Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 32

Horoscopes Aug. 30, 2025: Lisa Ling, a change of attitude will go a long way this year

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Andy Roddick, 43; Lisa Ling, 52; Cameron Diaz, 53; Michael Chiklis, 62.

Happy Birthday: A change of attitude will go a long way this year. Pick up momentum and set your sights on what brings you joy. A positive mindset will help you move forward in a direction that puts your mind at ease and opens your heart to opportunities that meet your standards. Refuse to let uncertainty detain you from reaping the benefits of a clear-cut choice. Do your homework swiftly, and proceed. Your numbers are 7, 10, 19, 28, 35, 41, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Put your energy, discipline and ingenious ideas to work for you. Enjoy physical challenges and strive for victory. A new look will attract attention, and social events will encourage new friendships. Be careful not to double-book or make plans you cannot honor. Balance and equality are necessary to your success. Romance is in the stars. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Protect your health, wealth and emotional well-being. Refuse to let what others do ruin your plans. Be sure to receive your fair share of any joint venture or shared income that’s heading your way. Get what you want in writing, and don’t mix business with pleasure. Walk away from uncontrollable people and situations. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Review your situation and be the one to initiate change. Let your body language speak for you, and avoid confrontations that lead to regret. A domestic change will touch you emotionally. Be sure to follow through. Concentrate on what you want to achieve. Personal gain means doing what’s right for you. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Focus on opportunity and investing more time and effort into simplifying your life. Walk away from those who hold you back or complicate your life and plans. Stop using what other people choose to do as an excuse and take responsibility for yourself, your future and your actions. Happiness is a choice. Do your best. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Be the host, the entertainer and the one everyone wants to share an umbrella with, and you will quickly gain momentum and popularity. If you’re fun to be with, everyone will want to be around you. Keep your emotions and troubles to yourself. Smile, be happy, and let go of the past. Choose fitness, not indulgence. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Eliminate frustration over money matters by avoiding joint ventures or shared expenses. Protect yourself and your interests by staying up to speed on the latest scams or anyone trying to bully you into something that doesn’t feel right or honest. Channel your energy into personal and physical pursuits that promote your health, happiness and overall well-being. 4 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Set your sights on your goal, and don’t look up or back until you reach your destination. The journey you embark on will help you discard what’s no longer purposeful and nurture what can and will have a positive impact on your life. Emotions will surface, and communication will be necessary to reach your goal. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Map out your path before you take off. Selecting the wrong detour will leave you in limbo, causing mistrust and potentially putting your health and well-being at risk. Look at every angle, and abide by the rules to avoid getting caught up in someone else’s misfortune. Stick to what you know and do best. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’re ready to take the plunge, update your image or change your direction. Keeping up with the times will offer a boost to your confidence, helping you find your way. A show of emotion will lead to the answers you want and the plans you can make to improve your domestic situation. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be resourceful when dealing with groups or individuals wanting to exploit your assets, skills and connections. Rethink what’s important to you, and choose to use your money to benefit you. Research will help revise your plans to ensure you benefit from the results. Don’t overreact; work quietly toward reaching your objective. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t be afraid to apply pressure when necessary. If you believe in something, follow through. Stand tall, speak your mind and form a bond with those who share your interests. Offer your time and skills, not your cash, to those asking for assistance. Your money will serve you best if you invest in yourself. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Finish what you start. Pour your energy into doing and add your unique touch to ensure you get the credit you deserve. Emotional turmoil will arise if you allow someone to use criticism to make you feel inadequate. Don’t give in to insecurities when your strength is precisely in who you are and what you do. 2 stars

Birthday Baby: You are emotional, loving and protective. You are careful and detailed.

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

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

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

High School football: Breakers defense lifts them past Seaside

SEASIDE — The setting didn’t quite have the buzz that created an adrenaline rush that oozed through the veins of players the last time these two peninsula football institutions met 19 years ago.

Then again, that was for a Central Coast Section Small School Championship. This was a season opener for Seaside and Pacific Grove, two teams searching for an identity on Friday.

Nearly two decades since Seaside won its first section title with a 28-14 win over the Breakers, the only reminders from that electric battle is head coach Al Avila still pacing the sidelines for the Spartans, with his mentor Andy Gray now an assistant at Pacific Grove.

The Breakers made two first quarter touchdowns from Northrop Kirk stand up, opening the season with a 14-7 win at Seaside, their third straight season-opening win.

“It was a strange win,” Pacific Grove coach Jeff Gray said. “I thought we’d put a few more numbers on the board after our start. As the offensive coordinator, I’m a little disappointed. It was a great win for the defense.”

Over the last two years, Pacific Grove has started the year 6-0 and 5-1, before injuries caught up to them in the second half of both seasons, going 1-3 down the stretch to miss the postseason.

“We can build off this if we’re healthy,” Seaside coach Al Avila said. “We lost a couple of kids. I don’t know the extent of the injuries. The kids that came in played hard and tough. We just don’t have the depth to absorb one or two injuries.”

