Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 344

College football: Hartnell shows promise in setback to Los Medanos

SALINAS — There was a pulse, at times a rapid heartbeat for a program that had eulogies written about them two weeks into the season.

That elusive first win for Hartnell didn’t occur Saturday. Yet, the energy and emotion demonstrated was a clear sign that the program is going in the right direction.

As 45 freshmen continue to grow into their roles, the Panthers showed that there is a lot of fight left in them, falling 28-13 Saturday to Los Medanos at Rabobank Stadium.

“There were a lot of positives,” Hartnell first year coach Ruben Lerma said. “We did not capitalize in the red zone and had too many turnovers. But in looking at this game, there was improvement in all three phases. There are things we can build off of.”

Having fallen to three nonconference teams that are a combined 10-1, the Panthers will open American Golden Coast Conference play next Saturday, hosting Gavilan at 6 p.m. at Rabobank.

After being humbled 108-30 in its first two games, Hartnell held Los Medanos to 15 points in the first half, holding its first lead in the second quarter, albeit briefly.

“Absolutely we saw growth spurts today,” Lerma said. “The prevailing light switch went on. We will go to the film and correct some of our mistakes. As coaches, we have to keep fixing things.”

Dealt a huge blow to their offense in the first half of their season opener with the loss of quarterback Adam Shaffer to a knee injury three weeks ago, the Panthers have had to revise the game plan. But first, it had to find a quarterback.

Hartnell has turned back the clock with former Soledad quarterback Dominic Chavez relearning the position, making his first start behind center in two years.

A defensive back at Cabrillo College last fall, Chavez was one of the Panthers’ primary receiving targets, catching the team’s first touchdown in their opener.

“He was going to see action on both sides of the ball for us,” Lerma said. “The kid has probably taken 50 snaps, including practice coming into the game. It’s about repetition. There’s a lot of timing he has to get down with our system. But he provides a spark.”

Chavez, who set the Soledad single-game passing record as a junior in 2021, helped Hartnell to a 6-3 lead in the first quarter when he connected with Isaiah Durate on an 18-yard touchdown pass — his first as a collegiate.

On the Panthers’ ensuing drive, Chavez orchestrated a drive that chewed up over four minutes, mixing the pass and run before Alisal graduate Damion Gonzales followed his lineman into the end zone for a 13-9 lead in the second quarter.

Gonzales shared the workload with former North Salinas tailback Justin Pascone and Elijah Huerta, as the trio combined for 162 yards on the ground in 33 carries.

“That was part of the game plan, rotate the backs,” Lerma said. “Each provides a different spark. This week I made sure we had fresh legs all the time and were able to run the ball against the fronts we saw.”

Turnovers, though, were a thorn in the Panthers’ side as they committed six, including two in the red zone to keep them off the scoreboard.

Elijah Perkins had a big day defensively for Hartnell with 10 tackles, while Sebastian Garcia and Christopher Phillips both compiled seven.

“The defense was leaps and bounds better,” Lerma said. “We’re starting to jell and figure out our roles. I think the kids see we’re getting better. Yes, we have to take better care of the ball. But they’re starting to zero in on what we’re asking of them.”

High School football: Gomez’s fourth quarter dramatics rally North County past Scotts Valley

SCOTTS VALLEY — The tears were genuine. The emotion that poured out of players, coaches and even parents had been bottled up for some time.

Granted, it’s just one game at the midpoint of the season — a league opener nonetheless. Yet, for North County, signature wins have been rare over the last decade, as have late game heroics.

“Tears were shed,” North County quarterback AJ Gomez said. “Sharing this moment with my team, my coaches and family. After last year, I’m just blessed to be part of this program.”

Two touchdowns in the fourth quarter from Gomez through the air and on the ground, coupled with his two-point conversation with 12 seconds remaining propelled the Condors to a 14-12 win over defending Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division North champion Scotts Valley.

“I’m glad my teammates and coaches trusted me to go out and win this game for them,” Gomez said.

Having dropped five games over the past two years after leading in the second half, the Condors have now rallied from 19- and 14-point deficits in the second half in their first five games.

“This was not a statement,” North County coach Juan Cuevas said. “It’s just us getting through adversity. These kids find a way. But they like to make it hard on me. Each week is something different. I was emotional.”

The Condors, who have a bye next week, have now defeated an “A” league opponent in the preseason for the first time ever, and a defending league champion. One of their losses was to reigning State Division 4A champion Palma.

“Thank goodness we have a bye, because we need it,” said Cuevas, whose Condors will host Alisal in two weeks.

Having been shutout 14-0 by Scotts Valley last year, the Condors were staring at a 12-point deficit before Gomez connected with Jake Read on a 25-yard scoring strike early in the fourth quarter.

However, on the extra point, Read was injured when he was hit in the leg, missing the attempt.

“That changed the game for us,” Cuevas said. “We had no kicker. We threw a linebacker out there on the kickoff because he said he had played soccer as a youth. I said ‘good enough, get out there.'”

For all the gut-wrenching losses the Condors have absorbed over the past two seasons, the defense rose to the occasion in arguably the biggest moment of the game with a stop on fourth down at the 7-yard line with 1:47 remaining.

“We had life,” Cuevas said.

The Condors also had Gomez, who took the team down the field on a 93-yard drive with his legs and arm, finding Kenji Mellin, Chris Rasmussen and JT Islas on short passes to keep the drive alive, moving the chains to the 10-yard line with 21 seconds left, setting the stage for the senior quarterbacks’ dramatics.

