Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 295

Concours d’Elegance announce record donations

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance raised a record $3,130,240 for charity this year according to a press release from the organization Thursday.

The final amount was announced and donations were distributed to many of the Concours’ participating charities at the Concours’ annual charity luncheon in Pebble Beach.

“A shared love of cars brings a world of people to Pebble Beach each August, and it is heartening to see how much that community of car people also cares for children in need,” said Pebble Beach Concours Chairman Sandra Button in a press release.

Since it began in 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours has raised more than $41 million for charity.

Representatives of Pebble Beach Company, Pebble Beach Company Foundation, and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance gathered with Concours charity representatives at a luncheon on Thursday to announce that the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours had raised a record sum for charity and to distribute donations to several local charitable organizations: (front row, l to r:) Kevin Causey of Montage Health Foundation, Deacon Warren Hoy of United Way Monterey County, Jennifer Williams-Carpenter of Natividad Foundation, Tom Gray of Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, Lauren Cohen and Kristen DeMaria of MY Museum, Judge John Phillips and Chris Devers of Rancho Cielo, Dr. Allen Radner of Salinas Valley Health, Janine Chicourrat of Rancho Cielo; (back row:) Dr. Susan Swick of Montage Health, Hiram Yanez of Seneca Family of Agencies, Concours Chief Judge Chris Bock, Concours Selection Committee member Martin Button, Concours Chairman Sandra Button, Pebble Beach Company CEO David Stivers, Ron Johnson of Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, Doreen Luke of Seneca Family of Agencies, Jeff Wardwell of Salinas Valley Health, and Katy Castagna of United Way Monterey County. (Sherman Chu/Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance)

Through the Concours’ primary charitable partner, Pebble Beach Company Foundation, funds are distributed to nearly 100 of the region’s youth-focused nonprofit educational programs. The Concours’ annual charity drawing — bolstered this year by generous gifts from Lexus, Ford Motor Company, INFINITI, and Mercedes-Benz — aids several charities, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, Montage Health Foundation, MY Museum, Natividad Foundation, Rancho Cielo, Salinas Valley Health Foundation, Seneca Family of Agencies, and United Way Monterey County.

The Concours and the Foundation also support several educational programs that encourage the next generation of automotive enthusiasts while celebrating the memory of inspirational automotive leaders such as Phil Hill, Jules “J.” & Sally Heumann, John Lamm, and Don Williams according to the release.

“I’m very grateful to the professional staffs of both the (Pebble Beach) Company and the Concours, who put their all into making the Concours the leading event of its kind,” said David Stivers, Pebble Beach Company CEO.

The 74th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will take place on Aug. 17 and will celebrate the centennials of Invicta, Chrysler, and Moretti, the creations of Virgil Exner, the 75th anniversary of Formula 1, and Japanese Concepts & Prototypes — with other features to come.

49ers’ Brock Purdy looks to remain perfect against Seahawks, Geno Smith

SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy, with a 5-0 record, has dominated the Seattle Seahawks more than any 49ers quarterback in history.

Mind you, the Seahawks didn’t join the NFC West until 2002 realignment, but Purdy still is batting 1.000 in his opportunities.

“It’s never easy, I’ll tell you that. It’s not,” Purdy said Wednesday ahead of the Seahawks’ incoming visit Sunday. “We’ve had success going against them but it’s always been a dogfight and never just been given to us.”

On the flip side, Geno Smith is 0-5 against the 49ers as the Seahawks quarterback, and he is well aware of that résumé scar entering Sunday’s meeting in Levi’s Stadium.

“It’s very personal,” Smith told the Seattle News Tribune’s Gregg Bell on Thursday. “When you think about division opponents, these games matter the most, especially with the 49ers. They’ve been at the top of our division, one of the best teams in the league for a while.”

The 49ers (5-4) have won two in a row, but they started 0-2 in NFC West action until winning in Seattle 36-24 on Oct. 10. The Seahawks (4-5) are coming off their bye, having lost 5-of-6 since a 3-0 start to the season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

“I’m going to step on (the field) with that chip on my shoulder and that edge I always have, and I know my guys will as well,” said Smith, who’s leading the NFL’s top-ranked passing attack.

As for how personal Smith takes the fact he’s not beating the 49ers, he replied: “There’s teams that haven’t beaten us yet.”

Nick Sorensen, the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, didn’t take a victory lap around the 49ers’ dominance of Smith; Sorensen was on the Seahawks’ staff in 2019-20 when Smith arrived as Russell Wilson’s backup.