Coming off a 1-9 season and dropped to the Santa Lucia Division this season has raised questions about whether Seaside’s annual Battle of the Bay with Gabilan Division nemesis Monterey next week will continue in the future.

“We’re facing kids that live in Seaside,” Avila said. “We’re trying to sustain our program. I don’t know if we should be playing a team that’s got more freshmen out than we have in our entire program.”

Seaside has just 38 players in its entire program, a number that will likely shrink next week when it faces Monterey on Saturday at Monterey Peninsula College.

“We lost two kids tonight that likely won’t be available next week,” Avila said. “One will be a big blow to the line. Can we survive our preseason to get to league? I did see a lot of growth. We had a lot of teaching moments. ”

Such as the opening kickoff when Seaside was penalized twice, once for being offside and the other for kicking it out of bounds.

“I’m thinking, is this a bad omen?” Avila said.

Gray’s disappointment in the offense likely stemmed after Pacific Grove failed to produce a point after scoring on two of its first three possessions to open up a 14-point lead.

Quarterback Ersi Kullolli was efficient when putting the ball in the air, finding tailback Northrop Kirk on a screen pass, in which the sophomore tailback darted 11 yards for the game’s first touchdown.

Kirk, who along with Garrett Kuska, took turns grinding the ball for the Breakers, added a second touchdown in the opening quarter when he slipped through a seam and landed in the end zone nine yards later.

Yet, when Pacific Grove failed to produce points inside its 5-yard line just before halftime on a missed field goal, it gave Seaside some momentum going into the second half.

“We made adjustments,” Avila said. “I sort of panicked in the first half and started doing more stuff when we lost a starter. Our guys were thinking too much. We made things simpler in the second half and let them play.”

Aided by a muffed punt at the 10-yard line, the Spartans cut the deficit to seven two plays later when Josiah Escort got into the end zone in the fourth quarter.

“When we missed that field goal, the game kind of changed,” Gray said. “Seaside took advantage of our weaknesses. I thought our defense stepped up.”

Particularly linebacker Ryder Gamecho, who was a demon on defense, while Cameron Talley came up with an interception in the end zone in the second quarter to keep Seaside off the scoreboard.

“Cameron’s not a starter,” said Gray, who Breakers will host Greenfield next Saturday. “But he played like one. Our backups had to come in and perform. We had a solid goal line stand. We have a lot of work in front of us. But we will build off this.”

 

High School football: Garcia’s three touchdowns lead Palma to an emotional win over North County

CASTROVILLE — Before Palma’s bus headed to Castroville, it made a stop at head football coach Jeff Carnazzo’s Salinas house to see their coach.

Carnazzo, who suffered a medical issue earlier in the week, but is expected to make a full recovery, walked on to the bus and gave the Chieftains a quick pep talk Friday, while sharing an update on his health.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been that scared,” Carnazzo said. “I had never had a headache like that. The doctors said I am one of the lucky ones. The doctors wouldn’t clear me to coach the game. But I got a chance to talk to the team.”

Whatever the county’s all-time winningest coach said, it sank in as the Chieftains dropped 28 points on North County in the first 18 minutes of the game in a 41-13 decision.

“I was able to listen to the game,” Carnazzo said. “I talked with Nick (assistant coach Nick Noroian) after the game. We made a lot of mistakes. It was a little rough around the edges. We’ll improve off of it.”

Noroian, who has been an assistant to Carnazzo for two decades, filled in as the Chieftains head coach, turning to a ground game that witnessed David Garcia and Eli Dukes combine for five touchdown runs.

“We got thumped early,” North County coach Juan Cuevas said. “I looked up in the second quarter and we’re down 28-0. You need to see a good punch once or twice. The morale isn’t low. We didn’t limp off the field like we did last year.”

Champions of the Mission Division North last season — their first league title outright in 25 years — the Condors fell 41-7 to Palma in last year’s preseason game.

“We’re not young,” said Cuevas, who took North County to the playoffs last fall for the first time in 15 years. “I felt like we competed. But we’re inexperienced. At times, it showed.”

For all the attention on Dukes, it was Garcia who stole the spotlight in the first quarter with a 35-yard touchdown run — the first of three touchdowns from the junior tailback.

Dukes, who rushed for over 2,000 yards last season, didn’t disappoint in limited touches, scoring a pair of touchdowns, including a 40-yard run to stake Palma to a 28-0 cushion.

“You have your ups and downs over the course of a season,” said Carnazzo, who took Palma to a state title in 2023 and a spot in the Central Coast Section Division II finals last fall. “The season is like a rollercoaster.”

The Condors cut into Palma’s 28-point lead in the second quarter when Junior Hernandez connected with Jake Silva on an 80-yard scoring strike. The pair hooked up again in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 21.

Palma, who has made a CCS record 40 straight postseason appearances and will host Hilmar next Friday at Rabobank, pushed its lead back to 28 points in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run from Dwayne Choates.