“We put the receivers to the right,” Gomez said. “When I saw two ends coming to contain me, I ran toward the left side. I saw a lot of grass. Chris (Rassmussen) was out blocking on the corner. I had the edge.”

What seemed like an eternity was really 11 seconds as Gomez escaped the rush, kept the play alive before breaking to the left sidelines, putting the ball across the goaline to tie the game.

“AJ ran 50 yards, but it only counts as 10,” Cuevas said. “He extended the play with his legs. He was looking for a receiver. I said no, no, no. When the play broke down, he took off.”

However, with no kicker and the game tied at 12, the Condors had no choice but to go for two.

“It was a design option for me to run or throw,” Gomez said. “I saw the safety and corners backed up. I ran to the opposite side where I got a block from Francisco (Calderon) that enabled me to walk in.”

Cuevas just took in the moment as the final seconds ticked off.

“We had practiced that play for five straight weeks,” Cuevas said. “It was the exact scenario we worked on Friday. It finally worked. Wow.”

Gomez reminded his teammates it’s just the start.

“We did this for a number of reasons,” Gomez said. “Last year was a painful loss. It was a revenge game for us. We were able to turn it up in the second half. We wanted to start off league on the right note.”

St. Francis 48, Seaside 20

The growing pains continue for a program with little depth and shrinking numbers as the Spartans fell to 0-4 on the season.

Seaside, which began the season with 28 players, suited just 22 players for the game for the second time this year, as injuries have depleted them.

In four games this season, the Spartans have been outscored 208-52, allowing 50 plus points a game. Last week they fell by 61 points to Aptos.

The four opponents Seaside has faced to date have a combined record of 15-5, three of which went to the postseason last year.

On the heels of back-to-back postseason appearances, the Spartans haven’t started 0-4 since returning from the pandemic in 2021 after not having a season in 2020.

Seaside did jump out to a 7-0 lead with Julius Escort returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown — his second kickoff return for six this season.

What transpired, though, was St. Francis (4-1) running off the game’s next 35 points before Escort took a swing pass from freshman quarterback Elijah Romero and sprinted to the end zone to stop the bleeding in the third quarter.

Escort, who has produced six of the teams eight touchdowns this year, was also on the receiving end of Romero’s second career touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

Gonzales 47, Santa Cruz 27

Ray Blanco accounted for four touchdowns as the Spartans tuned up for an anticipated Santa Lucia Division showdown next Friday with Stevenson.

Because Gonzales does not have a home field this fall as renovations continue on its stadium and playing field, it will play host to Stevenson on Friday at Monterey Peninsula College.

“We don’t even talk about it,” Gonzales coach Eddy Ramirez said. “The theme is anyone, anyplace, anytime. We don’t think of the location. We’ve had to adopt to that mentality. Our schedule keeps changing. We just have to be prepared.”

Given the reins to the offense this fall after spending the last two years rotating between quarterback, receiver and tailback, Blanco rushed for 145 yards for three touchdowns, while adding a 35-yard scoring toss to Gilbert Amador.

“He’s all heart,” Ramirez said. “He’s our leader. We use him on offense and defense. He’s stepping up on defense as a safety. We are really beat up right now. Our team respects him and follows him.”

Clinging to a 17-13 halftime lead over the upset-minded Cardinals, Gonzales produced the next 16 points on two Blanco touchdown runs to open up a 20-point cushion.

The senior finished with over 200 yards of offense as the Spartans improved to 3-2 overall. Tailback Ely Cisneros added a 38-yard touchdown run to open the game, while Noel Cuevas capped the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown run.

Five starters, who often go both ways, were limited against Santa Cruz to one side of the ball because of injuries. In addition, the Spartans lost two more players Saturday — one for the season.

“We are using our twos and threes (on the roster),” Ramirez said. “We don’t have a lot of depth to begin with. We’re playing through pain and with a lot of heart. Players are playing out of position. That’s what we have to do.”

Luis Cabada, who kicked the game-winning field goal in last week’s win over King City, added another field goal to his resume this fall for Gonzales.

SF Giants keep hopes of .500 finish alive with 6-5 win over Cardinals

SAN FRANCISCO — It might not matter for postseason seeding, with both teams already eliminated, but don’t tell any of the 36,328 fans who assembled on the shores of McCovey Cove under beautiful blue skies Saturday afternoon for the second-to-last time this season.

The crowd, which pushed the Giants’ season total over 2.6 million, stood on their feet as Tyler Rogers navigated a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning and roared when he got Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn to fly out to end the threat, keeping the ballgame tied at 5.

The highwire acts of Rogers and Ryan Walker, who stranded runners at second and third the next inning, set up a 6-5 win that kept the Giants’ hopes of a .500 finish alive heading into the final day of the season. A win Sunday would prevent a fourth losing record in Farhan Zaidi’s six seasons as president of baseball operations.

“Here at home, in front of a full house, those are important games to play good baseball,” manager Bob Melvin said. “The fans have supported us all year. Here we are in the position we’re in and we’re (almost) sold out last night and today. It’s a great atmosphere here in this ballpark. Day games are electric here.”

After St. Louis plated three to tie the game in the seventh, Tyler Fitzgerald scored the decisive run in the bottom of the eighth when Brett Wisely laid down a successful bunt. The Cardinals’ pitcher airmailed the throw into right field, and Fitzgerald raced home all the way from first base.

