Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 29

Horoscopes Sept. 2, 2025: Salma Hayek, relax before hitting the reset button

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Zedd, 36; Salma Hayek, 59; Keanu Reeves, 61; Mark Harmon, 74.

Happy Birthday: Relax before hitting the reset button. Measure how much time and money it will take to initiate the changes that will make your life more convenient and comfortable at a price you can afford. Consult with experts, develop a plan and minimize the potential for errors. It’s time to explore and refine the knowledge and skills you need to move forward. Use your imagination, be creative and budget wisely. Your numbers are 7, 19, 28, 33, 35, 46, 49.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Check the fine print. Nothing will be as it appears. It’s OK to change your mind and back out of situations if you refrain from making hasty commitments. Focus inward, pay attention to your needs, and avoid intense discussions with people who don’t share your perspective or approach. Social events and physical improvements are favored. 2 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Speak up, and you’ll gain respect and ensure that you get what you want. Equality is the best route forward, so don’t give in to appease someone who is trying to bully you. Broaden your circle of friends and interests, and it will give you greater freedom to pursue what brings you the most joy. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t buy into someone else’s plans if you have an agenda. Change things up; choose the path that leads to self-satisfaction. Taking responsibility for your happiness eliminates the possibility of others taking advantage of you. Focus your energy on learning, traveling and engaging in activities that help you manage your time and energy efficiently. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Stick close to home and avoid situations that can cost you physically or financially. Pare down instead of overextending yourself. Minimize your output, and capitalize on saving, investing in personal growth and easing stress. An innovative approach to balancing work and your personal life will help counter depression. Live life your way. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take nothing for granted. Do the legwork and make things happen. Be the one to lead the way and to grandstand your talents for all to see. Market and promote with confidence and charisma, and you’ll attract your ideal audience. Discipline, coupled with a creative imagination, will attract like-minded people seeking an original outlet. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Approach institutions, government agencies and those who can help you with issues necessary to proceed with your plans. Updating your space or skills to suit your needs will require specific details to lessen your chance of facing setbacks or rejections. Follow the rules and regulations and forge ahead. Walk away from users and abusers. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Explore the possibilities, but don’t go overboard. Too much can cost you or cause you to miss the point. Create what’s essential to your success and direct your skills accordingly. Reach out to those who can provide you with information and experience that will help you make better choices. Love, romance and personal gain are favored. 2 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put all your efforts into work, money, and your health and well-being. Plan your day strategically, and you’ll maintain control over the possibilities that unfold. Say no to anyone who pressures you to participate in something that doesn’t interest you. Do what’s necessary to align yourself with those who can help further your agenda. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you are waffling, stop, look, listen and retrace your steps until you feel confident with your decision. Take care of any outstanding tasks at home and address any domestic issues that require your attention. If you accomplish what’s possible, you will feel good about yourself and what you have achieved. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Home improvements will cost more than anticipated. Evaluate what’s necessary and determine how to achieve your goals at a price you can afford. Enhancing your ability to stay in shape can significantly contribute to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and positively influence your interactions with others. Expanding your interests will increase your popularity. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A lifestyle change will point you in a direction that excites you. Follow your heart and head in the direction that allows you to use the skills you enjoy doing most to the fullest. Say no to those trying to use you to their advantage, and start using your talents to support and promote yourself. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Question everything and everyone. Getting your facts straight and timing right will take precision, detail and thoughtful action. Reach out to those able to contribute to your cause. Opportunities will develop through networking functions. Don’t pass up a chance to explore new possibilities. Keep an open mind, but don’t lose sight of your goal. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are helpful, energetic and intuitive. You are active and aware.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes.2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others.3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals.4 stars: Aim high; start new projects.5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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SF Giants continue rolling by blasting Rockies, move back to .500

The Giants’ playoff hopes appeared dead in the water less than two weeks ago after they dropped three of four games to the Padres in San Diego and lost the opener of a three-game set to the Milwaukee Brewers, causing San Francisco to fall 7 1/2 games back of a postseason position.

Losing starting pitcher Landen Roupp and all-star reliever Randy Rodríguez to season-ending injuries only seemed to exacerbate the Giants’ problems.

But as September begins, they still have a pulse.

The Giants began a six-game road trip on Monday with an 8-2 Labor Day victory over the Colorado Rockies. They’ve won eight of their last nine games, boasting a run differential of +34 during this stretch. At 69-69, they’re at .500 for the first time since Aug. 10.

“When you’re not swinging the bat well, it can affect the whole lineup. When you are, it can affect it the other way,” manager Bob Melvin told reporters in Denver. “It’s pretty extreme what we’ve looked like this year, but they’re all feeding off each other.”