SF Giants score season-high 15 runs, extend winning streak to six games

SAN FRANCISCO — Dominic Smith grew up idolizing Barry Bonds. He watched how Bonds sent home run after home run into McCovey Cove, sending awaiting cadres of kayaks into a craze. Now, Smith, too, knows the feeling of sending a long ball into the San Francisco Bay.

Smith’s first Splash Hit — and the 107th in Oracle Park history — was the highlight of a night where the Giants (67-68) outslugged the Baltimore Orioles 15-8 on Friday night. San Francisco extended its winning streak to six games, and Smith created a timeless memory in the process.

“One of the most iconic things in all of sports is seeing guys hit balls into that water, into McCovey Cove,” Smith said. “The list of guys who’ve done it for this franchise, some legendary players. When I got the call to put on this uniform, I knew it was something I wanted to do. Every kid growing up dreams of those moments. So, for it to actually happen, it was very surreal and something I’m going to cherish forever.”

Before Smith could cherish the moment, he needed to find out the moment worth cherishing.

Smith knew pretty quickly that he’d homered. Right fielder Jeremiah Jackson took a few half-hearted steps before pulling up, and the water cannons fired a spray of mist before the ball landed. It wasn’t until the next inning when Oracle Park’s scoreboard played the tape that Smith realized what he’d accomplished.

“It’s something surreal that you dream of,” Smith said. “You’re just kind of in shock and awe, and you just really try to cherish the whole thing. You look around the ballpark and kind of say, ‘Pinch me, I’m dreaming.’ And you realize you’re not. It’s something that’s super memorable for me.”

Smith finished the night with two hits and a season-high four RBIs, but there was no shortage of notable stat lines on a night where the Giants set their season-high in runs scored.

Every starter totaled at least one hit. Five players — Smith, Willy Adames, Luis Matos, Rafael Devers, Drew Gilbert — recorded multiple hits. Five players — Smith, Devers, Matos, Gilbert, Matt Chapman — had multiple RBIs.

Matos totaled a career-high four hits, one being his eighth home run of the season. Adames collected four hits along with a steal, an RBI and three runs scored. Gilbert hit his first career double and drove in two runs.

In total, this night marked the first time the Giants have scored at least 15 runs in a game at Oracle Park since July 10, 2015, as well as the seventh time in this ballpark’s history.

“We went through a tough period where we couldn’t score any runs,” said manager Bob Melvin. “You look at where we are in the league in runs scored and it’s not great, but we have the ability to do it.”

Added starter Robbie Ray: “If we can keep that going, it’s going to be fun.”

That offense was needed on a night where Ray allowed a season-high six runs over 4 1/3 innings, one of only five times this season that the left-hander hasn’t completed at least five innings. Ray, oddly enough, had some skin rip off of his finger as he warmed up that resulted in the game being temporarily delayed, but the left-hander described it as a nonissue.

Ray’s velocity had noticeably dipped in his last two starts, clocking in at 92.1 mph against the San Diego Padres and 91.3 mph against the Milwaukee Brewers, but his four-seamer was back up to 93.7 mph against the Orioles.

“I felt like the ball was coming out good,” Ray said. “I’ve been working on some delivery stuff. Still working on getting it dialed in just a little bit. The results weren’t there, but definitely encouraging. The velo was back up, and the shapes of my pitches were better.”

Smith’s splash landing, the first by a Giant since Mike Yastrzemski’s walk-off against the Cincinnati Reds, will be the defining moment of the night, but one of the game’s most electrifying plays happened on the bases.

In the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and second, Rafael Devers lined a single to left field. The Orioles’ Dylan Beavers airmailed the throw home, allowing Drew Gilbert to score from second and Willy Adames to advance to third. Devers, seeing the mistake, advanced from first to second.

If catcher Alex Jackson ate the throw, the play would’ve been over and only one run would’ve scored. Instead, Jackson threw to second to try to get Devers. Adames, recognizing that no one was home, dashed for the plate. Jackson scrambled back to cover, but the throw home was too late.

“All those things add up to what Willy is,” Melvin said. “Both he and (third base coach Matt Williams) had an eye on that. … He’s done it twice in the last couple weeks or so. He’s just a head’s up baseball player who knows the situation, knows what’s going on and his head’s on a swivel. Those things end up being big because they create a lot of excitement, and at the time, that run was big.”

Despite Friday’s win, the Giants remain six games back of the Mets for the final NL wild card spot following New York’s 19-9 bludgeoning of the Miami Marlins.

SF Giants’ Rodríguez recommended to undergo Tommy John surgery

SAN FRANCISCO — Giants closer Randy Rodríguez will have a choice to make in the coming days, but all signs point to one option.

Rodríguez has been recommended to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow by multiple doctors — Giants’ head team orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki and Dr. Keith Meister — the Giants announced on Friday.

The 25-year-old All-Star, who has a 1.78 ERA with 67 strikeouts over 50 2/3 innings, will decide his course of action over the weekend. If Rodríguez opts for surgery, the procedure won’t just end the remainder of this season, but will likely sideline him for all of next season.