“He was trying to drop a bunt down and get on base,” Melvin said. “We keep trying to preach that if you put the ball in play, something good can happen. If you don’t strike out, put a ball in play, something good can happen. That’s going to have to be a theme for us next year, to cut down on strikeouts.”

Here are three takeaways from Game No. 161:

A long road Beck

Blake Snell was set to make his final start of the season Saturday, but when he informed the Giants that he instead planned to sit out, it gave them an opportunity to provide another one of their players with a full circle moment. At the start of spring training, Tristan Beck expected to figure prominently in the Giants’ rotation picture, but he only made his first start of the season with two games left, after Snell was scratched.

Beck’s year was altered when doctors discovered an aneurysm in his right shoulder that he eventually had surgically removed. He underwent the procedure March 3, endured months of rehab and made six appearances out of the bullpen before being given his first start — the fourth of his career.

“It was a nice little cherry on top to what was a long year,” Beck said after limiting St. Louis to one run over four innings on four hits, two walks and three strikeouts. “As the year went on, it became evident that starting might not be in the cards, so in a year where coming into it looked like I might have a shot to start some games, it was nice that I kind of got that opportunity.”

Beck walked the Cardinals’ first batter of the game and allowed him to score, but that was the only damage on his pitching line when he left the game holding a 4-1 lead. The run was the first Beck has allowed in five appearances, dating back to September 10, and only his third total since being activated from the injured list on September 3.

The 28-year-old right-hander finished a difficult year off the field with a 1.69 ERA — and a clean bill of health — and will enter next spring competing with Landen Roupp, Mason Black, Keaton Winn, Hayden Birdsong, Kyle Harrison and Carson Whisenhunt for a spot in the major-league rotation or bullpen.

“He was pretty inspired; you could see he was pretty amped up early in the game,” Melvin said. “I think he realized today, getting a start like that, big crowd, second-to-last game of the season, as far as his road’s gone, he’s got to feel pretty good about it.”

Who finished the game was equally noteworthy. Spencer Bivens, whose career took him to France and the independent leagues before he signed with the Giants, recorded the final three outs to notch his first major-league save at 30 years old.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tristan Beck (43) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)A banner season

After taking a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first, the Giants kept building on their advantage with scoring rallies in the fourth and the sixth, which proved to be important as St. Louis tagged Sean Hjelle and Erik Miller for four runs after Beck left the game.

Of course the table setter both times was none other than Matt Chapman, who collected his team-leading 38th and 39th doubles of the season to begin each inning. Both times, Patrick Bailey helped the Giants cash in on the opportunity, poking a single through the right side for the first of two runs in the fourth and driving a sacrifice fly to bring Chapman home in the sixth, extending the Giants’ lead to 5-2.

Already this month, Chapman has signed a $151 million contract extension, celebrated the birth of his first child and on Friday was presented the Willie Mac award, the prestigious annual honor voted on by teammates and coaches. The next afternoon he was back at it, etching his name in the organization’s record books.

Along with his 39 doubles, Chapman also has 27 home runs and a pair of triples. His second two-bagger of the afternoon was his 68th extra-base hit of the season, besting Brandon Belt (66 in 2016) and Hunter Pence (67 in 2013) for the most by a Giants hitter in more than a decade, since Pablo Sandoval had 74 in 2009.

It was his 13th game this season with multiple extra-base hits, five more than anybody else on the team. He has scored 38 more runs than the next-closest player on the roster (Mike Yastrzemski) and if he crosses the plate two more times in Sunday’s season finale could become the first Giant with triple digits since Pence in 2014.

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Snell didn’t want to chance injuring himself in a game without any playoff implications as heads into free agency, and he might have let out a sigh of relief when he saw Mark Canha scramble back to second base after starting the Giants’ two-run first with a double.

Canha was caught dancing off the bag by Cardinals starter Andre Pallente and appeared to tweak his hand diving back safely. He initially remained in the game but was replaced by Yastrzemski as a pinch-hitter before his next at-bat in the third inning, and the Giants later announced he left the game with a sprained right thumb.

The Bay Area native, 35, was acquired at the trade deadline from the Tigers, who just clinched an improbable playoff spot, and is set to become a free agent after this season. He said he hopes to keep playing and doesn’t expect the injury to linger more than a week or two into the offseason.

Daughter finds ‘earth angel’ in woman who made her dad laugh before Colorado supermarket shooting

By COLLEEN SLEVIN

DENVER (AP) — In the moments before a gunman leaned on a car to steady his aim at her father, killing him as well as nine others during a 2021 mass shooting at a Colorado supermarket, a fellow shopper loading her groceries next to Erika Mahoney’s dad made him laugh when she teased him about his automatic door closing button.

When the story was retold by Jenny Jacobsen during a trial that ended this week with the shooter found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, it provided Erika Mahoney, with some solace during a difficult two weeks focused on what happened that day in the college town of Boulder.

The thought of her father, Kevin Mahoney, having one final moment of joy has provided Erika Mahoney some peace of mind ever since Jacobsen first reached out last year to share the story. It has also led to a bond with Jacobsen, who she calls her “earth angel.”

Erika Mahoney, who at the time of the shooting was the news director for KAZU, the National Public Radio station for the Central Coast,  said the story sounded exactly like her father, a retired hotel development executive, who loved everyone and appreciated a good joke.