Still, San Francisco made up no ground as the New York Mets, owners of the National League’s third and final wild card spot, beat the American League-leading Detroit Tigers 10-8. Despite the Giants’ win, they remain five games back of the Mets with 24 games remaining.

After their three-game series at Coors Field, the Giants travel to play the middling St. Louis Cardinals. Should the Giants maintain this recent brand of ball, they’ll position themselves to make up some ground by the time they return to San Francisco next week.

With long balls from Rafael Devers, Drew Gilbert, and Willy Adames, the Giants extended their streak of games with a home run to 15, their longest since 2001.

“We’ve got some guys that can swing it,” Melvin said. “We have some guys who have some power. … When you look up and down our lineup, even guys like (Casey Schmitt), there’s a lot of guys that can go deep.

“When you’re playing well, when you’re scoring some runs, typically that’s going to be a part of our game.”

Devers not only hit his second homer in as many games, but he set the record for the hardest-hit long ball by a Giant in the Statcast era (since 2015) with a 114.5 mph line drive over the right-field fence.

The Giants’ streak of failing to have a 30-homer hitter wouldn’t end if Devers reaches that mark, since 15 of his 29 homers this year were with the Red Sox. The streak would unquestionably end if Adames, who now has 26 homers on the season, reaches that mark by September’s end.

Fresh off recording his first career three-hit game on Sunday, Gilbert totaled his first four-hit game on Monday and continued making a case for more playing time. The 24-year-old’s two-run homer in the third inning came at the expense of rookie right-hander Chase Dollander, his teammate at the University of Tennessee.

The Giants’ three-homer barrage was more than enough on an afternoon where Kai-Wei Teng allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings and totaled career-highs in strikeouts (eight) and whiffs (17).

“He was rolling pretty good. Based on how you typically use your bullpen and how we’ve kind of used it, it was nice that he was able to go out there for the sixth,” Melvin said of Teng. “Obviously, he gave up a couple runs, but man, he didn’t walk anybody, punched out eight, spinning the ball, heater was really good. You could see his confidence grow as the game went along, and he really, really wanted to go out for the sixth.”

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One of the few things that went wrong for the Giants on Monday afternoon was Schmitt leaving the ballgame after being drilled in the right elbow by a 95.7 mph sinker by Dollander.

Schmitt, who has already been banged up and bruised on numerous occasions, instantly went down in a heap of pain. Head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner tended to Schmitt for several minutes, and while Schmitt initially remained in the game to run, he was replaced by Christian Koss after one batter.

Melvin told reporters after the game that Schmitt’s X-rays came back negative, noting that the ball hit Schmitt near the funny bone. Koss will start Tuesday if Schmitt can’t play, but Melvin said he doesn’t believe Schmitt’s ailment will last more than a couple of days.

PHOTOS: Labor Day protests support ‘Workers Over Billionaires!’

As part of the Labor Day National Day of Action, 50501 Monterey in partnership with Monterey Indivisible and Unite Monterey County hosted the “Workers Over Billionaires!” peaceful protest. Windows on the Bay was filled with about 1,000 demonstrators to support "local labor and community organizations in their struggle to stop the billionaire takeover of our democracy," according to organizers. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)As part of the Labor Day National Day of Action, 50501 Monterey in partnership with Monterey Indivisible and Unite Monterey County hosted the “Workers Over Billionaires!” peaceful protest. Windows on the Bay was filled with about 1,000 demonstrators to support "local labor and community organizations in their struggle to stop the billionaire takeover of our democracy," according to organizers. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)As part of the Labor Day National Day of Action, 50501 Monterey in partnership with Monterey Indivisible and Unite Monterey County hosted the “Workers Over Billionaires!” peaceful protest. Windows on the Bay was filled with about 1,000 demonstrators to support "local labor and community organizations in their struggle to stop the billionaire takeover of our democracy," according to organizers. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)A woman shows off earrings of the Pfizer vaccine during the Labor Day “Workers Over Billionaires!” protest. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)As part of the Labor Day National Day of Action, 50501 Monterey in partnership with Monterey Indivisible and Unite Monterey County hosted the “Workers Over Billionaires!” peaceful protest. Windows on the Bay was filled with about 1,000 demonstrators to support "local labor and community organizations in their struggle to stop the billionaire takeover of our democracy," according to organizers. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)As part of the Labor Day National Day of Action, 50501 Monterey in partnership with Monterey Indivisible and Unite Monterey County hosted the “Workers Over Billionaires!” peaceful protest. Windows on the Bay was filled with about 1,000 demonstrators to support "local labor and community organizations in their struggle to stop the billionaire takeover of our democracy," according to organizers. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)As part of the Labor Day National Day of Action, 50501 Monterey in partnership with Monterey Indivisible and Unite Monterey County hosted the “Workers Over Billionaires!” peaceful protest. Windows on the Bay was filled with about 1,000 demonstrators to support "local labor and community organizations in their struggle to stop the billionaire takeover of our democracy," according to organizers. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)As part of the Labor Day National Day of Action, 50501 Monterey in partnership with Monterey Indivisible and Unite Monterey County hosted the “Workers Over Billionaires!” peaceful protest. Windows on the Bay was filled with about 1,000 demonstrators to support "local labor and community organizations in their struggle to stop the billionaire takeover of our democracy," according to organizers. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)[image error]As part of the Labor Day National Day of Action, 50501 Monterey in partnership with Monterey Indivisible and Unite Monterey County hosted the “Workers Over Billionaires!” peaceful protest. Windows on the Bay was filled with about 1,000 demonstrators to support "local labor and community organizations in their struggle to stop the billionaire takeover of our democracy," according to organizers. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)Show Caption1 of 9As part of the Labor Day National Day of Action, 50501 Monterey in partnership with Monterey Indivisible and Unite Monterey County hosted the “Workers Over Billionaires!” peaceful protest. Windows on the Bay was filled with about 1,000 demonstrators to support "local labor and community organizations in their struggle to stop the billionaire takeover of our democracy," according to organizers. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)Expand