“I wouldn’t say (the 49ers) have his number,” Sorensen said. “I respect the heck out of Geno. He has such a great arm, attitude, he prepares. He can still move, even though he’s a little older quarterback-wise.”

The 49ers have beaten Seattle six straight since 2022, a streak that includes their 41-23 win in the Wild Card round, but the Seahawks won 10 straight between the 2013 season’s NFC Championship Game and 2018. “We know this history of the 49ers and the Seahawks. You have to have the right mindset going into this game or else yet get exposed,” Purdy said.

The 49ers have not won these matchups against the Seahawks via a quarterback-dominant passing attack, but rather a quantity-meets-quality rushing attack. San Francisco has averaged 33.5 carries and 185 yards with 10 total rushing touchdowns in this six-game win streak.

That said, Purdy passed for 255 yards (18-of-28) with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the 49ers’ Oct. 10 win in Seattle. He put up similar numbers in his January 2023 playoff debut against the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium: 332 yards (18-of-30) with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Another win Sunday would make Purdy 6-for-6 against Seattle, matching the win total Alex Smith comprised going 6-5 in this rivalry from 2005-12. Other notable 49ers quarterbacks vs. Seattle: Colin Kaepernick (1-7), Jimmy Garoppolo (1-4), Joe Montana (2-0), Steve Young (0-1), Jim Plunkett (1-0), Steve Bono (1-0), Nick Mullens (1-1), C.J. Beathard (0-2), Ken Dorsey (0-2), Shaun Hill (0-1), Tim Rattay (0-1), Steve DeBerg (0-1).

Fun fact: Purdy has never thrown a touchdown pass in the last four minutes of a game.

More fun: Of Purdy’s 12 career fourth-quarter touchdown passes, only one resulted in a go-ahead score and that was Sunday’s 11-yarder to George Kittle, with 7 minutes left in a 23-20 win at Tampa Bay.

With a 26-10 record as a starter (including 4-2 in the playoffs), Purdy has not been forced into many fourth-quarter, air-it-out comebacks, though he did deliver go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter of their last three playoff wins — against Dallas in January 2023, against Green Bay and Detroit last January.

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McCAFFREY UPDATE

Christian McCaffrey emerged “sore but felt good” from Sunday’s season debut featuring 56 snaps, 19 touches and 107 yards from scrimmage. That launched his comeback after two-plus months battling Achilles tendinitis.

“When you’re dealing with an injury and come back, it’s a common misconception you have fresh legs,” McCaffrey said. “For a long time there I was struggling walking to the bathroom. So you can’t train for a long time. They’re fresh in the sense they haven’t been beat up, but you also have to get back into training. That’s why it takes long some times.”

While he rehabbed with the 49ers’ strength staff and sought advice from other athletes with similar ailments, McCaffrey was aghast at how outsiders portrayed themselves as experts in his plight. “One thing I learned about the whole process is you get a lot of Instagram doctors out there,” McCaffrey said. “I had guys diagnosing my injury, PhD doctors.

“I’m watching a Sunday night game and some doctor is talking about my injury on TV,” McCaffrey added. “I couldn’t believe it. I’d never talked to him in my life, he’d never seen imaging, talked to me, diagnosed me. It’s just kind of the world we live in now.”

HEALTH CENTER

Tight end George Kittle (hamstring) returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s session, but remaining out were left tackle Trent Williams (ankle, wrist), defensive end Nick Bosa (hip), punter Mitch Wishnowsky (back), cornerback Charvarius Ward (bereavement leave) and defensive tackle Kevin Givens (groin).

Wide receiver Jauan Jennings (ankle) was added to the injury report after being limited, as were wide receiver Chris Conley (hamstring) and guard Jon Feliciano (knee). Running back Jordan Mason (shoulder; non-contact jersey) was not on the injury report.

LOCKING UP LENOIR

Sorensen is ecstatic the 49ers locked up Deommodore Lenoir to a five-year extension Wednesday, noting how Lenoir’s blossomed not only as an outside cornerback but one who excels inside against slot receivers when needed.

“(With) his play style and his versatility, he’s selfless. He’s a pure football player,” Sorensen said. “The old thought is guys who play nickel won’t get paid. It’s hard to do both. There’s more value than people realize, and people that know football know that’s hard to do.”

SF Giants name Randy Winn vice president of player development

The Giants announced on Thursday afternoon that president of baseball operations Buster Posey has named Randy Winn as the team’s vice president of player development.

“We are excited to see Randy in this new role,” Posey said in a statement. “Randy is part of the Bay Area’s rich baseball history and brings a deep knowledge and understanding of the game from his playing and post-playing career. He has also been dedicated to serving the youth of our community through his work and leadership with the Giants Community Fund, and we feel Randy is the right person to help take our player development to the next level.”