“From spring training last year to where he is right now, it’s pretty extreme,” said manager Bob Melvin. “Credit to him. Hard work, perseverance, good stuff, finding mechanics that work for him. For a while there, probably the most important role we had as a guy that came in and had to get the big outs. Disappointing, obviously — for him, for us. There’s a timetable in that if he does do it. I’m sure he’ll be healthy and ready to go after that.”

Rodríguez told reporters following Friday’s 15-8 win that he has been dealing with elbow discomfort since last year but he’s especially felt it over the last couple games. If Rodríguez elects for surgery, he hopes that the procedure will allow him to pitch without pain.

“Since this is the first time I’m going through this, I’m getting all the different opinions, listening to my agent,” Rodríguez said through team interpreter Erwin Higueros. “They have also talked about getting some injections in there. But again, I’m just keeping my mind open to all the different opinions.”

The Giants have exercised caution with Rodríguez, who missed about six weeks last season due to right elbow inflammation. Rodríguez has only pitched on back-to-back days six times this season, the last instance being on July 26-27 against the New York Mets. Despite those best efforts, Rodríguez still appears to be headed under the knife.

With Rodríguez likely out for the 2026 season — the timetable to return is roughly 12 to 18 months — the Giants’ brass will be tasked with bolstering their bullpen in the offseason.

San Francisco’s bullpen enters Friday with the second-best ERA in the majors (3.22), but that unit looks significantly different than it was at the beginning of the season.

Along with Rodríguez, left-hander Erik Miller is currently recovering from a left elbow sprain and could be done for the season following a setback in his recovery. At the trade deadline, the Giants dealt Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets and Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees. Still, the Giants still have a foundation in the bullpen upon which they can build.

Ryan Walker lost the closer role to Doval in late May following extended struggles but has been effective since the demotion. With the help of a mechanical tweak, Walker is posting a 1.77 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 20 1/3 innings since July. Now, Walker will return to the closer role for the foreseeable future.

“It sucks,” Walker said of Rodríguez’s injury on Wednesday. “You never want to see guys go down like that. … He’s good mentally, doing whatever he needs to do to get that resolved. What’s great about our ‘pen is that we’ve got everybody’s backs. We’ll fill the void right now and we’ll get the job done.”

Right-hander José Buttó will likely have more opportunities in higher leverage roles as well. Buttó, acquired from the Mets as part of the Rogers trade, owns a 2.38 ERA and 2.24 FIP over 11 1/3 innings since joining the Giants. Notably, Buttó has gone from having a 12.2 percent career walk rate with the Mets to 7.1 percent with the Giants.

Related Articles SF Giants score season-high 15 runs, extend winning streak to six games Randy Moffitt, former SF Giants reliever and brother of Billie Jean King, dies at 76 Willy Adames homers twice as SF Giants walk off Cubs for series sweep Kurtenbach: Where was this when the SF Giants needed it? SF Giants win fourth consecutive game behind four-homer evening

In addition to Walker and Buttó, left-hander Matt Gage has done well, posting a 1.10 ERA over 16 1/3 innings since joining the Giants last month. San Francisco should also get an extended look at rookie flamethrower Joel Peguero, who hasn’t allowed a run over 5 2/3 innings heading into Friday’s game against Baltimore.

“It was tough to navigate,” Walker said of the changing bullpen. “Losing Ty was tough. He was our leader down there. We adapted quick. People took over roles. That’s what we’re designed to do, that’s what we’re taught. It’s been cool to see people thrive in different roles since that happened.”

A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice won’t run again, creating an open seat

By SCOTT BAUER

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A conservative justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court said Friday that she will not seek reelection, creating an open race for a seat on the court that’s controlled 4-3 by liberals.

Related Articles Lawyer: Oregon firefighter arrested by Border Patrol during wildfire was on track for legal status Court finds Trump’s tariffs an illegal use of emergency power, but leaves them in place for now Trump administration plans to remove nearly 700 unaccompanied migrant children, senator says Trump’s new CDC chief: A Washington health insider with a libertarian streak Trump admin cancels $679 million for offshore wind projects as attacks on reeling industry continue

Justice Rebecca Bradley’s decision not to run for a second full term comes after conservative candidates for the highest court in the battleground state have lost each of the past two elections by double-digit margins. Both of those races broke national spending records and the liberal won in April despite heavy spending by billionaire Elon Musk.

Liberal state Supreme Court candidates have won four of the past five races, resulting in them taking over the majority in 2023, breaking a 15-year run of conservative control. Regardless of who wins the April election, liberals will maintain their 4-3 court majority until at least 2028. If they can win next year, their majority would increase to 5-2.

The open race comes as several high-profile issues could make their way to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the coming months, including abortion, collective bargaining rights, congressional redistricting and election rules.

Chris Taylor, a state appeals court judge and former Democratic state lawmaker, is the only announced candidate. Conservative Maria Lazar, who is also a state appeals court judge, said she is seriously considering a run for the state Supreme Court and will make a decision “in the next few weeks.”

