowl

Chiefs 36, Packers 21

MVP: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

 

Horoscopes Sept. 4, 2025: Beyonce Knowles, embrace the uncertainty in your life

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Whitney Cummings, 43; Beyonce Knowles, 44; Wes Bentley, 47; Drew Pinsky, 67.

Happy Birthday: Embrace the uncertainty in your life with commitment, hard work and discipline. What you put in matters and will determine how well you do this year. Make a point to introduce healthy alternatives, activities and educational pursuits that align with your long-term goals. A change of scenery or engaging in events that open your eyes and mind to fresh possibilities will pave the way to new beginnings. Your numbers are 3, 12, 22, 29, 36, 43, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Events that require physical endurance or challenge you to excel at something you enjoy will give you the boost you need to push forward with confidence. Socializing will lead to chance meetings with people in a position to help you reach your aspirations. Romance and personal improvement are prevalent. Be bold, brave and proactive. 4 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Close the door on those who take more than they give and consider your needs. Engage in events that offer insight into something that interests you. Take charge of your life and incorporate more of the pastimes that bring you joy. It’s time to adjust your mindset to include putting yourself first. 2 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Channel your energy into learning and applying what you discover to getting ahead professionally. Raising your profile and eliminating mediators will support your objective and convince onlookers that you have more to offer. Upgrade your look to suit your goal, and you will impress someone special. Love is in the stars. 5 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Opportunity knocks; send out resumes, set up interviews or get together with someone who can participate in your plans. A straightforward approach will resolve the underlying problems that have stood between you and what you want, or with someone with whom you have a falling out. Take the high road, and you’ll get positive results. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Rev up the engine and head in a direction that shows promise. You have plenty to learn and to gain if you are willing to listen and observe. What you discover will change how you approach those in a position to help you and how you can manipulate your status and qualifications into something tangible. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Address your to-do list. Do the legwork yourself, rather than relying on others. Changing how you earn a living won’t turn out as planned. Investing in the wrong direction can be costly. Do your research and avoid being misled by someone’s hype or manipulative tactics. When in doubt, take a pass and look for other outlets. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let your creative imagination lead the way, and you’ll discover new ways to entertain yourself and to make your life more enjoyable. Making time to participate in uplifting pastimes will also lead to new friendships and plans that blend business with pleasure. A lifestyle change, move or reunion is encouraged, and romance is prevalent. 5 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take notes, get your facts straight and refuse to let emotions interfere with common sense. Ask questions, and use your insight, experience and intelligence to draw conclusions about your professional future and how to maximize the value you can offer. Refuse to let anxiety and indulgence disrupt your day. A positive attitude and discipline will promote success. 2 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Process your financial situation, and you’ll discover how to utilize your talents to ensure you make the most of your time, budget and the results you long for. Refuse to let minor setbacks or interference weigh you down when an unexpected change can help you turn the next page and carry on with strength and courage. 4 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Simplify instead of intensifying situations. If you dwell on matters you cannot control, you are wasting time and energy that can lead to success. Look for opportunities, and invest in what can offer the highest return. Take care of every detail to ensure you get what you want. Change begins with you. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Do it. Stop waiting for someone to go first when you have the wherewithal to fine-tune what comes next to your liking. Limit spending to ensure you don’t go over budget, and use your experience and insight to gain control of what’s important to you. Personal gains are within reach, and contracts and commitment are favored. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t grapple unnecessarily. Look at the big picture, assess what you need to do and move forward with a plan in place that fits your schedule and budget. Open a dialogue with those who rely on you, and establish boundaries to protect yourself from potential harm. Take control, and you will get your way. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are intelligent, thoughtful and persistent. You are flexible and inquisitive.

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.

Want a link to your daily horoscope delivered directly to your inbox each weekday morning? Sign up for our free Coffee Break newsletter at mercurynews.com/newsletters or eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.

Chapman homers twice as Giants set SF-era home run record, sweep Rockies

Matt Chapman, by way of an early ejection, was robbed of any chance to bat Tuesday night.