Winn, 50, played for the Giants from 2005-09 after being traded from the Seattle Mariners. Over 666 career games with San Francisco, Winn had a .290 batting average and .776 OPS while totaling 51 homers and 73 steals.

Following his 13-year playing career, Winn rejoined the Giants in 2012. He served as the team’s roving outfield and baserunning instructor from 2013-16, then special assistant to the GM from 2017-18. In 2019, Winn was a pro scout under new general manager Zack Minasian, who was then working as the director of pro scouting. Along with working for the organization, Winn has covered the Giants as an analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area since 2013.

“I’m extremely grateful to Buster and to the Giants organization for this opportunity to lead our player development group and help usher in the next wave of future Giants stars,” Winn said in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with both Buster and Zack and the entire baseball operations team to help this organization that has meant so much to me reach its ultimate goal of a World Series championship by helping lay the groundwork with homegrown talent that embodies the values of Giants baseball.”

Tatum’s Garden Foundation, Carmel Valley Community Youth Center continue playground construction, looking for volunteers

A community effort is underway to create a fully accessible playground in Carmel Valley, aimed at being an all-inclusive space for children and families.

Tatum’s Treehouse, being built at the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center playground, is slated to be complete by Sunday, but volunteers are still needed to complete the project.

A partnership between Tatum’s Garden Foundation and the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center, the playground will be the second of its kind in Monterey County, after Tatum’s Garden was introduced in Salinas back in 2013. The playground will be named after Tatum Bakker, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair.

Tatum Bakker, the inspiration for some local accessible playgrounds, watches over work at Carmel Valley this week. (Orville Myers — Special to the Herald)

The foundation partnered with Leathers & Associates to spearhead a comprehensive community-led effort. All of the construction and building is being done by volunteers with hundreds of people from all over the Central Coast chipping in.

“We have skilled volunteers and unskilled, our experts in the field Leathers & Associates come in and lead community processes like this, they assign tasks based on skill level,” said Amanda Bakker, Tatum’s mom and founder of Tatum’s Garden Foundation. “Anyone 10 years or older can participate. We’ll feed you a hot meal and we are providing childcare.”

Construction kicked off on Monday, with Bakker saying a couple hundred people showed up likely due to the holiday. Then it rained Tuesday, which had a smaller turnout, but the foundation is getting volunteer numbers back up after a call to action on social media.

“It’s a massive effort, we are both (Tatum’s Garden Foundation and Carmel Valley Community Youth Center) volunteer boards with no paid staff. We’re small, but mighty,” Bakker said.

Once the structures are built, a company will come in to level the ground and install rubber surfacing. While that’s happening the volunteers will finish up landscaping and hope to be finished in December.

Bakker says the goal of the foundation is to meet or exceed traditional ADA standards.

Volunteers help construct Tatum’s Treehouse, an accessible playground in Carmel Valley this week. (Orville Myers -- Special to the Herald)

Volunteers help construct Tatum’s Treehouse, an accessible playground in Carmel Valley this week. (Orville Myers -- Special to the Herald)

Volunteers help construct Tatum’s Treehouse, an accessible playground in Carmel Valley this week. (Orville Myers -- Special to the Herald)

Volunteers help construct Tatum’s Treehouse, an accessible playground in Carmel Valley this week. (Orville Myers -- Special to the Herald)

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Volunteers help construct Tatum’s Treehouse, an accessible playground in Carmel Valley this week. (Orville Myers -- Special to the Herald)

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“Surfacing is really important. With sand or bark on the ground, a child in a wheelchair might get stuck,” Bakker said. “It’s about thinking and being mindful of the needs of the community. We’ll have panels with braille, and some with sensory features.”

As for Tatum, who is now 14 years old, Bakker said she has enjoyed watching her daughter embrace the role as an advocate.

“It’s really special to watch it come full circle,” Bakker said. “She’s got two young cousins who are very excited to try this playground. You can see that she’s appreciated having a space like this to play, and now she gets to share that with other people.”

Big Sur property, with three separate homes on 150 acres, listed for $100M

BIG SUR – A property in Big Sur that was once owned by legendary early European settlers to the area, the Pfeiffer family, is listed for the first time in nearly 60 years for $100 million.