“What more could you wish for, that before the most horrific thing, there was laughter and a moment of peace,” she said.

It is one of several bonds Erika Mahoney, a journalist and mother of two, has formed with people impacted by the shooting who have comforted her and provided answers about what happened to her father. Those ties deepened during the trial, which she also faced with the support of all the victims’ families, a tight-knit group after many court delays.

“This tragedy proves how connected we all are,” she said. ”We have to find a way to love another more.”

Since the night of the shooting, she has thought a lack of love could be to blame for it.

“I wish the young man behind the gun had received more love in his life because maybe this wouldn’t have happened,” she told the judge during Ahmad Alissa’s sentencing.

Erika Mahoney, 34, became a “soul sister” to another young woman who lost her mother in the shooting: Olivia Mackenzie. Her mother, Lynn Murray, was working as an Instacart shopper when she was killed at a checkout stand. Her father later died of a heart attack, which she believes was caused by the shooting. They bonded the year after the shooting when they met at a coffee shop and both jumped when a loud car passed by, which helped Erika Mahoney realize it was a sign of the trauma she had been suffering.

During this month’s trial, they went to a yoga class filled with mostly older people. Erika Mahoney said it felt like being in a room with parents.

“We felt so loved and connected to each other,” Mackenzie, 28, said.

During the trial, Erika Mahoney got to see her father’s last terrifying moments for the first time. Before, she had thought that maybe he was shot without knowing what was happening. But in court she saw surveillance video of her father, her protector, running from the gunman in the parking lot, trying to get back to the store. He finally fell in the main driveway leading to the store.

Shaken by the image, she stayed home from court the next day but watched online as witnesses testified, including police officer Richard Steidell, who ended the attack by shooting and wounding the gunman.

Steidell’s testimony provided another bit of comfort for Erika Mahoney: He told jurors that he later moved Kevin Mahoney’s body out of the parking lot so it would not be run over by an armored vehicle being brought in to help protect police before Alissa eventually surrendered.

Erika Mahoney had previously believed that her father’s body was left where it had fallen, alone, for hours in the aftermath of the shooting and investigation. Hating the idea, she said she had sometimes imagined herself being on the ground with her father, holding his hand, to reimagine how he died.

She got Steidell’s number and reached out by text to thank him.

“It’s funny the things we become grateful for,” she wrote.

Steidell said seeing and moving the bodies of Mahoney and a woman shot near the entrance was something he had struggled with after the shooting. So her gratitude provided consolation to him too.

“It helped me tremendously,” he said.

During the trial, Jacobsen explained what led to that final laugh with Kevin Mahoney in March 2021, when social distancing measures were still in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she had been absentmindedly following him too close as they left the store, so she apologized and he smiled. She gave him more space but then realized they were parked next to each other.

They smiled at each other and put their groceries in the trunk at the same time. After Kevin Mahoney hit a button that beeped to close his trunk, Jacobsen teased him by saying “Ooh, fancy,” causing him to laugh loudly, throwing his head back, before he left to return his shopping cart. Seconds later he would be dead.

She also shared on the stand how she crouched underneath her steering wheel to hide after hearing the shooting begin. She jumped at each shot, she said, and her body shook, fearing she would be shot. She thought about her daughter. When she finally looked out her window, she said she made brief eye contact with Alissa and then saw him focus on and shoot the woman near the entrance, Tralona Bartkowiak, before going inside its sliding doors.

“The only thing that separated us that day is that he had a cart and I didn’t have a cart,” she said later.

Jacobsen said she thinks Erika Mahoney will be in her life forever now.

“I could tell her that story every day if she wanted me to,” she said.

Erika Mahoney said it broke her heart to hear Jacobsen thinking about her daughter as she hid. Jacobsen’s experience also made her think again about her father’s final moments, in light of the fatal chase of her father seen on the video. She now believes her father was also thinking about his family in his final moments.

“He fought hard to live,” she said. “He had some time to think about life.”

49ers promote defensive end to roster while Hargrave, Robinson go to IR

SANTA CLARA — Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Curtis Robinson officially went on Injured Reserve on Saturday, and the 49ers used one of those roster spots to promote defensive end Sam Okuayinonu from the practice squad.

Defensive tackle Evan Anderson and safety Jaylen Mahoney, a pair of undrafted rookies, were elevated from the practice squad ahead of Sunday’s visit by the New England Patriots.

The 49ers announced no changes to the injury designations for their players listed Friday as questionable: left tackle Trent Williams (toe), wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf), safety Talanoa Hufanga (ankle), defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (foot) and linebacker Dee Winters (ankle).

Hargrave sustained a triceps tear Sunday while engaged in a block with two minutes remaining, when the Rams completed a 50-yard pass on a game-tying touchdown drive in their 27-24 comeback. Hargrave signed a lucrative deal in 2023 free agency (four years, $84 million) and made the Pro Bowl upon recording seven sacks; he recorded his first sack this season on Sunday.

Robinson, a fourth-year reserve linebacker, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Thursday’s practice on punt coverage.

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The Patriots (1-2) also made a series of moves Saturday. Alex Austin went on Injured Reserve and fellow cornerback Isaiah Bolden was promoted from the practice squad. Also, defensive tackle Trysten Hill and tight end Mitchell Wilcox were elevated from the practice squad.