Clipboard: Salinas’ Hunter has a touchdown catch in Nebraska debut

A national television audience caught a glimpse of Nyziah Hunter, and the former Salinas High wide receiver put on a show with six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown in Nebraska’s 20-17 win over Cincinnati last Friday.

Having entered the transfer portal in the off-season, the 6-foot-2 Hunter is in his first season with the Cornhuskers after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Cal.

Sporting the No. 13, the redshirt sophomore caught Nebraska’s first touchdown in the first half and added a clutch 24-yard reception in the second half that led to another score.

Hunter had 30-plus Division I schools offering him a scholarship just hours after entering the transfer portal.

Last fall Hunter was among the ACC leaders in touchdowns at Cal with five, finishing with 40 catches for 578 yards. The 20-year-old caught at least one pass in all 12 of the team’s games, having multiple receptions in 11 games.

Over his last two seasons at Salinas, Hunter caught 93 passes for 1,565 yards and 12 touchdowns, while adding 170 yards and five touchdowns on designed runs.

A multiple sport athlete at Salinas, Hunter set a school record in the 100 meters in reaching the state track and field championships as a junior in 2022. He also led the basketball team in rebounds as a senior.

Orozco returns to the pitch

Having missed all of last season with an injury, Malin Orozco has shown no ill effects from being sidelined for a year, producing two assists in Santa Clara University’s first three women’s soccer matches.

Orozco recorded assists in matches against San Jose State and Texas Tech for the Broncos, who are 1-2-0.

The 5-foot-2 redshirt sophomore was named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman team in 2023, after producing three goals and three assists in 21 matches, including a game-winning goal.

In her one season playing high school soccer at Notre Dame, the forward had 27 goals and 11 assists in 10 matches, earning the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

Orozco was rated No. 8 in the Class of 2023 by Top Drawer Soccer, and has been invited to the National Team training camp five times.

Milovale in the trenches at Hawaii

Helping keep his quarterback upright in a 23-20 win over Stanford was Seaside High graduate James Milovale, who started at right tackle for Hawaii.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Milovale is an NFL prospect, having earned a 70.8 grade from Pro Football Focus for his run blocking.

Milovale started the final 10 games of last season for Hawaii – eight at right tackle and two at left guard.

The former Hartnell College All-State lineman was part of an offensive unit at Hawaii that recorded the third-best passing attack in the Mountain West Conference in 2024.

A three-sport standout at Seaside, Milovale also earned all-league honors in basketball and volleyball. His older brother, Michael also played for Hawaii.

Martel records first collegiate soccer point

Sophie Martel – the county’s all-time leader in goals – collected her first collegiate point with an assist for the San Jose State women’s soccer team.

Having started the Spartans’ first three matches, the 5-foot-3 sophomore forward has logged 168 minutes in a 1-2-0 start.

Last year Martel played in 13 matches for San Jose State as a true freshman, starting seven games in 441 minutes of action on the pitch.

Martel set a single-season school record for goals at Soledad as a sophomore in 2022 with 51. She owns the county’s all-time record for goals with 127, despite only playing half her senior season.