The “Heart of Rancho Rico,” located at 47320 Highway 1 and 47324 Highway 1, was last purchased by Cyril Chappellet, a former Lockheed executive, in 1965, according to listing agent Tim Allen of Tim Allen Properties Team, an affiliated agent with the Carmel-by-the-Sea/Junipero office of Coldwell Banker Realty in Northern California. The 150-acre parcel of land has stayed in the family since that time and is now being sold by his grandchildren, C. Blake, Michele and Kira Forrest.

The property is located about 30 miles south of Carmel, within walking distance of the Big Sur Community, and features Pacific Ocean coastline and private beach access with views of the Santa Lucia Mountains. It is one of several parcels that were once owned by Chappallet.

The Big Sur property features a modern ranch-style main house, built in the late 1940s comprising four bedrooms, all of which are en suite with full bathrooms, an additional partial bathroom and three fireplaces in 3,750 square feet of living space. (Tim Allen Properties)

“Four generations of our family have spent time on this property for the past 60 years,” said C. Blake Forrest, one of the owners, in a press release. “Our grandfather, Cyril Chappellet, purchased the land in 1965 and our mother inherited it from him. As kids, my sisters Michele and Kira, and I would spend most of our summers at the ‘ranch,’ as he called it.”

The “Heart of Rancho Rico” family compound has three separate homes, manicured gardens, fruit orchards, outdoor living spaces, ample terrain to raise livestock and poultry, and a private road leading to the shoreline and private beaches.

“We had countless family gatherings for six decades and it is also where my siblings and I raised our own families,” said Forrest. “We hope the next owners will embrace this property, share it with their family and preserve the beauty of it for generations to come.”

The property features a modern ranch-style main house, built in the late 1940s comprising four bedrooms, all of which are en suite with full bathrooms, an additional partial bathroom and three fireplaces in 3,750 square feet of living space. Outside, there are beautiful gardens, an enclosed loggia and a two-car garage. The house has surrounding views of the Pacific Ocean, beaches, coastline and mountains.

There is also a ranch house built in 1995 as a two-story home with four bedrooms, two full bathrooms and 2,500 square feet of living space. A garden house, built in 2001, has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, one fireplace and 1,960 square feet of living space.

The property is accessed through a gateway to a well-maintained road that winds past redwood, oak, bay and madrone trees to the main meadow, situated about 1,000 feet above the shoreline. The property offers 360-degree views of the Santa Lucia Mountains and Pacific Ocean, fresh spring water supplies part of the property and flows onto two private beaches below, and the ranch orchard contains 80 deciduous, citrus, avocado and nut trees.

“‘Heart of Rancho Rico’ is an irreplaceable and timeless property with vast Pacific Ocean views of the coastline to the north and about 80 visible miles to the south,” said Allen in the release. “Many long-standing residents in the region have an affinity for the history of this property. It provides the ultimate Big Sur lifestyle with privacy, peaceful living and endless adventures to explore the 150 acres of coastal paradise.”

For more information about this listing, contact Tim Allen at team@timallenproperties.com or (831) 214-1990.View the property at https://tinyurl.com/2f5bjchw.

Stuck in the muck: Scientists study carbon trapped by Elkhorn Slough

Smelly and saturated with seawater, the marsh muck sucks at the waders of UC Santa Cruz graduate student Aliya Khan as she walks along a channel in Elkhorn Slough. She places a tube into the water, which will collect samples that will help uncover the salt marsh’s ability to serve as a carbon dioxide vacuum and vault.

Khan’s research is taking place at an important time.

“The year 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record,” says the World Meteorological Organization in a press release published earlier this week. It will also be the first year with global temperatures more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a milestone that will intensify fires, floods, and other climate-fueled disasters.

Salt marshes, which have historically been drained and turned into farms or land ripe for real estate development, are emerging as a powerful tool in the fight against global warming.

“The vegetation that falls into standing water that has no oxygen never decomposes,” Khan says. “So that CO2 never goes back to the atmosphere.”

Large towers full of sensors measure the amount of carbon dioxide and methane that study sites in Elkhorn Slough exchange with the atmosphere. (Mark DeGraff — Herald Correspondent)

They differ from land-based ecosystems like forests, which release most of their stored carbon dioxide when trees die and decompose.

Scientists are measuring how much carbon dioxide Elkhorn Slough can suck from the atmosphere. Their research is funded by a $3.5 million grant awarded in 2022 by the University of California Office of the President. It is part of a broader effort to find ways to remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.

“Wetlands are one of the best natural systems to sequester CO2,” says Adina Paytan, a principal investigator at the UCSC Center for Coastal Climate Resilience. She is leading the study.

A 2023 review estimates that restoring the world’s degraded salt marshes could sequester up to 0.5% of the carbon emitted by fossil fuels annually, a big number for an ecosystem that covers less than 1% of Earth’s surface. But the authors admit massive uncertainties.