Bradley had said in April that she planned to run again, but ultimately changed her mind.

“I will not seek reelection to the Wisconsin Supreme Court because I believe the best path for me to rebuild the conservative movement and fight for liberty is not as a minority member of the Court,” she said in a statement.

Bradley said her warnings about the court being controlled by “judicial activists” went unheeded “and Wisconsin has seen only the beginning of what is an alarming shift from thoughtful, principled judicial service toward bitter partisanship, personal attacks, and political gamesmanship that have no place in court.”

“The conservative movement needs to take stock of its failures, identify the problem, and fix it,” she said.

Taylor has raised over $1 million since getting into the race, her campaign manager, Ashley Franz, said in a statement after Bradley announced her decision.

Bradley hadn’t raised any money this year for a potential reelection campaign.

“The incredible support for Judge Taylor shows how important this race is,” Franz said.

Bradley, 54, was appointed to the Supreme Court by then-Gov. Scott Walker in 2015 and won election to a full 10-year term in 2016. Before joining the court, Bradley had served three years as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge and a year as a state appeals court judge.

Bradley was a reliable conservative voice on the court, dissenting on a July ruling that found an 1849 Wisconsin law did not ban abortions. Another case, brought by Planned Parenthood that seeks to make abortion a constitutional right, has been accepted by the court, but a date for oral arguments has not been set.

When conservatives had the majority, Bradley voted to uphold the Act 10 law that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most state workers. A new challenge to that law is in the state appeals court and could go before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Bradley also voted with conservative justices in a 2020 case brought by President Donald Trump in a failed attempt to overturn his loss in Wisconsin that year. The court ruled 4-3 against Trump.

And she sided with the conservative majority in a ruling banning absentee ballot drop boxes that was later overturned by the liberal-controlled court.

Lawyer: Oregon firefighter arrested by Border Patrol during wildfire was on track for legal status

By MARTHA BELLISLE

SEATTLE (AP) — Lawyers are demanding the release of a longtime Oregon resident arrested by Border Patrol while fighting a Washington state wildfire, saying Friday that the firefighter was already on track for legal status after helping federal investigators solve a crime against his family.

Related Articles A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice won’t run again, creating an open seat Court finds Trump’s tariffs an illegal use of emergency power, but leaves them in place for now Trump administration plans to remove nearly 700 unaccompanied migrant children, senator says Trump’s new CDC chief: A Washington health insider with a libertarian streak Trump admin cancels $679 million for offshore wind projects as attacks on reeling industry continue

His arrest was illegal, the lawyers said, and violated Department of Homeland Security polices that say immigration enforcement must not be conducted at locations where emergency responses are happening.

He is one of two firefighters arrested this week while working the Bear Gulch Fire in the Olympic National Forest, which as of Friday had burned about 14 square miles (36 square kilometers) and was only 13% contained, forcing evacuations.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Thursday that it had been helping the Bureau of Land Management with a criminal investigation into two contractors working at the fire when it discovered two firefighters who they said were in the country without permanent legal status.

The firefighter, whose name has not been made public, has lived in the U.S. for 19 years after arriving with his family at age 4. He received a U-Visa certification from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon in 2017 and submitted his U-Visa application with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services the following year.

The map above shows the perimeter of the Bear Gulch wildfire in Mason County, Wash. (AP Digital Embed)

The U-Visa program was established by Congress to protect victims of serious crimes who assist federal investigators, and the man has been waiting since 2018 for the immigration agency to decide on his application, according to Stephen Manning, a lawyer with Innovation Law Lab, a Portland-based nonprofit that’s representing the firefighter.

Another Homeland Security policy says agents can’t detain people who are receiving or have applied for victim-based immigration benefits, his lawyer said. Charging the man with an immigration violation was “an illegal after-the-fact justification” given his U-Visa status.

His lawyers said Friday that they located him in the immigration detention system and were able to make contact. They were still processing information and are demanding his immediate release, they told the AP in an email.

A senior DHS official said in a statement to the AP on Friday that the two men apprehended were not firefighters and were not actively fighting the fire. Officials said they were providing a supporting role by cutting logs into firewood.

“The firefighting response remained uninterrupted the entire time,” the statement said. “No active firefighters were even questioned, and U.S. Border Patrol’s actions did not prevent or interfere with any personnel actively engaged in firefighting efforts.”

FILE – A wildland fire crew looks on after setting a fire line on Harlow Ridge above the Lick Creek Fire, July 12, 2021, south of Asotin, Wash. (Pete Caster/Lewiston Tribune via AP, File)

When the Bureau of Land Management was asked to provide information about why its contracts with two companies were terminated and 42 firefighters were escorted away from the state’s largest wildfire, it declined. It would only say it cooperates with other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.

“These law enforcement professionals contribute to broader federal enforcement efforts by maintaining public safety, protecting natural resources, and collaborating with the agencies, such as the Border Patrol,” Department of Interior spokesperson Alyse Sharpe told The Associated Press in an email.