Given the opportunity to perform his typical duties in the cleanup spot of the Giants lineup the following night, he wasted little time making the most of it. Leading off the second inning, Chapman unloaded on the first pitch from German Marquez, a belt-high fastball, which landed deep into the visitor’s bullpen, 450 feet away.

“Thank goodness he played,” manager Bob Melvin told reporters in Denver.

Chapman added another three-run shot in the sixth inning, doubled and drew a walk to lead the way as the Giants outslugged the Rockies to complete a three-game sweep in a Coors Field classic, 10-8. He made it all nine innings, but Melvin was ejected arguing balls and strikes after the fifth.

“That first run of the game, it’s huge,” Melvin said of Chapman’s second-inning homer. “For us, it’s been the home run recently. And for him to do it, kind of apropos with all that went on yesterday. … It’s been a pretty good recipe for us, our core guys getting us off to good starts with homers.”

The win was the Giants’ 10th in their past 11 games. After dropping six straight for the third time since the All-Star break and seeing their record fall six games below .500, they have climbed back to two games over (71-69) — only four back of the final wild card after the Mets lost again, 6-2, in Detroit.

The blasts from Chapman, who was suspended for his role in a first-inning benches-clearing brouhaha the previous night but appealed and thus was eligible to play, gave the Giants home runs in 17 straight games. The streak is the longest in the franchise’s San Francisco era, though still two weeks shy of the modern record (since 1969), held by the 2019 Yankees, who homered in 31 consecutive games.

“You think back to it, 17 is a lot, especially when you play in our park,” Melvin said. “It’s been a huge part of the resurgence at this point. And it’s mostly been those guys in the middle of the order that we signed here long-term to do exactly that: drive in runs, hit homers and hit for power.”

Chapman’s second homer was the bookend on a five-run sixth inning that immediately put the Giants back in front, 9-5, after the Rockies rallied for four runs with two outs and knocked their starter, Robbie Ray, from the game the previous inning.

Drew Gilbert padded the lead and gave the Giants their 36th home run of the streak with a solo shot to lead off the seventh. Willy Adames, also ejected in the first inning Tuesday, singled and was one of seven Giants to drive in a run.

After relieving Ray in the fifth inning, 28-year-old rookie Joel Peguero earned his first win with 1⅓ scoreless innings of relief. J.T. Brubaker, signed as a minor-league free agent last month, made his first appearance with the club and nearly recorded a three-inning save before running into trouble in the ninth, allowing the Rockies to cut the lead from five to two and bring the tying run to the plate, requiring Ryan Walker to record the final two outs.

Holding a 5-4 advantage, the Rockies went to the bullpen after Marquez had labored through five innings, and Luis Peralta issued walks to the first two batters he faced. Both came home to score, as Patrick Bailey lined a two-strike single the other way to score Casey Schmitt and Heliot Ramos singled in Luis Matos before Chapman cleared the bases.

Related Articles SF Giants’ Chapman suspended after benches clear vs. Rockies How slim are SF Giants’ playoff odds after recent hot stretch? Multiple SF Giants ejected after benches clear during win in Colorado SF Giants continue rolling by blasting Rockies, move back to .500 SF Giants add Brubaker, McCray as September rosters expand to 28

The Giants were in control, leading 4-1, and Ray appeared to be cruising until the bottom of the fifth. He faced the minimum the first time through the order, recorded the first two outs of the inning without issue and gotten ahead of Tyler Freeman, 0-2. He missed high with two fastballs, then painted the inside corner for what should have been strike three. The call from home plate umpire Dan Bellino didn’t come, and Freeman lined the next pitch up the middle, driving home the first of what would become four runs.

Ray failed to complete the fifth, finishing with five runs (four earned) in 4⅔ innings on his pitching line to pair with eight strikeouts. It was the second straight time Ray hasn’t made it through five, raising his ERA to 3.31 from 2.93 in the span of two starts.

Melvin was ejected following the inning, which also featured a failed challenge on the Giants’ behalf after Freeman trucked Bailey while scoring the second run of the frame. Both players walked away OK, but Ramos’ throw led Bailey into the base path, and video review determined that Freeman didn’t deviate from his route, upholding the call.