Alicia Karspeck, co-founder and chief technology officer of (C)Worthy, a nonprofit that studies ocean-based carbon dioxide removal, also emphasizes that there are many unknowns. A myriad of environmental variables can change how living systems behave.

“We don’t know exactly what is the best design to maximize the benefits,” Paytan concurs. She and colleagues are studying carbon storage in the Sacramento River Delta, South San Francisco Bay and Elkhorn Slough to find the combination of conditions that maximizes wetlands’ climate-cooling effects.

Their findings will have real-world applications. Paytan says they have a team that is studying governance to convert their findings into policy. One idea is to create a carbon market where polluters can fund the restoration of salt marshes to offset their emissions. There is also an environmental justice arm that is looking into who might benefit and who might be harmed by restoration projects.

Methane emissions could also limit their climate-cooling effects. Bacteria that live in marsh muck produce methane, a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. One study found that a freshwater swamp in the Sacramento River Delta produces enough of it to offset the cooling effects of sequestering CO2. Those bacteria, however, do not like salt, so salt marshes produce less methane.

Quantifying Elkhorn Slough’s carbon storage is a complicated process.

The intake tube that collects samples that will help uncover the salt marsh’s ability to serve as a carbon dioxide vacuum and vault. (Mark DeGraff — Herald Correspondent)

J.J. Jabuka, a graduate student in Paytan’s lab, studies one part of the equation. She uses large towers full of sensors to measure the amount of carbon dioxide and methane that study sites in Elkhorn Slough exchange with the atmosphere. She uploads her data to Ameriflux, a database that contains similar data from over 500 ecosystems across the Americas.

Her early findings suggest that a healthy, established section of Elkhorn Slough is absorbing lots of carbon, while Hester Marsh, a site that was restored in 2018, sequesters a smaller amount.

“That information is going to be really helpful for us to understand the rate at which our restoration projects become more functional,” says Monique Fountain, director of the Tidal Wetlands Program at Elkhorn Slough.

Khan’s research focuses on the fate of the carbon that Elkhorn Slough absorbs. While some is stored in the soil, much of it is swept out to sea by tides. She analyzes what types of carbon molecules the water at the slough contains. Some forms of carbon quickly turn into CO2 and re-enter the atmosphere, while others will remain buried underwater for millennia.

Her research is ongoing. In the meantime, Khan thinks we should prioritize protecting existing salt marshes over building new ones. Restored marshes “don’t necessarily have the same ecosystem benefits as a longstanding, healthy one,” she says. “Protection over restoration, when that’s an option, 100% of the time.”

Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton sidelined again with injury

SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors shooting guard De’Anthony Melton suffered a sprained left ACL, the Warriors announced Thursday, sidelining him for at least Golden State’s Friday NBA Cup matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Melton will undergo further tests to determine the timetable for recovery. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t know exactly when he injured his knee during the Warriors’ win Tuesday over the Mavericks.

“He’s obviously a really important player for us, the guy who we envisioned and has done a good job as the starting two-guard,” Kerr said. “It’s a concern, for sure, but we’ll know more over the next few days.”

The Warriors signed Melton to a one-year, $12.8 million deal after he missed most of last season due to back issues. When healthy, the guard is a menacing two-way threat as a point-of-attack defender and confident shooter. But Friday will already be Melton’s sixth missed game.

The past two games, Melton has started alongside Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Draymond Green. It was the Warriors’ most successful starting five so far, and Kerr wanted to stick with it going forward.

Melton’s injury complicates that.

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“It’s disappointing,” Kerr said. “It was really the perfect mix. De’Anthony does a little bit of everything: on-ball defense, rebounding, 3-point shooting, playmaking. Great fit, and that’s why we targeted him. The fact that he’s going to be out the next game is a bummer. We were finding some momentum. We’ll see how this unfolds. We’ve got options, we’ve got a lot of depth and we’re very capable of filling in. But it’s very disappointing for him and for us.”

Some of those options include Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, Lindy Waters III and Jonathan Kuminga — each of whom has started games this year. Kuminga, though, has thrived in a bench role with more spacing and would be a longshot to rejoin the starting group.

Melton is averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He most recently played stout defense on Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.

With about three minutes left in the Mavericks game, Melton appeared to fall awkwardly and get up gingerly. But he finished the game and played 26 minutes total.

Melton’s earlier injury this year was a mild back sprain. He said it was nothing like what he dealt with last season, but the team treated it with caution. Melton worked over the summer to strengthen his body, particularly his abdominal muscles, to try to prevent back flare-ups.