The Cypress Division Most Valuable Player in 2022 and Mission Division MVP in 2023, Martel graduated early from Soledad to play for the top high school girls’ soccer team in Japan in 2024.

Salinas’ Jensen re-signs

In an attempt to revive his professional baseball career, pitcher Ryan Jensen is returning to the Chicago Cubs – the franchise that originally drafted the Salinas High graduate in 2019.

Released by the Minnesota Twins Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul in late June, Jensen was re-signed by the Cubs organization after clearing waivers, and assigned to their Arizona Complex League.

Jensen, who was a first-round draft pick by the Cubs, the 27th overall, in Major League Baseball’s Amateur Draft in 2019, was just 2-4 with St. Paul with a 6.59 earned run average.

Over the course of six minor league seasons at four different levels, the right-handed hurler is 13-28 with 367 strikeouts in 301 innings.

Jensen, who earned second-team All-American honors at Fresno State after going 12-1 in 2019, has had stints in the Cubs, Twins and Mariners organizations.

A former three-sport athlete at Salinas High, Jensen was a member of The Herald’s All-County football and baseball teams.

Seaside’s Finest

Seaside’s Finest Fall Skills Basketball Development Program is off and running until Oct. 30, Mondays and Thursdays from 7-8:30 p.m. at Monterey Peninsula College. Go to https://seasidesfinest.leagueapps.com

Baseball Club

The Celtic Baseball Club is taking signups for grades 9-12. Go to brianneffski@yahoo.com

Kurtenbach: Jauan Jennings is back with the 49ers, but all the big questions remain unanswered

So much for that calf injury. So much for that contract negotiation.

Jauan Jennings was back at work on Monday, seven weeks to the day his contract dispute became public and 36 days after a calf injury took him off the practice field.

And while I’m sure both the 49ers and the wide receiver will play this unnecessary and unbecoming summer saga off like it was no big deal, the truth is that nothing was accomplished, and plenty was lost over these last few weeks.

Jennings’ ability to help the Niners in the team’s Week 1 division game with the Seahawks — three practices away as of Monday morning — should be viewed with deep skepticism. There’s simply no reason to believe he’ll be anywhere near full speed for that contest — and it’s not as if Jennings is the kind of player who has a step to spare.

Will two more practices ahead of Week 2 (Fridays are walk-through days) — five total — be enough to return Jennings to the form he showed last season?

You know, the form that the Niners needed for the first few weeks of this season; the form that made Jennings believe he was worth a massive pay raise less than a year after signing a new contract with the team?

That’s a stretch.

We saw what a hold-in — and it’s undeniable now that’s what Jennings’ last few weeks were — did to Brandon Aiyuk, a bona fide No. 1, 1,000-yard receiver last season. Without training camp, he looked a step slow and out of the loop in a 49ers’ offense where timing is everything. He didn’t look like a $30 million player until Week 5. Two weeks later, his season was over.

Nick Bosa was a shell of his All-Pro self for the first month-plus of the 2023 season following a 44-day summer holdout — he only had 2.5 sacks in the first seven games of that season.

Even the football god Trent Williams looked mortal after his holdout last year — his 2024 was his worst as a Niner. (Even that still made him one of the best offensive linemen in the game.)

Perhaps Jennings is the exception to the rule. He has beaten the odds his whole career, after all.

But you’d be a fool to bet on him again.

The Niners weren’t betting on Jennings for the past seven months. And that won’t change now that he’s back in the fold.

No, it’s better to expect the worst-case scenario and be happily surprised if it doesn’t come to pass.

But for both the 49ers and Jennings, the worst-case scenario is a Big L.

This isn’t to say that the Niners were wrong to not seriously negotiate with Jennings on a new deal. The time for the receiver to have asked for a new contract would have been in February or March. The Niners wouldn’t have given it to him, but they might have been able to work out a trade to a team that would before the NFL Draft.

Remember: San Francisco’s focus throughout the offseason was on 2026 and beyond. How else do you explain the team excising all their veteran depth and replacing it with kids?

And Jennings, a 28-year-old receiver with hard miles on the odometer, injury concerns (his calf injury was a repeat from last year), and a situational role in a relatively healthy offense, was not part of those long-term plans.

The Niners made that clear when Jennings was not part of the coterie of veterans [Fred Warner, George Kittle, and Kyle Juszczyk (kinda)] who signed new contracts early this offseason.

It took Jennings months to see the writing on the wall.

And even when he noticed it, he didn’t quite comprehend what it meant.

That fundamental misunderstanding — which came at the exact wrong time for a team that was subsequently hit with a never-ending string of injuries in August — led us to today.