“I felt like he was out of that inning,” Melvin said. “Obviously it didn’t work out, but it’s too bad. Because the inning’s over there and he can go out the next inning and do what he had been doing the entire game.”

Republicans are preparing to change Senate rules to speed Trump’s nominees

By MARY CLARE JALONICK

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators say they are prepared to change the chamber’s rules to get around the Democratic blockade of President Donald Trump’s nominees and are discussing a proposal to make it easier to confirm multiple nominees at once.

Related Articles House rejects effort to censure New Jersey congresswoman over actions at detention center VP Vance says meeting with families of victims from Minneapolis church shooting affected him deeply Trump administration agrees to restore health websites and data Democratic senator says classified meeting with intel agency is canceled after Loomer’s criticism Trump suggests National Guard could go into New Orleans, a blue city in a red state

The Democrats’ obstruction is “historic and unprecedented,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said after meeting with his conference on Wednesday. “It is not something we can sustain.”

Republicans have been talking about options for changing the rules since early August, when the Senate left for a monthlong recess after a breakdown in bipartisan negotiations over the confirmation process. Democrats have blocked nearly every single one of Trump’s nominees, forcing majority Republicans to spend valuable floor time on procedural votes and leaving many positions in the executive branch unfilled.

GOP senators discussed one proposal in a private meeting on Wednesday that would enable them to confirm large tranches of nominees “en bloc,” or several at once, if a majority of senators agree, according to multiple senators who attended the meeting.

Currently, the objection of a single senator forces multiple votes on most nominations. The rules change would likely only apply to executive branch nominations, not lifetime judicial appointments, and would exclude many of the most high-profile positions, such as Cabinet nominees, that require a longer debate time.

The rules change would require several floor votes and the support of a simple majority, so at least 51 out of the chamber’s 53 Republicans. But most GOP senators appear to be on board.

“Expect us to move forward with a plan that would enable us to clear the backlog of nominees,” Thune said after the GOP conference meeting. “It just flat has to happen.”

Republicans said after the meeting that they discussed proposals that they knew they would have to live with under Democratic presidents, as well.

“You always worry about what’s going to happen when the shoe is on the other foot, but this is historic obstruction,” said Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 Republican.

The latest standoff comes as Democrats and Republicans have gradually escalated their obstruction of the other party’s executive branch and judicial nominees over the last two decades, and as Senate leaders in both parties have changed the rules every few years to confirm more nominees without bipartisan support.

In 2013, Democrats changed Senate rules for lower court judicial nominees to remove the 60-vote threshold for confirmations as Republicans blocked President Barack Obama’s judicial picks. In 2017, Republicans did the same for Supreme Court nominees as Democrats tried to block Trump’s nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch.

While Senate Republicans blocked many of President Joe Biden’s nominees, forcing similar delays in confirmations, Democrats have blocked almost all of Trump’s picks. It’s the first time in recent history that the minority party hasn’t allowed at least some quick confirmations.

The delays have infuriated Trump, who told Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to “GO TO HELL!” in a social media post after negotiations broke down over the process in early August.

Schumer said then that a rules change would be a “huge mistake,” especially as Senate Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass spending bills and other legislation moving forward.

Schumer said in a Wednesday statement that Republicans’ proposed plan “guts the Senate’s constitutional role of advice and consent, weakens our checks and balances, and guarantees that historically bad nominees will only get worse with even less oversight.”

But Republicans say they are loosely basing their plan on legislation proposed by Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2023, as Republicans blocked Biden nominees, to streamline Senate confirmations by allowing up to 10 nominees to be considered at the same time.

“The slowdown of the confirmation process that we’ve seen in the Senate under the last several administrations is preventing key officials from taking up their positions,” Klobuchar said at the time. “This commonsense reform will help improve efficiency and make sure we’re able to fill positions that are vital to our national security, economic success, and more.”