“It’s not a similar one because at first I didn’t know what it was, as far as what was causing my pain and discomfort,” Melton told this news organization in late October. “Two, it kind of turned into a stress fracture. So I know I’m nowhere near that. And I have a way better core base, strength in the system than I did last year. And the pain I was feeling last year was nowhere near.”

This is a knee injury, though. As a pro, Melton has never suffered a serious knee injury.

Perhaps he still has not. ACL sprains vary significantly in recovery timetable based on the severity. According to online medical sources, a minor sprain (Grade 1) typically takes a few weeks to heal. A Grade 2 sprain would be a partial tear, knocking a patient out for months rather than weeks.

The Warriors and Melton will know more when the results of more tests come back.

“First of all, even in Philly (last year), he’s trying to get right this whole time,” Buddy Hield said. “He works so hard. Every day, he comes in two hours before, gets treatment, works his butt off…Just got to stay the course with him, keep his faith. When he comes back, come back better.”

Notable

— The Warriors assigned wing Gui Santos to the G League. Given how much depth Golden State has, even without Melton, there will be many more minutes for Santos with Santa Cruz than with the Warriors.

— Draymond Green said Curry’s emotional outburst after hitting the “night-night” shot against Dallas — in which he screamed into the camera, ‘You better stay here’ — was at least partly because Klay Thompson ghosted Curry’s phone call the night before the Mavericks game.

Green revealed the story on his podcast.

— With his 37-point performance against the Mavericks, Curry joined Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only players over 36 years old to put together consecutive 35-point games.

James, 39, broke his own record as the oldest player in NBA history to record three consecutive triple-doubles on Wednesday night.

Not too shabby for the league’s old guard.

“I think they’re both rejuvenated,” said Kerr, who coached both Curry and James in this summer’s Olympics. “I think both guys, at their core, are just such competitors and love winning and love being in the fight. I think it meant so much for both of them to be back in the fight, because the last couple years — last year especially — we didn’t make the playoffs and they got knocked out first round. So it’s been a couple years since both guys and both teams were really in the mix. I think that environment kind of lit the fire again. They’re both excited about trying to be back there on the NBA stage.”

Horoscopes Nov. 14, 2024: Travis Barker, change is apparent and will help to transfer your life

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Olga Kurylenko, 45; Travis Barker, 49; Josh Duhamel, 52; Patrick Warburton, 60.

Happy Birthday: Plan your actions carefully. Aim to keep the peace and to find innovative and positive ways to reinforce what you want to pursue or see transpire this year. A friendly demeanor and willingness to reach out and find common ground will help pave the way to a brighter future. Listen to complaints without letting emotions take over. Change is apparent and will help to transform your life. Your numbers are 5, 12, 24, 29, 33, 42, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Get moving. Refuse to neglect taking care of yourself. Physical activity will ease stress and boost your confidence. Listen to your inner voice and broaden your scope regarding something or someone of interest. Ask questions and trust your instincts when dealing with authority figures, institutions or legal matters. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Channel your emotional energy into love, learning and lifestyle changes. Participate in events that help you recognize what’s holding you back and offer insight into new possibilities. Distance yourself from anyone dictating what you can do, and refuse to let stubbornness stop you from making the right choice. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Conversations will be misleading. Ask questions, research and evaluate situations before you sign up for something time-consuming or expensive. Put your efforts into fact-finding, short trips in search of answers and learning something that improves your life, mindset or direction. Take better care of yourself and your finances. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Do what you can to help; this will highlight your attributes and expand your friendships. Don’t rely on maybes or the remote possibilities others suggest. If you want something done, it is best to do it yourself. Your effort will raise your profile and someone’s interest in you. 4 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Keep an open mind, listen and be direct regarding what you can and will contribute. Your power is in your willingness to share and to make a difference in the outcome of something you want to see unfold. Draw on your imagination, and you’ll outmaneuver a competitive adversary. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Actions speak louder than words. Take the initiative and research, and you’ll discover how to use your skills to make financial gains and physical improvements. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t need. Say no to temptation that’s misleading, expensive and unhealthy. Learn to love yourself. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take a trip down memory lane, attend a reunion or reach out to someone you miss. It will spark your imagination and help you plan something that excites you. Make changes that lower your overhead or make your space user-friendly. Set a budget, stick to it and forge ahead. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Set a tight schedule and finish what you start. Working alone is in your best interest, and staying out of conversations with people who don’t share your beliefs is favored. Choose to be creative, to recognize what’s meaningful and to head in a direction that brings you joy. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take better care of yourself and your money. Impulse purchases will set you back. Focus on fitness and socializing with people who enrich your life by offering commonsense alternatives to what’s trending. Consider what you can do without; you’ll spare yourself expenses and regrets. Romance is favored. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Communicate to the powers that be what it is that you want. Paint a picture that piques people’s interest and encourages change. It’s time to run the show instead of just participating. Keep everything you do simple, moderate, feasible and purposeful, and you will harness something that’s cost-efficient and effective. 5 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep your opinions to yourself to avoid conflict. Refuse to let uncertainty stop you from engaging in activities or events that can stimulate your mind. The people you encounter will challenge you to grow and to participate in something that can have a positive impact on your life. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t get angry; get moving. Let your accomplishments speak for you. Don’t lower your standards or expectations because others misbehave. Changing your environment will spark your imagination and encourage you to utilize your space efficiently. A physical change or adjustment to how you do things will pay off. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are unique, aware and adaptable. You are proactive and understanding.