Manning said in a letter to Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, that the arrest violated Homeland Security policy.

Wyden was critical of the Border Patrol’s operation, saying President Donald Trump’s administration is more concerned about conducting raids on fire crews than protecting communities from catastrophic fires. Firefighters put their lives on the line, Wyden emphasized, such as the Oregon firefighter who died Sunday while battling a wildfire in southwestern Montana.

“The last thing that wildland firefighter crews need is to be worried about masked individuals trampling their due process rights,” Wyden said in an email to the AP.

Meanwhile, wildfire officials were still trying to get control of the Bear Gulch Fire. The number of personnel working on the blaze was listed at 303 on Friday, down from 349 on Thursday.

Court finds Trump’s tariffs an illegal use of emergency power, but leaves them in place for now

By PAUL WISEMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump had no legal right to impose sweeping tariffs on almost every country on earth but left in place for now his effort to build a protectionist wall around the American economy.

Related Articles A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice won’t run again, creating an open seat Lawyer: Oregon firefighter arrested by Border Patrol during wildfire was on track for legal status Trump administration plans to remove nearly 700 unaccompanied migrant children, senator says Trump’s new CDC chief: A Washington health insider with a libertarian streak Trump admin cancels $679 million for offshore wind projects as attacks on reeling industry continue

The ruling from U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found Trump overstepped his authority under an emergency powers law, a major legal blow that largely upheld a May decision by a specialized federal trade court in New York.

“It seems unlikely that Congress intended to … grant the President unlimited authority to impose tariffs,” the judges wrote in a 7-4 ruling.

But they did not strike down the tariffs immediately, allowing his administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The president vowed to do just that. “If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America,” Trump wrote on his social medial platform.

White House spokesman Kush Desai said Trump had acted lawfully, and “we look forward to ultimate victory on this matter.”

An attorney for small businesses affected by the tariffs, meanwhile, said the ruling shows Trump doesn’t have unlimited power to impose tariffs on his own. “This decision protects American businesses and consumers from the uncertainty and harm caused by these unlawful tariffs,” said Jeffrey Schwab, director of litigation at the Liberty Justice Center.

Still, it remains unclear whether businesses will see any effects from the decision, said National Foreign Trade Council President Jake Colvin.

“If these tariffs are ultimately struck down, it ought to serve as a wake up call for Congress to reclaim its constitutional mandate to regulate duties and bring some long-term certainty for U.S. businesses and relief for consumers,” Colvin said.

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said he plans to force votes on “repealing these harmful, regressive taxes at every opportunity.”

Putting pressure on allies

The ruling complicates Trump’s ambitions to upend decades of American trade policy completely on his own. Trump has alternative laws for imposing import taxes, but they would limit the speed and severity with which he could act. His tariffs — and the erratic way he’s rolled them out — have shaken global markets, alienated U.S. trading partners and allies and raised fears of higher prices and slower economic growth.

But he’s also used the levies to pressure the European Union, Japan and other countries into accepting one-sided trade deals and to bring tens of billions of dollars into the federal Treasury to help pay for the massive tax cuts he signed into law July 4.

“The administration could lose a pillar of its negotiating strategy,” Ashley Akers, senior counsel at the Holland & Knight law firm and a former Justice Department trial lawyer, said before the appeals court decision.

A dissent from the judges who disagreed with Friday’s ruling clears a possible legal path for Trump, concluding that the 1977 law allowing for emergency actions “is not an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority under the Supreme Court’s decisions,” which have allowed the legislature to grant some tariff authorities to the president.

The government has argued that if the tariffs are struck down, it might have to refund some of the import taxes that it’s collected, delivering a financial blow to the U.S. Treasury.

Revenue from tariffs now totals $159 billion, more than double what it was at the same point the year before. Indeed, the Justice Department warned in a legal filing this month that revoking the tariffs could mean “financial ruin” for the United States.

“For all the tariffs that have been collected under IEEPA, you’re going to see folks request refunds and more refunds,” said trade attorney Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former White House economic adviser.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, meanwhile, accused the judges of interfering with the president’s central role in foreign policy and vowed to appeal.

What tariffs are in question

The ruling involves two sets of import taxes, both of which Trump justified by declaring a national emergency under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA):

— The sweeping tariffs he announced April 2 — “Liberation Day,” he called it — when he imposed “reciprocal” tariffs of up to 50% on countries with which the United States runs trade deficits and a “baseline” 10% tariff on just about everyone else. Those tariff rates have since been revised by Trump, in some cases after trade negotiations, and generally went into effect Aug. 7.

The national emergency underlying the tariffs, Trump said, was the long-running gap between what the U.S. sells and what it buys from the rest of the world. The president started to levy modified tariff rates in August, but goods from countries with which the U.S. runs a surplus also face the taxes.

— The “trafficking tariffs” he announced Feb. 1 on imports from Canada, China and Mexico and later refined. These were designed to get those countries to do more to stop what he declared a national emergency: the illegal flow of drugs and immigrants across their borders into the United States. The Constitution gives Congress the power to impose taxes, including tariffs. But over the decades, lawmakers have ceded authority to the president, and Trump has made the most of the power vacuum.

But Trump’s assertion that IEEPA essentially gives him unlimited power to tax imports quickly drew legal challenges — at least seven cases. No president had ever used the law to justify tariffs, though IEEPA had been used frequently to impose export restrictions and other sanctions on U.S. adversaries such as Iran and North Korea.

The plaintiffs argued that the emergency power law does not authorize the use of tariffs.

They also noted that the trade deficit hardly meets the definition of an “unusual and extraordinary” threat that would justify declaring an emergency under the law. The United States, after all, has run trade deficits — in which it buys more from foreign countries than it sells them — for 49 straight years and in good times and bad.

Emergency powers

The Trump administration argued that courts approved President Richard Nixon’s emergency use of tariffs in a 1971 economic crisis that arose from the chaos that followed his decision to end a policy linking the U.S. dollar to the price of gold. The Nixon administration successfully cited its authority under the 1917 Trading With the Enemy Act, which preceded and supplied some of the legal language used in IEEPA.

In May, the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York rejected the argument, ruling that Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs “exceed any authority granted to the President” under the emergency powers law. In reaching its decision, the trade court combined two challenges — one by five businesses and one by 12 U.S. states — into a single case.

In the case of the drug trafficking and immigration tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico, the trade court ruled that the levies did not meet IEEPA’s requirement that they “deal with” the problem they were supposed to address.

The court challenge does not cover other Trump tariffs, including levies on foreign steel, aluminum and autos that the president imposed after Commerce Department investigations concluded that those imports were threats to U.S. national security.

Nor does it include tariffs that Trump imposed on China in his first term — and President Joe Biden kept — after a government investigation concluded that the Chinese used unfair practices to give their own technology firms an edge over rivals from the United States and other Western countries.

Trump could potentially cite alternative authorities to impose import taxes, though they are more limited. Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, for instance, allows the president to tax imports from countries with which the U.S. runs big trade deficits at 15% for 150 days.

Likewise, Section 301 of the same 1974 law allows the president to tax imports from countries found to have engaged in unfair trade practices after an investigation by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Trump used Section 301 authority to launch his first-term trade war with China.

Associated Press writers Mark Sherman and Josh Boak contributed to this story.

Joby Aviation buys Blade Air Mobility, boosts entry to commercial service

MARINA – Joby Aviation has completed its up to $125 million acquisition of Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business. The move will provide Joby with Blade’s network of terminals and loyal flyers in markets such as New York and in Southern Europe. It’s expected to position Joby for a faster entry into commercial service.

Joby’s acquisition of Blade’s passenger business comes on the heels of Joby’s successful first flight between two U.S. airports – Marina Municipal and Monterey Regional – earlier this month. The piloted flight was a major achievement in that it highlighted key capabilities across safety, operations, air traffic control and certification progress.

Joby Aviation, which has been doing business at the Marina Municipal Airport for about seven years, has designed and is producing an electric air taxi that will carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds up to 200 mph and offer high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions. Joby Aviation plans to operate these aircraft as part of aerial ridesharing networks in cities and communities around the world.

On Friday in a related development, the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership announced it had been awarded a $7,450,000 grant on behalf of the Monterey Bay Tech Hub to expand the Central Coast’s advanced air mobility ecosystem, which will include uncrewed aerial systems and drones. The California Advanced Air Mobility Corridors Initiative is positioned to establish California’s first FAA-compliant, multi-airport flight corridor network, connecting the rural public airports of Watsonville, Marina, Salinas, and Hollister. This integrated corridor will support the testing, certification, and commercialization of clean-energy aircraft for passenger, cargo, defense and next-generation drone operations.

“The development of an FAA-compliant multi-airport test corridor will be transformational for the Monterey Bay region, already at the forefront of innovation in electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and drone technology that is revolutionizing many aspects of our day-to-day lives,” said Monterey Bay Economic Partnership President and CEO Tahra Goraya in a press release. “The California Advanced Air Mobility Corridors Initiative charts a clear path forward for how we can embrace the full AAM potential of the Monterey Bay and bring the kind of jobs that will help our regional economy thrive.”

The Monterey Bay region is already a leader in advanced air mobility and drone technology, boasting the nation’s highest concentration of companies in the Advanced Air Mobility sector, says MBEP. Startups such as Joby Aviation, Wisk, Archer, Parallel Flight, Elroy Air and Guardian Agriculture are pioneering advanced air mobility technologies such as electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and uncrewed aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, establishing the Central Coast as a national hub for aerospace innovation.

“By combining Joby’s aircraft with Blade’s established network, we’re creating an unmatched foundation for bringing quiet air travel to market,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby in a press release. “Blade’s loyal flyers will be among the first to experience this new mode of transportation, and over time, we look forward to making it even easier to access, integrated seamlessly into the apps and services people already use every day.”