Republicans said their proposal could go beyond 10 nominees at once, however — potentially clearing the way for Republicans to move more than 100 pending nominations in the coming weeks.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said Republicans are hoping to move “sooner, not later — we need to get caught up.”

House rejects effort to censure New Jersey congresswoman over actions at detention center

By MATT BROWN and KEVIN FREKING

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House rejected a resolution to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., and remove her from a committee that oversees immigration and national security as she faces federal charges stemming from a visit to an immigration detention facility.

Related Articles Republicans are preparing to change Senate rules to speed Trump’s nominees VP Vance says meeting with families of victims from Minneapolis church shooting affected him deeply Trump administration agrees to restore health websites and data Democratic senator says classified meeting with intel agency is canceled after Loomer’s criticism Trump suggests National Guard could go into New Orleans, a blue city in a red state

The House voted 215-207 to table the measure, a sign that some were uncomfortable moving forward with censure while McIver’s case is still pending in the courts. A trial in her case has been scheduled for November.

Democratic lawmakers unanimously voted to table the resolution, which was sponsored by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La. Five Republicans joined them and two others voted present. As the resolution was being read, some Democrats were incensed. “Liar,” some shouted; “Shame,” yelled one Democratic lawmaker. Many Republicans streamed out of the chamber before the vote concluded. Democrats cheered and hugged at the final tally’s reading.

“The censure attempt against me has failed. Rightfully so. It was a baseless, partisan effort to shut me up,” McIver wrote on social media after the vote. “I was not elected to play political games — I was elected to serve. I won’t back down. Not now. Not ever.”

Republicans sought to punish McIver for a confrontation with federal law enforcement during a congressional visit to a new immigration detention facility in Newark, N.J. McIver has pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing her of assaulting and interfering with immigration officers outside the facility.

The censure resolution recounted how McIver is alleged to have interfered with Homeland Security Investigations officials’ ability to arrest an unauthorized visitor. It said she is alleged to have slammed her forearm into the body and forcibly grabbed an HSI officer. The resolution also said body camera and other video evidence supported the allegations made in the federal indictment.

The measure said such actions did not reflect credibly on the House and that her continued service on the House Homeland Security Committee was a significant conflict of interest. The committee’s portfolio includes oversight of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which operates the detention center that McIver tried to enter.

The effort had the backing of GOP leadership. Some Republicans expressed dismay with the outcome.

“We have a member of Congress who assaulted an ICE officer. I don’t even know what we’re doing anymore,” said Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida.

Donalds said he did not know why some Republicans broke ranks to back the motion to table the censure resolution.

Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said the McIver vote was “a breath of fresh air in such a toxic environment.”

McIver won a special election last year after Democratic Rep. Donald Payne Jr. died in office. She won a full two-year term in November.

McIver was joined by two other New Jersey Democrats, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez, during a visit to a privately owned 1,000-bed facility that ICE is using as a detention center. Newark’s mayor, Democrat Ras Baraka, was arrested after officials determined he was not authorized to enter. That charge was later dropped. Baraka is suing over what he said was a malicious prosecution.

Parts of the confrontation can be seen on a nearly two-minute video clip from the visit released by the Department of Homeland Security.

The video shows McIver on the facility side of a chain-link fence just before Baraka’s arrest on the street side of the fence, where other people had been protesting. She and uniformed officials are seen going through a fence gate, and she joins others shouting that they should circle the mayor. The video then shows McIver in a tightly packed group of people and officers. At one point, her left elbow and then her right elbow push into an officer wearing a dark face covering and an olive green uniform with the word “Police” on it.

McIver was indicted on three counts of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal officials. Two of the counts carry a maximum sentence of up to eight years in prison. The third is a misdemeanor with a maximum punishment of one year in prison.

Higgins said he would not have moved forward with the resolution if McIver had withdrawn from the Homeland Security panel pending a resolution of the federal charges against her. He said it was a conflict for her to serve on a panel with oversight authority over the agencies at the center of her criminal investigation.

“We didn’t expect it to fail. We knew it would be close, but it’s quite disappointing,” Higgins said.