It was all much ado about nothing.

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And for a team that is going to be shorthanded at receiver for the first three weeks, minimum, with Demarcus Robinson suspended and rookie Jordan Watkins nursing a high ankle sprain, Jennings’ return appears to be too little too late.

It’s a huge missed opportunity for Jennings.

These first few weeks were set up for a healthy, in-rhythm Jennings to showcase that he is, indeed, the kind of receiver worthy of $20-plus million per year. With even a modicum of training camp reps, the snaps and targets would have come his way early and often, just like they did in 2024.

Instead, by the time it’d be reasonable to expect Jennings to get up to speed and look like his old self, the Niners’ receiver room will likely be overflowing. Robinson will return — he looked rock-solid in camp, developing easy trust with Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan. Watkins appeared this August to be ahead of the curve for a rookie, too. His breakout could be imminent. Aiyuk’s return will be just around the corner, and the Niners — in part because of Jennings’ absence — added other roster-worthy players into the mix. Perhaps one of Russell Gage, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, or Skyy Moore pop.

The Niners insulated themselves against the loss of Jennings after this season. But because of Jennings’ holdout, they scrambled to insulate themselves against his absence this season, too. They can’t undo that now that he’s back in the fold.

So how will Jennings — a player who has won with temperament, not elite athletic traits — handle a situation that has not and will likely never be to his liking?

We’re about to find out. But I can read the writing on the wall, and I don’t like it.

One chapter of this story may have closed. But because there was no proper resolution, the larger saga remains very much alive with no end in sight.

And the longer it plays out, the more regrettable these last few weeks are likely to look.

No major injuries in rural Monterey County plane crash

Jauan Jennings returns to field for 49ers practice ahead of season opener

SANTA CLARA — Jauan Jennings resumed practicing Monday after a five-week hiatus, and before he could break a sweat, he joyfully greeted general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan in warmups, six days before the 49ers’ season opener at Seattle.

Jennings hugged his superiors after catching passes from Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, then joined Ricky Pearsall in leading the wide receiver warmups.

Afterward, in the 49ers’ locker room, Jennings deferred speaking to the media until later in the week, but his upbeat body language on the field was encouraging, and so were his actions there.

“He was out there doing his thing. I definitely noticed him out there catching a couple of passes,” rookie defensive lineman Mykel Williams said. “His presence, you just feel him out there.”

San Francisco 49ers’ Fred Warner (54) high-fives San Francisco 49ers’ Jauan Jennings (15) during practice at the practice facility at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Jennings showed no signs of hindrance from a calf injury that forced him out of July 27 practice, before the 49ers even put on full pads at training camp.

Being unhealthy was one thing. Being unhappy with his contract was another, making for the team’s thorniest situation over the past month.

There was no immediate word whether the 49ers granted Jennings’ request to revise his contract, which is set to expire after this season. Drew Rosenhaus, Jennings’ agent, declined to comment.

“Everybody in their career is going to have a standoff of some sort,” said left tackle Trent Williams, a year removed from his own Week 1 arrival following a contract breakthrough.

“I just try to not worry about it, let the two parties work it out,” Williams added. “Obviously, Jauan is one of the best players on our team, so having him out there is really important. There’s a business side to it. Let it work out.”

Lynch stated last week that Jennings, 28, had issued a trade request at one point in this contract impasse: “He asked for it and we’ve moved on. We’re not doing that, so we’re moving forward.”

San Francisco 49ers’ Jauan Jennings (15) smiles during practice at the practice facility at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Jennings has not spoken to reporters since last season, and a league source confirmed before training camp that the fifth-year receiver had requested a raise or a trade.

Jennings reported on time and took the field for the 49ers’ four training camp practices, then he aggravated a calf injury that caused him to miss camp last year, according to Shanahan. He is in the second year of a two-year, $15.39 million contract extension.

Lynch said last week that “both things can be true, you know: He wants a new contract and he’s got a hurt calf. So I think people want to assume one or the other. Both things can be true.”

The 49ers have compiled a makeshift corps of receivers, seeing how they’re without Brandon Aiyuk for at least another month (knee rehabilitation) and Demarcus Robinson for the first three games (NFL suspension). Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling recently arrived as replacements, and former 49er Kendrick Bourne came in Monday for a free agent workout.

Others on the 53-man roster are Pearsall, Russell Gage Jr., and Jordan Watkins, the latter of whom remains out from an Aug. 9 high-ankle sprain. Valdes-Scantling and Robbie Chosen are on the practice squad and in line for potential Week 1 promotions.