 

ACLU legal filing aims to prevent unlawful campus evictions at UC Santa Cruz

SANTA CRUZ — Civil rights organizations suing UC Santa Cruz timed their latest legal filing last week to prevent unlawful campus evictions headed into the start of the new school year.

On behalf of several students and a faculty member, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California, Center for Protest Law & Litigation and civil rights attorney Thomas Seabaugh fired their latest legal volley at the university Thursday — as UCSC began classes — requesting a court-ordered preliminary injunction. The motion, if approved, would order university officials not to lean on state penal code to “withdraw consent” for students and faculty to remain on campus for up to two weeks without individual hearings, unless they can prove “the individual poses a substantial threat of significant injury to persons or property.”

“Last May and June, the university just simply handed out a stack of bans to over 100 people who had been arrested in a nonviolent protest and there actually were no individual determinations made,” said Rachel Lederman, attorney for The Center for Protest Law and Litigation. “They didn’t even comply with the terms of the statute, which require a report to the chancellor as to the basis for banning the particular people.”

No criminal charges have been filed after university police arrested and released some 119 people on suspicion of crimes ranging from being drunk in public and refusing to disperse, to remaining at the scene of a riot and resisting arrest during a law enforcement response on the night of May 30. The crackdown came just weeks before the school’s end of term and after a month of a Palestine solidarity encampment occupation. According to the plaintiffs’ court filings, the plaintiffs and other arrestees were ordered to stay away from campus for two weeks and faced “substantial hardships” such as loss of access to housing, their meal plan and university health services, as well as the ability to prepare for and take their finals.

In an emailed statement after the initial lawsuit was filed, UCSC spokesperson Scott Hernandez-Jason asserted that officials “remain confident that decisions made in the spring were necessary and critical to preserve safety, access, and operations of the campus.”

The case, which does not seek financial damage awards, names plaintiffs including Christine Hong, a UCSC professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and Literature, and students Hannah “Elio” Ellutzi and Laaila Irshad. Lederman said she hopes the lawsuit sets an example for other universities in the state system. The preliminary injunction, by nature a temporary order, could set the stage for a permanent injunction against UCSC.

“Once we have the injunction in place, it would be quite foolish for any other California schools to do the same thing since it would be even easier for them to be sued,” Lederman said.

The university’s response to the original complaint, filed Sept. 9 in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, is due by Oct. 10 while its opposition to the preliminary injunction is due by Oct. 25. A hearing related to the preliminary injunction is scheduled before Judge Syda Cogliati on Nov. 19.

State Farm projects dropping 1 million policies in California over next five years

State Farm is projecting that by 2028, the number of policies it issues in California will drop by 1 million, as the insurance giant grapples with financial distress and pulls back from the Golden State.

According to a filing submitted to the California Department of Insurance on Sept. 10, the insurer’s policies for property insurance, which includes homeowners insurance, could decline from 3.1 million at the end of 2023 to 2 million by the end of 2028.

Since May 2023, State Farm has not been writing any new homeowners policies in the state, as wildfire risk and increasing construction costs have led the company’s liabilities to balloon.

The drop noted in the filings includes both planned non-renewals, as well as natural attrition as policyholders decide to cancel or switch their insurance coverage.

Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, an insurance consumer advocacy group, said that it’s possible that these projections could change and eventually have State Farm increasing the number of policies in the state, especially if the State Department of Insurance makes some of the reforms that it has proposed to the insurance market. These include speeding up the review process for insurers seeking rate hikes and allowing them to factor the projected costs of future wildfires and disasters into their rates. Currently, insurers can only price insurance based on historical models — which consumer watchdogs say keeps their models transparent.

“The insurance commissioner has said that in 2025, he expects the market to open back up and that we’ll see many more insurers willing to write more policies in the new year,” Bach said. “So we can see this as more bad news in 2024 and hope that 2025 will be better.”

State Farm is California’s biggest home insurer, insuring one in five homes across the state. This year, the company also told 72,000 policyholders it would not renew their coverage, starting in July.

State Farm did not respond to a request for comment on the projections, but did say that the non-renewals represent just over 2% of State Farm’s policy count in California.

Currently, the company is asking the California Department of Insurance to approve a plan to increase rates across the state by 30% — after already raising average homeowner rates by 20% in March — in order to protect the insurance company from insolvency.

The company might have fewer people canceling their policies if the proposed rate hikes doesn’t end up being as steep, said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, which has been closely following the insurance industry.

“That may change if we’re able to stand in the way of this huge rate hike,” she said.

Consumer Watchdog filed a petition to stop the rate hike, which they called a “$5.2 billion bailout by policyholders over the next four years.” That process is ongoing with no timeline for when it could be resolved.

State Farm is just one of many companies reducing coverage in California while increasing rates for the policyholders it keeps on its books. In August, state regulators signed off on Allstate’s bid to increase rates by an average of 34%, impacting 350,000 homeowners, including 70,000 in the Bay Area.

As insurers retreat from California, more people are relying on the state’s insurer of last resort, the FAIR Plan. The number of policyholders on the plan, which offers wildfire coverage to those who can’t get it elsewhere, jumped by more than 20% just last year to more than 350,000. The plan’s liability exposure has grown from $50 billion in 2018 to $336 billion as of February 2024, and administrators warn that just one bad wildfire could overwhelm the plan’s resources.

Cynicism is everywhere and it’s making us sick. Is this the antidote?

By Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times

If you feel certain your preferred candidate will lose the presidential election, that AI is coming for your job or that climate change is going to destroy humanity, then you have fallen prey to a cynical mindset, and you’re far from alone.

Over the past 50 years, cynicism has spread like a virus across American society, infecting us with the belief that other people can’t be trusted, the world is only getting worse and there’s nothing we can do about it. This potent mix of fatalism and hopelessness has led to a loss of faith in our neighbors, our institutions and our dreams for the future.

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In 1972, 46% of Americans agreed that most people can be trusted according to the General Social Survey. By 2018, that percentage had fallen to 31.9%. This rise in collective cynicism is not just destroying our hope, it’s also affecting our health. Studies suggest that cynics suffer more depression, drink more heavily, earn less money and die younger than non-cynics.

But there may be an antidote to the cynical epidemic. In his new book “Hope for Cynics: The surprising science of human goodness,” (Grand Central) Stanford professor Jamil Zaki suggests that cynicism can be combated with a willingness to question our most cynical assumptions and corroborate them with facts.

If we would only look at the data, he writes, most of us would discover that people are more worthy of our trust than we imagine, that we have more in common with our political rivals than we think and that many of the problems we believe to be intractable may have solutions after all. He advocates for what he calls hopeful skepticism: Acknowledging that the future is mysterious, and we can’t know what will happen.

“There’s this idea that being hopeful is like putting on a pair of rose-colored glasses,” Zaki, who has spent 20 years studying kindness, connection and empathy said in an interview. “It turns out that most of us are wearing mud-colored glasses already. Being hopeful is not a matter of looking away, it’s a matter of looking more closely and more clearly.”

Here Zaki talks about the media’s role in creating a more cynical society, why so many of us mistake cynicism for wisdom and why trusting others isn’t only for the privileged among us.

How do you define cynicism?

I’m using a purposefully modern psychological definition: the theory that most people at our core are selfish, greedy and dishonest. That’s not to say that a cynic would be shocked if somebody donated to charity or helped a stranger, but they might suspect or impugn the person’s motives. They might say, “Yeah they donate to charity for a tax break, or to look good in front of other people.” So it’s a theory not about human action, but about human motivation.

How does cynicism relate to trust?

Cynicism relates very strongly and very negatively to trust. Trust is our willingness to be vulnerable to somebody else on the expectation that that person will honor your vulnerability. It’s loaning money to somebody because you think they’ll pay you back. It’s confiding in a friend because you think they’ll support you. It’s leaving your kids with a babysitter because you think they’ll care for the children. In all of these cases trust requires a bet on another person. It’s a social risk and cynics think that bet is for suckers. They don’t trust in a variety of contexts, whether it’s strangers, politicians or even family and friends, the way less cynical people do.

You write that people often mistake cynicism for wisdom. Why is that?

Cynicism has the veneer of wisdom and people view it as a form of intelligence and a sign of experience. It turns out that if you look at the data cynicism is shockingly naive and much more similar to gullible trust than people realize. But cynics act like they know things and it turns out that acting like you know things is a great way to get people to believe you know things. So cynicism is somewhat rewarding to people in that it looks like wisdom. You are treated as a wise person if you are just very grim about everything.

Why did cynicism skyrocket in the past 50 years?

Two things come to mind. The first is inequality. Nations, states and counties that are more economically unequal are poisonous for trust, and the U.S. has become much more unequal in the 50 years when we lost faith in each other. Interestingly, unequal times are not only characterized by low trust among people with less means, but even wealthier people in unequal places are less trusting than well-heeled people in more equal places. Inequality puts us all in a zero-sum mindset where there is not enough to go around and whatever you get, I lose. When you’re in that frame of mind, it’s very easy to have mistrust as your default.

The second source we see is the media. People have something in our minds called negativity bias. We focus more on threatening information than on pleasant information. This ancient bias has been combined with a hyper-modern media ecosystem that feeds us whatever it takes to keep us clicking, scrolling and watching, which is not the same as information that would make us happy or hopeful, or even information that is accurate. You might think if you watch a lot of news you are more informed but it turns out that in many cases you are less informed. For example, people who watch lots of news believe that violent crime is on the rise, even when it’s on the decline.

Your book suggests that skepticism — not optimism — is the best antidote for cynicism. Why?

Cynicism and skepticism are often confused with one another but they are actually quite different. You can think of a cynic as a lawyer in the prosecution against humanity. They pick up on any and all evidence about human evil and conniving and explain away or ignore evidence of positive human qualities. Optimists, or naive trusters, think like lawyers as well but they are hyper-focused on any sign of human goodness and ignore any sign of harmful behavior. Skeptics think more like scientists. They don’t have blanket judgments about people that they default to. Instead, they try to evaluate the evidence whenever they find themselves with a new person or in a new situation. Because of that skepticism, often confused for cynicism, can be a great antidote for it.

In the summer of 2022 you invited Americans to join 20-minute Zoom calls with political rivals to discuss gun control, climate change and abortion. What did people learn about each other from those conversations?

If you look at the evidence there is incredible amounts of common ground even between Democrats and Republicans that most Americans don’t know about. So, what did people learn in these 20 minute conversations? One: that a randomly selected member of the other side is much more reasonable, much more open-minded and much less hostile than they imagined an outsider or rival to be. [Two], when they talked about issues they learned that they did have some common ground, and this immensely deescalated their outrage and hatred toward the other other side. Because now they were thinking of the real other side instead of the image we have in our mind.