The House has censured members on 28 occasions before, but the punishment has increasingly been delivered on a partisan basis in recent years.

Democrats retaliated just hours before the McIver vote with the introduction of a censure resolution against Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., who has been accused by a beauty pageant titleholder of threatening to release intimate videos and private images of her after she ended their romantic relationship, according to a report filed with law enforcement. Mills has denied the allegations.

Mills is also facing an ethics investigation into whether he violated campaign finance laws or held federal contracts while in office.

Democratic efforts to put the spotlight on Mills seemed to serve as a warning to Republicans that they were prepared to undertake similar censure resolutions in response to the targeting of McIver.

“There are colleagues on the other side of the aisle that have very serious charges against them, and we don’t want to have to unpack that for the American people,” Clarke said.

VP Vance says meeting with families of victims from Minneapolis church shooting affected him deeply

By STEVE KARNOWSKI and MARK VANCLEAVE

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday met with families and victims of a deadly shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, and heard a heartfelt plea for action from at least one of those families.

Related Articles Republicans are preparing to change Senate rules to speed Trump’s nominees House rejects effort to censure New Jersey congresswoman over actions at detention center Trump administration agrees to restore health websites and data Democratic senator says classified meeting with intel agency is canceled after Loomer’s criticism Trump suggests National Guard could go into New Orleans, a blue city in a red state

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, visited the Annunciation Catholic Church one week after an attacker opened fire during the first Mass of the school year for students of the nearby Annunciation Catholic School.

According to Vance’s office, the vice president and second lady Usha Vance met privately with family members of victims, the pastor of the parish and the school principal. They included the parents of the two children who died, Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, and families of some of the 21 people who were injured.

The couple also visited the church sanctuary, where the shootings took place, to pay their respects to the victims and their families, and laid bouquets at a memorial outside. They paused to read messages chalked on the church steps, including. “God Heals The Broken Hearted,” “We Love you,” and “Show Love.”

“I have never had a day that will stay with me like this day did,” Vance told reporters.

Parents plead for action

The Vances also went to Children’s Hospital, where several victims were treated, and met Lydia Kaiser, who is recovering from surgery. Her parents urged Vance to use his position to find real solutions to gun violence.

“We disagree about so many things,” her father, Harry Kaiser, a gym teacher at the school, told reporters, reading from a letter he wrote to Vance. “… But on just this one issue of gun violence, will you please promise me — as a father and a Catholic — that you will earnestly support the study of what is wrong with our culture — that we are the country that has the worst mass shooter problem?”

The parents did not take questions. But mother Leah Kaiser cited a proverb quoted by Principal Matthew DeBoer and many others in the days since the shootings, “When you pray, move your feet.” It’s an expression of the idea that thoughts and prayers are not enough.

“Vice President Vance, you have enormous authority,” she continued. “Please use this moment to move your feet and transcend our political divides to promote peace and unity and hope. This is what the people of the United States will hold you accountable to.”

Vance refuses to comment on Minnesota gun laws

Some family and neighbors gathered nearby as the Vances arrived at the church, holding signs calling for bans on assault weapons. One read, “Pro-Life = Pro-Gun Safety.” Another referred to comments by Pope Leo on Sunday, “Listen to the Pope, End the Pandemic of Arms.”

Protesters gather to demonstrate against gun violence in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, as Vice President JD Vance visits the city a week after a deadly school shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

“It keeps happening over and over and over, and nothing changes,” said Kacie Sharpe. Her 8-year-old son, Trip, considered Fletcher his best friend, and was sitting nearby when he was shot and killed. “And it’s the most helpless feeling in the world to know that you can’t send your kids to school and have them be safe.”

Vance later declined to weigh in on how Minnesota lawmakers or Democratic Gov. Tim Walz should respond to the tragedy, including the governor’s stated intention to call a special session of the Legislature to address gun and school safety.

“I would just say, take the concerns of these parents seriously,” Vance told reporters. “I think all of us, Democrat, Republican and independent, want these school shootings to happen less frequently. Hopefully there’s some steps that we can take to make that happen.”