Joby will continue Blade’s passenger operations as a wholly-owned subsidiary led by its founder and CEO Rob Wiesenthal as part of the transaction. Blade’s Medical division, which was not included in the transaction and will remain a separate public company, is to partner with Joby on medical transportation.

The acquisition will allow Joby to combine its technology with Blade’s decade of experience delivering customer transportation at scale in addition to gaining immediate market access and infrastructure across urban corridors in New York City and Southern Europe, as Joby sets its sights on carrying its first passengers in Dubai next year.

Blade flew more than 50,000 passengers in 2024 from a network of 12 urban terminals situated in some of the most important urban air mobility markets in the world, according to Joby. This includes dedicated lounge and terminal bases at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty Airport, as well as the West Side of Manhattan, the East Side of Manhattan and Wall Street.

By utilizing Blade’s existing infrastructure and gradually transitioning a large base of passengers from conventional helicopters to next-generation Joby aircraft, Joby expects to be able to accelerate its commercialization while reducing infrastructure investment requirements and customer acquisition costs.

“This is a strategically important acquisition that will support the successful launch of Joby’s commercial operations in Dubai, our subsequent global rollout and our continued leadership in the sector,” said Bevirt in the release. “Over the last decade, Rob and the team at Blade have built a world-class passenger experience that demonstrates the value of vertical lift. With access to the infrastructure they have secured and the loyal customer base they have developed, we will be in the best possible position to launch our quiet, electric aircraft as soon as certification is secured.”

As part of the transaction, Joby will also become the preferred VTOL partner to Blade’s organ transport business, which will remain a separate public company to be re-named Strata Critical Medical, wherever Joby has operations, strengthening its position in high-value, mission-critical air medical services and demonstrating future use cases for Joby’s aircraft beyond passenger services, according to Joby Aviation. The best-in-class ElevateOS software tools, developed by Joby to deliver high-tempo air taxi operations, will be integrated into Blade’s operations to help drive cost efficiency and an improved passenger experience.

Joby recently began full operation of its expanded Marina site — a 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the Marina Municipal Airport, enabling it to boost production up to 24 aircraft per year, and bringing its total occupancy at the municipal airport to 435,500 square feet. The site also provides key capabilities, including Joby’s initial FAA production certification, conforming ground and flight testing components, pilot training simulators and aircraft maintenance.

Monterey starts to grapple with $10 million budget deficit

MONTEREY — Monterey city officials stressed that one-time solutions alone would not resolve the city’s structural deficit in a special City Council meeting Wednesday.

The special meeting was held to review potential strategies to reduce a $10 million annual structural budget deficit.

City staff said the shortfall, which began in the 2025-26 fiscal year, will persist and grow unless ongoing revenues are increased or ongoing expenditures are reduced. While the city balanced its current budget, expenditures are projected to exceed revenues by about $10 million annually.

“We have costs that are increasing outside of our control, for example, the city’s liability and property insurance premiums went up in 2020,” said City Manager Hans Uslar. “The largest chunk of our expenses are personnel costs. You cannot have AI (artificial intelligence) roll out to police calls or have AI roll out to extinguish a fire.”

Assistant City Manager Nat Rojanasathira presented a set of options that councilmembers and the public will continue to review ahead of the council’s regular meeting on Tuesday. Staff prepared index cards outlining each strategy and asked council members to sort them into “yes,” “maybe,” and “no” categories based on their priorities.

Proposals with direct impact to the General Fund include reallocating Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program funds, reducing budgeted positions through attrition, instituting a first responder fee, pausing or eliminating city programs, contracting out government access services, phasing out Mills Act tax reductions, optimizing Veterans Park Campground, and selling underutilized properties.

Revenue proposals under consideration include new or increased taxes such as a 0.375 percent sales tax increase, a 5 percent admissions tax, a vacancy tax, a parking tax, a streaming services tax, and a higher real property transfer tax. Some of these would require voter approval.

Other measures would indirectly relieve General Fund obligations, such as renewing Measure P/S, which funds street and sidewalk repairs, or Measure G, which added a half-cent sales tax in 2020. Adjusting the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s $1 annual lease could also increase Tidelands revenue.

One-time revenue options include selling city property, defunding non-priority Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program projects, or amending visitor accommodation facility rules to attract new investment.

City officials said the budget requires ongoing changes.

“This is not a one-time deficit,” said Finance Director Rafaela King. “Next year it’s going to be the same, the following year it will be the same. It is structural.”

City staff estimated that if the council did nothing, the deficit could go up to $21 million by 2031.

The council will provide feedback at the Tuesday meeting to help determine which options move forward for public engagement and possible ballot measures.The meeting will start at 4 p.m. in council chambers, 580 Pacific St. The meeting can also be watched via Zoom at https://monterey-org.zoomgov.com/j/1607729333 or YouTube at youtube.com/cityofmonterey.