San Francisco 49ers’ Ricky Pearsall (1) and San Francisco 49ers’ Jauan Jennings (15) smile during practice at the practice facility at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

As the 49ers huddled up before Monday’s one-hour “bonus” practice, Jennings was greeted with a caring headbutt and handshake from linebacker Fred Warner.

Last year, Aiyuk nearly got traded before accepting a four-year, $120 million contract, after not practicing in training camp or the preseason. Once Aiyuk sustained a Week 5 knee injury, Jennings assumed the role of the 49ers’ top-producing wide receiver and finished with career highs of 77 receptions, 975 yards, and six touchdowns.

San Francisco 49ers’ Jauan Jennings (15) juggles a ball during practice at the practice facility at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

PUNI ‘ON BETTER SIDE’

Right guard Dominick Puni missed only one snap in his rookie season, and his return to practice Monday signified he won’t miss Sunday’s opener because of an Aug. 16 right-knee sprain against the Raiders.

Puni said it “felt like something was a little off,” and he was thrilled that the 49ers’ initial prognosis was of a posterior cruciate ligament issue rather than an anterior cruciate ligament. “That was the good news,” Puni recalled. “That’s when I smiled. They said a PCL could be anywhere from three to eight weeks, depending on how you recover. I’m on the better side right now, so that’s great.”

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Also back at practice Monday after dealing with knee injuries were Gage and defensive linemen Yetur Gross-Matos and Kalia Davis.

PEARSALL’S ANNIVERSARY

A year to the day after surviving being shot in a San Francisco robbery attempt, Ricky Pearsall returned to The City and attended the Golden State Valkyries’ win Sunday, sitting courtside with teammates George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk, and their significant others. Pearsall spoke a month ago about the mental and physical hurdles he has overcome, and his teammates continue to marvel over his mindset.

“Obviously, it does a lot to reflect on what to be thankful for,” Trent Williams said. “That’s not just a run-of-the-mill thing, going through as a citizen in America. The fact that he’s here, and playing at an extremely high level, doing what he loves to do, doing what he dreamed to do, is a blessing.”

California now requires cities to inspect all local homeless shelters

As California spends unprecedented billions of dollars to bring homeless people off the street, state lawmakers quietly approved new rules this summer requiring local governments to complete annual health and safety inspections of all publicly funded homeless shelters and report the results.

If cities and counties fail to take steps to fix problems identified at local shelters or decline to submit the mandated reports, they could lose funding or face civil lawsuits from the state.

Homeless people frequently complain about substandard living conditions at shelters, which can be understaffed and sometimes struggle to accommodate residents with mental health and addiction issues.

Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, a Democrat representing Los Angeles and Orange counties, pushed for the inspection requirements after reading news stories and an American Civil Liberties Union investigation that found reports of violence, sexual harassment, maggot infestations, overflowing sewage and other serious problems at shelters in her district.

“We saw a lack of effort at first with even considering building shelters, and now that we have them, the next step is, how do we enforce the best-case scenario for those who are living there?” Quirk-Silva said.

Over the past decade, California has expanded its shelter capacity by more than 70% to some 76,000 year-round beds, according to federal data. Still, most cities and counties lack anywhere near enough shelter space for everyone on the street. And given the state’s severe shortage of affordable housing, those staying in what are supposed to be temporary shelters often struggle to find permanent homes.

The state has roughly 187,000 homeless residents, according to the latest estimate, and only about a third have a shelter bed on a given night.

The shelter inspection requirements are tucked deep within a “trailer bill” attached to the latest state budget, which lawmakers approved at the end of June.

Initially, Quirk-Silva had introduced a standalone homeless shelter bill. But as the deadline to approve the state budget approached, she persuaded Democratic party leaders to include the inspection requirements in the trailer bill. That legislation also contains dozens of other housing reforms, such as exempting most apartment construction from the state’s environmental review process.

It’s not uncommon for lawmakers to make last-minute additions to trailer bills connected to the state budget. Critics argue the practice enables legislators to enact laws through back-room deals without holding formal hearings or seeking public input.

Quirk-Silva said she received almost no pushback on the initial shelter bill and that the purpose of including the inspection requirements in the trailer bill was to ensure they became law as soon as possible.

The new rules build upon a 2021 law authored by Quirk-Silva that sought to compel local governments to inspect shelters where residents lodged complaints, ensure operators corrected any violations, and report the progress to the state housing department. The news publication CalMatters, however, found that few cities and counties have complied with the law.

The latest legislation aims to bolster enforcement of the expanded inspection and reporting mandates by empowering the California Department of Housing and Community Development to withhold funding and bring civil action against noncompliant cities and counties. Additionally, the new law requires shelter operators to inform residents on how to lodge complaints with officials.