The meeting at the church lasted roughly an hour and 45 minutes. As Vance left, his motorcade rolled past a few dozen protesters, several holding signs saying, “Hate Won’t Make America Great.”

Young victim undergoes surgery

Vance also spoke by phone with one of the children who was injured, 10-year-old Weston Halsne, who had surgery at Children’s on Wednesday to remove a bullet fragment from his neck and was unavailable for an in-person visit the hospital said.

“The procedure went well, and Weston is expected to make a full physical recovery,” the boy’s family said in a statement.

Weston, a 5th grader, didn’t realize he was hit at the time. He told reporters after the shots blasted through the windows that he ducked for the pews, covering his head.

“My friend Victor, like, saved me though because he laid on top of me. But he got hit,” he said.

The school has not said when classes will resume or a ceremony will be held to essentially reconsecrate the church so that worship can resume there. The church celebrated its Masses last weekend in the school gym.

Fletcher Merkel’s funeral is set for Sunday at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, his family said in a statement Wednesday. Harper Moyski’s arrangements have not been announced.

Trump administration agrees to restore health websites and data

By MIKE STOBBE

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal officials have agreed to restore health- and science-related webpages and data under to a lawsuit settlement with doctors groups and other organizations who sued.

Related Articles Republicans are preparing to change Senate rules to speed Trump’s nominees House rejects effort to censure New Jersey congresswoman over actions at detention center VP Vance says meeting with families of victims from Minneapolis church shooting affected him deeply Democratic senator says classified meeting with intel agency is canceled after Loomer’s criticism Trump suggests National Guard could go into New Orleans, a blue city in a red state

The settlement was announced this week by the lead plaintiffs in the case, the Washington State Medical Association.

Soon after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, federal health officials deleted or removed information on a range of topics including pregnancy risks, opioid-use disorder and the AIDS epidemic. The move was made in reaction to a Trump executive order that told agencies to stop using the term “gender” in federal policies and documents.

The administration saw it as a move to end the promotion of “gender ideology.” Doctors, scientists and public health advocates saw it as an “egregious example of government overreach,” says Dr. John Bramhall, the organization’s president, said in a statement.

“This was trusted health information that vanished in a blink of an eye — resources that, among other things, physicians rely on to manage patients’ health conditions and overall care,” Bramhall said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has agreed to restore more than 100 websites and resources to the state they were in, said Graham Short, a spokesperson for the Washington State doctors’ group.

“We expect the sites will be restored in the coming weeks,” Short said in an email.

The case was filed in federal court in Seattle. The plaintiffs include, among others, the Vermont Medical Society, the Washington State Nurses Association and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care.

The defendants included U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and federal health agencies and officials who work under him.

Federal officials responded to questions about the settlement with this statement: “HHS remains committed to its mission of removing radical gender and DEI ideology from federal programs, subject to applicable law, to ensure taxpayer dollars deliver meaningful results for the American people.”

The case is similar to one filed in Washington, D.C., by Doctors for America and others against the government. That lawsuit also sought to force the government to restore health information to the public, and the two cases overlapped somewhat in the websites they targeted, Short said.

In July, a judge in the Doctors for America case ordered restoration of websites. As of last week, 167 of the websites at issue had been restored and 33 were still under review, according to a court filing.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Democratic senator says classified meeting with intel agency is canceled after Loomer’s criticism

By DAVID KLEPPER and MARY CLARE JALONICK

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee says a classified meeting planned with a key U.S. spy agency was called off after it was criticized by Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist.

Related Articles Republicans are preparing to change Senate rules to speed Trump’s nominees House rejects effort to censure New Jersey congresswoman over actions at detention center VP Vance says meeting with families of victims from Minneapolis church shooting affected him deeply Trump administration agrees to restore health websites and data Trump suggests National Guard could go into New Orleans, a blue city in a red state

The cancellation of Sen. Mark Warner’s visit with career intelligence staffers at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency represents an escalation of the Trump administration’s efforts to block Congress from exercising oversight over the nation’s intelligence agencies.

“Is congressional oversight dead?” Warner, of Virginia, said Wednesday, questioning Loomer’s authority over the intelligence community. “Is she now the secretary of defense and the director of national intelligence?”

Loomer has taken credit for the State Department suspending visas for wounded Palestinian children seeking medical treatment in the U.S. and several staff changes in the administration, accusing some officials of not being not sufficiently loyal to Trump. Loomer has a history of making racist and anti-Islamic attacks on social media, and once shared a video on X that said “9/11 was an Inside Job!”

While not as well known as the CIA or NSA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency handles the collection and analysis of imaging information, including satellite imagery, used for military and intelligence operations. Its director reports to both the director of national intelligence and the secretary of defense.

Warner said he has had more than a dozen similar meetings with the NGA and other spy agencies under Republican and Democratic presidencies, including during Trump’s first term. He said he was hoping to ask the NGA about its use of artificial intelligence and other matters.

In a social media post Sunday, Loomer detailed plans for the meeting and criticized Warner and Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, the NGA’s director, who was tapped to lead the agency by former President Joe Biden.

“I’m told NGA is infested with Trump haters,” Loomer wrote.

In a post Tuesday, Loomer took credit for exposing the meeting and called on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to fire Whitworth.

Warner said he believes the meeting was canceled by Hegseth’s office. The Pentagon said the visit was not canceled but rescheduled “to accommodate bipartisan participation in the town hall event.”

Spokespeople for the NGA and for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declined to comment. Loomer did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Trump has downplayed Loomer’s influence, but a growing list of administration officials have resigned or been dismissed following her criticism.

They include former Food and Drug Administration vaccine chief Dr. Vinay Prasad, who announced his departure in August; Jen Easterly, former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, who was dismissed from a post at the U.S. Military Academy; as well as Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh, former director of the NSA and the Pentagon’s Cyber Command.

The State Department also announced last month that it would suspend all visitor visas for people from Gaza, pending a review, a day after Loomer posted videos on social media of children from Gaza arriving in the U.S. for medical treatment and questioned how they got visas. The administration announced a new, restrictive visa policy for Gaza this week.

SF Giants’ Chapman suspended after benches clear vs. Rockies

Major League Baseball handed out the harshest punishment for Tuesday’s benches-clearing incident at Coors Field to Matt Chapman.

The San Francisco Giants‘ third baseman was suspended for one game for his role in the fracas, which took place only two batters into the game. While Rockies starter Kyle Freeland, Giants first baseman Rafael Devers and shortstop Willy Adames were fined undisclosed amounts, Chapman was the only player to receive a suspension.

Chapman appealed the punishment, leaving him eligible for Wednesday’s game.

The altercation occurred after Devers launched a two-run home run in the top of the first inning. Freeland took issue with Devers’ admiration of his moonshot and interrupted his home-run trot, which prompted the benches to empty.

Related Articles Chapman homers twice as Giants set SF-era home run record, sweep Rockies How slim are SF Giants’ playoff odds after recent hot stretch? Multiple SF Giants ejected after benches clear during win in Colorado SF Giants continue rolling by blasting Rockies, move back to .500 SF Giants add Brubaker, McCray as September rosters expand to 28

Chapman, who was in the hole, waiting for his turn to bat, was first to reach the mound and shoved Freeland. Adames, in the on-deck circle, was also one of the first Giants to arrive on the scene and was shown cocking his arm but recoiling before attempting a punch.

Devers, who jawed back and forth with Freeland, left the bases to enter the fray on the infield grass but was eventually allowed to finish circling the bases. Chapman, Adames and Freeland were all ejected from the game, leaving the Giants without the entirety of the left side of their infield and the Rockies without their starting pitcher.

The Giants went on to win the game, 7-4, despite having to deploy Devers at third base for the first time all season and Casey Schmitt as their substitute second baseman a day after being hit by a pitch on his elbow, leaving him unable to throw across the diamond.

Trump suggests National Guard could go into New Orleans, a blue city in a red state

By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that New Orleans could be his next target for deploying the National Guard to fight crime, potentially expanding the number of cities around the nation where he may send federal law enforcement.

Trump has already said he plans to send the National Guard into Chicago and Baltimore following his administration deploying troops and federal agents to patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., last month.

“So we’re making a determination now,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki. “Do we go to Chicago? Do we go to a place like New Orleans, where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in and straighten out a very nice section of this country that’s become quite, you know, quite tough, quite bad.”

Trump now frequently boasts about turning Washington into a “safe zone.” The White House reports more than 1,760 arrests citywide since the president first announced he was mobilizing federal forces on Aug. 7.

Related Articles Republicans are preparing to change Senate rules to speed Trump’s nominees House rejects effort to censure New Jersey congresswoman over actions at detention center VP Vance says meeting with families of victims from Minneapolis church shooting affected him deeply Trump administration agrees to restore health websites and data Democratic senator says classified meeting with intel agency is canceled after Loomer’s criticism

But Washington is a federal district subject to laws giving Trump power to take over the local police force for up to 30 days. The decision to use troops to attempt to quell crime in other Democratic-controlled cities around the country would represent an important escalation.

“So we’re going to be going to maybe Louisiana, and you have New Orleans, which has a crime problem. We’ll straighten that out in about two weeks,” Trump said. “It’ll take us two weeks, easier than D.C.”

Trump’s latest comments came a day after he declared “We’re going in” and suggested that the National Guard might soon be headed for Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, and Baltimore. That’s despite state and local officials, as well as many residents, both places staunchly opposing the idea.

But New Orleans is a predominately Democratic-leaning city in a red state run by Landry, a Republican — and reflection of Trump floating federal intervention along ideological lines.

“Crime is down in New Orleans,” City Councilmember Oliver Thomas, who is also a mayoral candidate, said via text message. “That would seem to be very political or a major overreaction!”

Councilmember Jean-Paul Morrell said it is “ridiculous to consider sending the National Guard into another American city that hasn’t asked for it.”

“Guardsmen are not trained law enforcement. They can’t solve crimes, they can’t interview witnesses and they aren’t trained to constitutionally police,” Morrell said in a statement. “NOPD is doing a great job with the existing resources they have. Marching troops into New Orleans is an unnecessary show of force in effort to create a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.”

Landry, though, posted on social media, “We will take President @realDonaldTrump’s help from New Orleans to Shreveport!” while House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, whose district includes the conservative suburbs outside of New Orleans, praised Trump’s efforts in Washington.

“The citizens of New Orleans, and the millions of tourists who come here, deserve that same level of security,” Scalise wrote in a social media post. “We should all be in favor of increased safety for our citizens and lower crime.”

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement that people “continue to die in New Orleans because ‘leaders’ refuse to accept the resources that are available to them.”

“If your gut reaction is to reject the President’s offer for assistance without condition, perhaps you’re the problem – not him,” Murill said.

The City of New Orleans struck a more conciliatory tone, staying in a statement, “our federal and state partnerships have played a significant role in ensuring public safety, particularly during special events” and that local officials “remain committed to sustaining this momentum.” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted last month on federal fraud charges and is set to be arraigned in the coming weeks.

Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly railed against Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for not requesting that the National Guard be deployed.

“We could straighten out Chicago. All they have to do is ask us to go into Chicago. If we don’t have the support of some of these politicians, but I’ll tell you who is supporting us, the people of Chicago,” Trump said Wednesday.

Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have been adamant in saying Chicago doesn’t need or want military intervention. In Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore have remained similarly opposed.

In Washington, Mayor Muriel Bowser has said Trump’s decision to take over her city’s police force and flood streets with hundreds of federal law enforcement agents and National Guard troops has succeeded in reducing violent crime — but she’s also argued that similar results could have been achieved simply by having more city police officers in service.

She said Wednesday that Trump’s law enforcement powers in the city don’t need to be extended beyond 30 days, saying, “We don’t need a presidential emergency.”

Associated Press writer Jack Brook in New Orleans contributed to this report.