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

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Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of government

By STEPHEN GROVES and LISA MASCARO

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump.

A House Republican victory in Arizona, alongside a win in slow-counting California earlier Wednesday, gave the GOP the 218 House victories that make up the majority. Republicans earlier gained control of the Senate from Democrats.

With hard-fought yet thin majorities, Republican leaders are envisioning a mandate to upend the federal government and swiftly implement Trump’s vision for the country.

The incoming president has promised to carry out the country’s largest-ever deportation operation, extend tax breaks, punish his political enemies, seize control of the federal government’s most powerful tools and reshape the U.S. economy. The GOP election victories ensure that Congress will be onboard for that agenda, and Democrats will be almost powerless to check it.

When Trump was elected president in 2016, Republicans also swept Congress, but he still encountered Republican leaders resistant to his policy ideas, as well as a Supreme Court with a liberal majority. Not this time.

When he returns to the White House, Trump will be working with a Republican Party that has been completely transformed by his “Make America Great Again” movement and a Supreme Court dominated by conservative justices, including three that he appointed.

Trump rallied House Republicans at a Capitol Hill hotel Wednesday morning, marking his first return to Washington since the election.

“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s good, we got to figure something else,’” Trump said to the room full of lawmakers who laughed in response.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who with Trump’s endorsement won the Republican Conference’s nomination to stay on as speaker next year, has talked of taking a “blowtorch” to the federal government and its programs, eyeing ways to overhaul even popular programs championed by Democrats in recent years. The Louisiana Republican, an ardent conservative, has pulled the House Republican Conference closer to Trump during the campaign season as they prepare an “ambitious” 100-day agenda.

“Republicans in the House and Senate have a mandate,” Johnson said earlier this week. “The American people want us to implement and deliver that ‘America First’ agenda.”

Trump’s allies in the House are already signaling they will seek retribution for the legal troubles Trump faced while out of office. The incoming president on Wednesday said he would nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, a fierce loyalist, for attorney general.

Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordan, the chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, has said GOP lawmakers are “not taking anything off the table” in their plans to investigate special counsel Jack Smith, even as Smith is winding down two federal investigations into Trump for plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Still, with a few races still uncalled the Republicans may hold the majority by just a few seats as the new Congress begins. Trump’s decision to pull from the House for posts in his administration — Reps. Gaetz, Mike Waltz and Elise Stefanik so far — could complicate Johnson’s ability to maintain a majority in the early days of the new Congress.

Gaetz submitted his resignation Wednesday, effective immediately. Johnson said he hoped the seat could be filled by the time the new Congress convenes Jan. 3. Replacements for members of the House require special elections, and the congressional districts held by the three departing members have been held by Republicans for years.

With the thin majority, a highly functioning House is also far from guaranteed. The past two years of Republican House control were defined by infighting as hardline conservative factions sought to gain influence and power by openly defying their party leadership. While Johnson — at times with Trump’s help — largely tamed open rebellions against his leadership, the right wing of the party is ascendant and ambitious on the heels of Trump’s election victory.

The Republican majority also depends on a small group of lawmakers who won tough elections by running as moderates. It remains to be seen whether they will stay onboard for some of the most extreme proposals championed by Trump and his allies.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, meanwhile, is trying to keep Democrats relevant to any legislation that passes Congress, an effort that will depend on Democratic leaders unifying over 200 members, even as the party undergoes a postmortem of its election losses.

In the Senate, GOP leaders, fresh off winning a convincing majority, are already working with Trump to confirm his Cabinet picks. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota won an internal election Wednesday to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, the longest serving party leader in Senate history.