Divya Shiv, a senior policy advocate with the advocacy group Housing California, which helped draft the bill’s language, said the state housing department must prioritize enforcing the new requirements for them to have an impact. In an email, the department said it plans to release guidance in the coming weeks “that will clarify the new responsibilities for local agencies and HCD’s role.”

“Success does lie in the implementation of the bill, but having the bill in the first place is a huge step in the right direction,” Shiv said.

Meanwhile, a separate trailer bill lawmakers approved in June includes additional requirements cities and counties must satisfy to receive state homelessness funding. That includes having a state-approved homebuilding plan and “demonstrating urgency and measurable results in housing and homelessness prevention.”

Some local officials have petitioned lawmakers to amend those provisions, arguing they are onerous and could lead to funding delays that would hinder efforts to combat homelessness.

 

“Leno’s law” to ease smog checks on older cars stalls out in California legislature

A bill pushed by comedian and famed car collector Jay Leno to make older cars exempt from smog checks in California crashed and was a total loss in the state legislature on Friday.

The bill, SB 712, dubbed “Leno’s Law,” originally would have allowed vehicles 35 years or older to avoid the state’s requirement to pass a smog check test that most other California vehicles face every two years.

[The measure was promoted by Leno, former host of the “Tonight Show,” at a high-profile appearance at the state Capitol in April. It was embraced by classic car owners, hot rodders and car clubs around the state, who say it is often difficult and expensive for pre-1990 vehicles to pass smog check tests, and there aren’t many of the vehicles left.

But on Friday, it crashed in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The committee, made up of 11 Democrats and four Republicans, blocked the bill from moving to the full Assembly for a final vote, killing it for this year’s legislative session.

The author of the bill, State Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, said she was “deeply disappointed.”

“Leno’s Law would have simply allowed for a few additional classic car model years to receive a full smog exemption – a much needed update on an antiquated law,” Grove said. “Sadly, today California said no to helping preserve these rolling pieces of history and let down classic car clubs across the state, from low riders to hot rods and every American classic in between. Leno’s Law was not just about the cars, it was about the enthusiasts behind the wheel.”

The bill was opposed by public health groups, air districts and environmental organizations who said it would increase smog, particularly in low-income communities where asthma rates are high among children.

“We’re pleased it’s not moving forward,” said Will Barrett, assistant vice president of the American Lung Association. “From a public health perspective this is a good outcome. It represented a step back from clean air protections.”

Some 1980s vehicles emit more than 100 times the tailpipe pollution of a new vehicle, Barrett noted. As the Trump administration has been rolling back air pollution rules and laws, he said it is important that California maintain them to protect public health.

“One of the things we really need to be on guard for” he said, “is these bills that weaken the existing tools we have.”

Under current state law, every vehicle owner must get a smog check every other year unless their vehicle is 8 years old or newer, is an alternative vehicle like an electric car, or is model year 1975 and older.

If a vehicle fails, the owner must repair it and have it tested again until it passes before they can get it registered.

After initial opposition from health groups – which had killed similar bills in years past – state lawmakers narrowed the bill to require that vehicles 35 years or older seeking the smog check exemption must have a historical vehicle license plate, which costs $25 in addition to regular registration fees, and which under state law means the car “may only be driven in historical exhibitions, parades or historic vehicle club activities.”

They also required that the owners must have collector’s car insurance. Such insurance is usually cheaper than regular auto insurance, but typically sets limits on how many miles a year the vehicle can be driven, prohibits daily driving and requires the vehicle to be kept in a locked garage.

Lawmakers also narrowed the model years affected limiting it to vehicles from 1981 to 1986.

Those measures to narrow it caused a split among supporters of the bill, some who said the compromise was better than nothing, and some who said the bill had been ruined.

“Now I guess it’s back to square one,” said Mike Frankovich, a Pasadena property manager who founded Californians for Classic Car Smog Exemptions.

Lawmakers placed the bill on “the suspense file.” The file is a list of bills, often with a cost of $150,000 or more, that are held by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The members of the committee typically decide in secret which bills move on to a final Assembly floor vote and which ones are killed.

The committee’s chairwoman, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An analysis by the Assembly Appropriations Committee staff concluded that the bill, if passed, even in its narrowed form, would cost taxpayers $506,000 in 2026-27 and $474,000 in 2027-28 and afterward to hire four program technicians to verify collector vehicle insurance documents on an annual basis. The state Bureau of Automotive Repair said it expected to receive 17,500 requests each year for smog check exemptions under the bill.

Leno, 75, did not issue a statement Friday.