I’ve often wondered if the ability to trust others is a sign of privilege. Depending on our race, class, gender and educational background some of us are more likely to be treated with respect and empathy than others. Where do you land on that?

It’s very easy to draw the conclusion that hope is a form of privilege and maybe even toxic — that it causes us to ignore our problems, or rather, ignore problems that we don’t have but other people do have. You might be surprised then, to find out that some of the least trusting and most cynical people are the ones with privilege and money and power. And actually, people who struggle in terms of their socioeconomic status tend to be more interdependent and reliant on trust. I realize I’m a bit of a broken record here, but one of the amazing things about doing the many thousands of hours of research for this book is that over and over again I found out that our assumptions aren’t just wrong, they are the exact opposite of right.

Do you think American society is capable of reversing our descent into cynicism?

I do think we’re capable of it, and one reason I think that is we’ve done it before. The 1890s and 1900s were a terrible time for social life in the United States. There was extreme mistrust, extreme polarization, backsliding on issues like race, the rise of Jim Crow laws. It was a horrible time culturally in all these different ways and that pain spurred what is called the progressive movement in the first couple of decades of the 20th century. There was all this labor organizing and social groups and movements that agitated from everything from public kindergarten to women’s suffrage to the FDA and the Parks Service. There was this sense of responsibility to one another. This growing value of connection. Could that happen again? Yeah, it could. Will it happen again? I have no idea.

What can we do as individuals to shift this trend?

There’s a few things. The first is to be more skeptical — to fact check our cynical feelings. I do this all the time. When I see myself suspecting people I try my best to to say, “You’re a scientist what evidence do you have for that claim?” And oftentimes the answer is, “I have no evidence to support this bleak assumption.” Once we have that mindset of being more curious about our own thoughts we can interrupt the cycle of cynicism.

A second thing we can do is take more social risks. Because of negativity bias, we miscalculate the upsides and downsides of social life. We overestimate how likely it is that if we trust someone they will betray us and we underestimate the likelihood that things will go well. So I try to recalibrate and say, “Based on the actual data of what people are like, I should probably trust them more.” Earnest Hemingway said that the best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. I think he’s right, but it’s also true that when you trust people you bring out their best. So you don’t just learn about them, you change them. I try to give people many more opportunities than I used to to show me who they are, and often times they show me something really great.

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Horoscopes Sept. 28, 2024: Hilary Duff, opportunity begins with you

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Hilary Duff, 37; Ranbir Kapoor, 42; Mira Sorvino, 57; Janeane Garofalo, 60.

Happy Birthday: Apply pressure and get things done. Release your anxiety by taking care of unfinished business. Clear the way and forge ahead with optimism and a passage to new beginnings that help you fulfill your dreams. Stop waiting for someone to pick up the pieces and deliver what you want. Take responsibility; you’ll value life and your achievements to the fullest. Opportunity begins with you. Your numbers are 2, 6, 14, 27, 35, 41, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep the momentum flowing. Channel your energy into something that will improve your surroundings and make your life easier or more eventful. Don’t give in or make concessions that compromise your position or ambitions. Be direct about what you want and what you are willing to give back. 2 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t cross lines that will cause emotional turmoil; getting along is half the battle. Find a friendly way to get what you want. Offering incentives, positive suggestions and hands-on help will bring high returns. A change of scenery will spark your imagination and lead to something exciting. 2 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be optimistic, look on the bright side and offer promises and positive affirmations to those around you, and you’ll get high returns. Make changes at home that are conducive to better health, peace of mind or overall comfort and convenience. Refrain from making snap financial decisions. 4 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Socialize and do something that lifts your spirits and makes you feel good about yourself. Walk away from negativity, criticism and demanding people. Explore what’s trending and expand your interests. A hidden skill will evolve if you invest time in something that you can add to your qualifications. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Try something new. Participate in an event or activity that connects you with interesting people. Listen, but don’t buy into someone else’s dream. Fact-check and apply what’s valid to your plans. Protect your assets and your secrets from outside influences and scammers. Walk away from emotional drama. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Focus on activities that get you moving. Challenge yourself physically and connect with people heading in a similar direction. Make health a priority, and build solid relationships with like-minded people as part of your mission. A change will help you decipher what you want to do next. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Gather information and discuss your plans with those closest to you. An opportunity is apparent, and you want to ensure you can take advantage of whatever comes your way. Listen to concerns and evaluate the pros and cons, but in the end, follow your instincts. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Get in the game, do your thing and contribute to something you believe in or want to pursue. Embrace change; instead of fretting over what will be, take control and steer your way to victory. Nothing ventured, nothing gained; choose to live life your way. 2 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sort through your options and choose what’s best for you. Refrain from letting someone negate your next move or how you spend your time or money. An opportunity is only worthwhile if it positively impacts your life and well-being. Don’t settle to satisfy someone else’s whims. 5 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change of routine will give you the boost you need to pursue something that excites you. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something that doesn’t benefit you. Follow your heart and embrace what life has to offer. Make love, romance and personal growth your priority. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Choose to spend more time with someone you love or who brings value to your life. Enjoying a pastime, activity or event with someone who shares your enthusiasm will improve your pilgrimage. Talks will lead to valuable legal, medical or financial information. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t let uncertainty daunt you. Take the time to consider the pros and cons of whatever situation you face and sit tight until you feel able and ready to implement a move. Pay attention to health, self-improvement and feeling comfortable with your surroundings. Romance is on the rise. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are responsive, creative and persistent. You are curious and engaging.

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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High School football: Big fourth quarter carries Salinas past Palma

SALINAS — The palpitations a sold-out crowd was feeling were real. Voices were hoarse. For those biting their fingernails — well the likeness is there probably wasn’t a lot left to chew from the nervous tension.

A rivalry game of two schools that are separated by less than a half mile — have the most consecutive playoff appearances of any football programs in the Pacific Coast Athletic League — lived up to its hype.

“I will enjoy this moment for the rest of my life,” Salinas quarterback Rico Maturino said. “I will come back and laugh and joke about it. It feels like a dream.”

Maturino led the Cowboys on a game-winning drive, while ignoring the pain of a high ankle sprain, then sprinted down the sidelines to great Jake Mungaray in the end zone on a 75-yard pick six in Friday’s 39-25 win over Palma.

“My mind was racing,” Maturino said. “I didn’t think it was real. What are the odds? No. 5 took it to the crib. That might have been the fastest I ran all night to greet Jake. I was so hyped. I’ve grown up with Jake. It was a brotherhood moment for us.”

It was also a Willis Reed type moment for Maturino, who went to the locker room just before halftime on crutches for what was first feared to be a broken ankle.

“I fractured my ankle my freshman year,” Maturino said. “It was the same pain. It was swollen. But I think it was more fear. Once I collected myself and settled down, I knew it would be okay.”

Playing on a high ankle sprain in the second half with a noticeable limp, the senior quarterback finished what he started, completing 11-of-15 passes for 212 yards, engineering three second half scoring drives.

“That was monumental by Maturino,” Palma coach Jeff Carnazzo said. “That kid gutted it out, played through the pain. That’s what football is all about.”

For the defending State Division 4A champions, it was a difficult loss to shallow as they have now dropped seven straight Gabilan Division games to Salinas.

“It’s a building block for this young group,” Carnazzo said. “I told our guys it’s a marathon, not a sprint. We were sitting 0-5 this time last year. We’re 3-2. We weren’t competitive last year against Salinas. We took it down to the wire. It bolds well for the future.”

That doesn’t soften the pain any less for Palma, who executed a game plan to near perfection in limiting Salinas’ possessions in the first half with a pair of time-consuming drives, building a 14-0 second quarter lead on two touchdown runs from Izaak Hernandez.

“We stayed calm and moved on to the next play,” said Salinas coach Steve Zenk, who is 39-2 in Gabilan Division games. “Lets fix the mistakes, keep getting better and make adjustments.”

For a period, it appeared the Cowboys might have to do that without Maturino, who went down after a failed two-point conversation in a 14-12 game.

“Our training staff took the tape off, and retapped it,” Zenk said. “Rico told me I’m not letting my teammates down. He said I’m fine, good to go.”

Maturino engineered a second half drive, capped with Brandon Palma producing the first of his two second half touchdowns to give the Cowboys an eight-point lead with 7:20 left in the third quarter.

“Even in the second half, I thought we did a good job of using our running backs and leaning on our offensive line,” Carnazzo said. “We shortened the time and possessions Salinas had.”

When sophomore Eli Dukes plowed into the end zone running behind two sophomore offensive lineman, the Chieftains had tied the game at 22, and again at 25 on a Giovanni Guttierez field goal with 3:36 left in the game.

“We know how to huddle this year,” joked Zenk, who often runs an up-tempo attack with a no-huddle look. “On that final drive, we were trying to slow it down. But the game happens.”

With Maturino finding Emarrcis Turner eight times for 173 yards — including a pair of completions on the game-winning drive, the Cowboys moved into the redzone before Brandon Palma found the end zone to put them up 32-25.

“We just needed to line up and play football in the fourth quarter,” said Zenk, who has guided Salinas to six straight Gabilan Division titles.

Yet, it wasn’t until Mungaray stepped in front of a pass on the sidelines at the 30 and took off like a sprinter down the sidelines for a pick six with 12 seconds left to secure the game.

“We felt it was a good call,” Carnazzo said. “When you look back at this game, you can’t hand them two defensive touchdowns. We are developing and learning as we go. The fact of the matter is we gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game.”

A 14-point Chieftains lead evaporated when Turner picked up a fumble and ran 18 yards into the end zone, cutting the deficit to two.

In Maturino’s absence, back-up Kyle Healy put together a drive that ended with Matteus Mariscal kicking the first of his two field goals to give Salinas a 15-14 halftime lead.

“Kyle came in and did a great job, making the plays we needed him to make,” Zenk said. “And Emarrcis just played his butt off on both sides of the ball. It was one of those old school games you want to see in a rivalry.”

The jubilation in the Salinas locker room could be heard down the street as the finish was one for the ages.

“I will enjoy this the rest of the night, watch the film before I go to bed,” Zenk said. “In the morning it is time to start getting ready for the next one. All I want for my birthday is a win.”

Salinas will host Alvarez on Thursday, while Palma will travel to Soquel to face the defending State Division 4AA champions in its first trip ever to Soquel.

“Soquel possess a lot of problems for us,” Carnazzo said. “We embrace the challenge. We’re going to get better from this. We have a lot of sophomores that continue to improve. The objective is to be playing your best football in November.”