Thune in the past has been critical of Trump, but praised the incoming president during his leadership election bid.

“This Republican team is united. We are on one team,” Thune said. “We are excited to reclaim the majority and to get to work with our colleagues in the House to enact President Trump’s agenda.”

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The GOP’s Senate majority of 53 seats also ensures that Republicans will have breathing room when it comes to confirming Cabinet posts, or Supreme Court justices if there is a vacancy. Not all those confirmations are guaranteed. Republicans were incredulous Wednesday when the news hit Capitol Hill that Trump would nominate Gaetz as his attorney general. Even close Trump allies in the Senate distanced themselves from supporting Gaetz, who had been facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.

Still, Trump on Sunday demanded that any Republican leader must allow him to make administration appointments without a vote while the Senate is in recess. Such a move would be a notable shift in power away from the Senate, yet all the leadership contenders quickly agreed to the idea. Democrats could potentially fight such a maneuver.

Meanwhile, Trump’s social media supporters, including Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, clamored against picking a traditional Republican to lead the Senate chamber. Thune worked as a top lieutenant to McConnell, who once called the former president a “despicable human being” in his private notes.

However, McConnell made it clear that on Capitol Hill the days of Republican resistance to Trump are over.

Matt Gaetz once faced a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he could now lead

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, was once embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he’s been tapped to lead, and has been under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over allegations including sexual misconduct.

That probe effectively ended Wednesday, though, when Gaetz resigned from Congress.

Gaetz, a staunch Trump defender, has spent years enmeshed in scandals that threaten to derail his confirmation as the nation’s top federal law enforcement officer by the Republican-led Senate.

Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and said last year that the Justice Department’s investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him.

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Trump’s attorney general is expected to oversee radical changes to the Justice Department, which has been the target of Trump’s ire over two criminal cases it brought accusing him of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump, who cast himself as the victim of politically motivated prosecutions, vowed repeatedly on the campaign trail to carry out retribution against his political enemies if returned to the White House.

It’s unlikely Gaetz would be confirmed in time to oversee special counsel Jack Smith, who brought two federal indictments against Trump that are both expected to wind down before the incoming president takes office. Smith is expected to leave his post before Trump takes office, but special counsels are expected to produce reports on their work that historically are made public, and it remains unclear when such a document might be released.

In a statement Wednesday announcing his pick, Trump said Gaetz would root out “systemic corruption” at the Justice Department and return the department “to its true mission of fighting crime and upholding our democracy and constitution.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Gaetz wrote, “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!”

Hours before the announcement, Gaetz said in a social media post that there needs to be a “full court press against this WEAPONIZED government.” He added, “And if that means ABOLISHING every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going!” If confirmed as attorney general, he would oversee both the FBI and the ATF, formally known as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Inside a private meeting of House Republicans, the news that Trump had chosen Gaetz to lead the Justice Department sent a shock. Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho said he has a hard time believing Gaetz will be able to get through the Senate confirmation process. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she didn’t believe Gaetz was a serious candidate.

Some of Gaetz’ allies in the House defended him as Trump’s pick, pointing to his experience as a member on the House Judiciary Committee. Asked Wednesday whether she thinks Gaetz could be confirmed, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a fellow Florida Republican, told reporters that many will try to “smear him,” but “the evidence will speak for itself.”

The federal sex trafficking investigation that began under Attorney General Bill Barr during Trump’s first term focused on allegations that Gaetz and onetime political ally Joel Greenberg paid underage girls and escorts or offered them gifts in exchange for sex.

Greenberg, a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison.

Federal investigators scrutinized a trip that Gaetz took to the Bahamas with a group of women and a doctor who donated to his campaign, and whether the women were paid or received gifts to have sex with the men, according to people familiar with the matter who were not allowed to publicly discuss the investigation. Prosecutors also investigated whether Gaetz and his associates tried to secure government jobs for some of the women, and scrutinized Gaetz’s connections to the medical marijuana sector, including whether his associates sought to influence legislation Gaetz sponsored, the people have said.

Gaetz had remained under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations that he was part of a scheme that led to the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl.

The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021, deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request, and renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation.

Over the summer, the committee provided an unusual public update into its long-running investigation, saying its review now includes whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct. Gaetz has categorically denied all the allegations before the committee.

Rep. Michael Guest, the Republican chair of the House Ethics Committee, had told The Associated Press that Gaetz’s nomination did not change the panel’s ongoing probe. But Gaetz’s resignation means the committee will no longer have jurisdiction to continue its probe.

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Lisa Mascaro, Michael Balsamo and Stephen Groves contributed from Washington.