Leno, who lives in Burbank, hosted the “Tonight Show,” after the retirement of Johnny Carson from 1992 to 2009, and then again from 2010 to 2014.

He owns an extensive collection of vehicles, including at least 181 cars and 160 motorcycles. His exotic vehicles include a McLaren P1, a Lamborghini Countach, a Ford Model T, a 1928 Bugatti Type 37A, a 1981 DeLorean and a 1909 Baker Electric Car. He writes a regular column about cars for Popular Mechanics and a hosts YouTube series, Jay Leno’s Garage.

“I know there’s nothing more annoying than Hollywood people involved in politics,” Leno said at a rally at the state Capitol in April where he drove up in a 1976 Pontiac Trans Am. “But this one’s important to me. I’m an enthusiast.”

Former Tonight Show host and car enthusiast Jay Leno, left, speaks in support of measure SB712, known as Leno’s Law, would exempt classic cars 35 years and older from the state’s biennial smog check program, authored by state Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, center, and Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San Jose, right, at the state Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Helen Davis, Successful Aging: What are the common traits of older people known as ‘super agers’

Question: At age 86, I want to continue to live a long and healthy life. I have heard of the term “super agers.” How old are they, and is there anything we can learn from them? Thank you. W.N.

Many of us believe that getting older automatically means we are victims of cognitive decline. Indeed, there are some cognitive changes that come with age. We may occasionally forget a person’s name or where we placed our keys. It may take us a little longer to learn new information or to multitask. That’s considered normal.

But this doesn’t happen to all older adults. There is a special group called “super agers.” They are considered relatively rare with no known precise number. Dr. Emily Rogalski, a professor of neurology at the University of Chicago, reports that “far less than 10 percent of the people she sees are super agers,” according to a New York Times article. 

The term was introduced in 2008 by researchers at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, which has conducted a 25-year study of super agers. They define the term as “someone who is 80 years or older and still has the memory skills of a person 30 years younger.” The focus is on cognition. 

Super agers experience physical changes that affect their cognitive abilities in positive ways. They experience brain shrinkage at half the annual rate of other older adults. The part of the brain that atrophies at a slower rate than average is associated with abstract thinking, creativity and judgment, according to UCLA Health. 

This has nothing to do with IQ or educational level. Super agers and their contemporaries are similar in this respect. What differentiates them is that super agers might view problem-solving differently, according to Dr. Bradford Dickerson, a neurologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, as quoted in the Harvard newsletter. He notes, “They may approach these tasks as a challenge they can succeed at, in contrast to typical older adults who may give up.” 

Furthermore, when compared to other adults their age, superagers are better at remembering past events and a list of words. Northwestern researchers found that super agers could remember at least nine out of 15 words in a delayed-recall test, which is on par with individuals in their 50s and 60s. Lifestyle counts. And that’s good news.

Super agers share some commonalities about how they go about living their lives.

They have an active lifestyle: We know physical activity is important. It increases oxygen intake, strengthens the heart as well as strengthening other muscles, important in preventing falls. It also helps maintain an optimum weight. Even just exercising twice a week counts. 

Super agers continue to challenge themselves: Mental activity is as important as physical activity. That might be taking up an instrument, learning a new sport, joining a book group or learning to knit. These all contribute to cognitive health. 

They are social butterflies: Super agers are gregarious. Researchers at Northwestern University found that super agers reported having more satisfying, high-quality relationships compared to their cognitively average, same-age peers. Apparently, you don’t have to be the life of the party, just having those quality relationships helps slow cognitive decline. 

Super agers are tenacious: The National Geographic reports that super agers live life on their own terms. That might mean having multiple romantic partners or volunteering in communities. They value autonomy and connection, according to neuropsychologist Tamar Gefen, a study author. 

Superagers eat well: Many have diets that are rich in nutrients that fight inflammation and cell damage. These foods are rich in antioxidants, polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids in foods such as berries, whole grains, fatty fish and more. 

Super agers indulge: Superagers are not necessarily teetotalers; they don’t avoid alcohol. They enjoy an occasional glass of alcohol or a nightly nightcap. The key is moderation. Many are fitness buffs. 

So, what have we learned? 

The brains of super agers are different from their contemporaries. Biology and genetics do play a role, yet lifestyle counts. Even without the brain of a super-ager, we can slow cognitive aging. Consider being physically and mentally active, challenge yourself, stay socially connected, be tenacious, live your values, eat well and know reasonable indulgence is OK. 

Thank you, W. N., for your question and best wishes for that long and healthy life. Just as a reminder, know that kindness is everything. 

Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com . Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity