Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 35

Horoscopes Aug. 26, 2025: Melissa McCarthy, adjust your lifestyle to fit your budget

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Keke Palmer, 32; Macaulay Culkin, 45; Chris Pine, 45; Melissa McCarthy, 55.

Happy Birthday: Adjust your lifestyle to fit your budget. Look for options that motivate you to socialize and expand your interests, friendships and skills. Embracing what life offers is the quickest way to get ahead. A showing of vibrance and interest will make you a welcome candidate to join any team you desire. Consider your assets and put them to good use to achieve better results. Make this a year to remember. Your numbers are 2, 24, 27, 30, 36, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consider any limitations you face, and devise a plan that will help you eliminate setbacks. Staying one step ahead of everyone else is your calling and your way forward. Turn on your charm and intelligence, and head in a direction that encourages great conversations, friendships and professional opportunities. Romance is in the stars. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t waste time or energy on something you cannot change. A change may not be wanted, but letting go and moving on will prove beneficial if you look ahead instead of backward. Don’t miss an opportunity; attend meetings, events and activities that allow you to meet well-connected people. Avoid domestic disputes. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You’ll crave change and excitement. Social or networking events will help you parlay what you want into conversations with people who can help you reach your goal. A friendly encounter with someone will lead to a work-related opportunity. Do your research and present what you can contribute in a colorful manner. Personal gain is apparent. 5 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Proceed with caution. Taking on too much will cost you. Put your emotions and ego aside and consider where your time and effort will have the most impact. Make home improvements, domestic situations and personal partnerships an intricate part of your plans. An interesting opportunity will change how you do business. Avoid possessiveness and anger. 2 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Communication is your key to success. Let your imagination wander and your ideas dazzle those you encounter. Travel, reunions, meetings and networking will give you the platform necessary to motivate others to see things your way. Embrace the future with a passionate attitude, and something good will happen. Personal growth, self-improvement and love are featured. 4 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Consider money management and how you can lower your costs by doing some of the legwork yourself. Indecisiveness or acting in haste will be your downfall. Get the facts and formulate a plan that checks off the necessary boxes. Put your creative imagination to work and add discipline, and what transpires will be impressive. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Emotions will get you in trouble. Overreacting or acting in haste will backfire. Take your time, look inward and work on yourself instead of trying to change others. Let your creative imagination help you dream and bring about the lifestyle you desire. Believe you can, and you will make progress. Personal and financial gains are apparent. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Establish what’s important to you before you start. Don’t expect others to agree with you; it’s time to follow your heart and to achieve what you set out to do. Distance yourself from negative people and one-sided partnerships. Treat yourself with respect and expect the same from others. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Declutter your life. Expect someone to criticize you and your lifestyle if you ask for input. Listen, absorb what you hear and work out a plan that fits into your schedule. Cap your expenses and spending, and focus more on what you can do or get for free, and sell off items you no longer use. 4 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Refuse to buy into someone else’s dream. You perform best when you commit to your vision. Simplify your life by sticking to the people and pastimes that bring you joy and fulfillment and help you achieve the happiness you deserve. Leave nothing unsaid or to chance. Speak up and clear the air. 2 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Align your budget with your plans and enforce change. Investing in your space and prospects will ease stress and encourage you to include pampering and physical and mental improvements in your agenda. How you embrace personal growth will also encourage you to connect with people who can match you every step of the way. 5 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take a moment to review your schedule, lifestyle and where you see yourself heading. Finding an outlet for anxiety through social events, physical activities or the arts will help you revise how you spend your downtime and recover from the daily turmoil you encounter. Take responsibility for your happiness and health. Pamper yourself. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are changeable, inspiring and methodical. You are energetic and admired.

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

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

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Trump says he’s firing Fed Governor Lisa Cook, opening new front in fight for central bank control

By CHRIS RUGABER and WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday night that he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, an unprecedented move that would constitute a sharp escalation in his battle to exert greater control over what has long been considered an institution independent from day-to-day politics.

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Trump said in a letter posted on his Truth Social platform that he is removing Cook effective immediately because of allegations that she committed mortgage fraud. Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, made the accusations last week.

Cook said Monday night that she would not step down. “President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so,” she said in an emailed statement. “I will not resign.”

Pulte alleged that Cook had claimed two primary residences — in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Atlanta — in 2021 to get better mortgage terms. Mortgage rates are often higher on second homes or those purchased to rent.

Trump’s move is likely to touch off an extensive legal battle that will probably go to the Supreme Court and could disrupt financial markets, potentially pushing interest rates higher. Stock futures declined slightly late Monday, as did the dollar against other major currencies.

If Trump succeeds in removing Cook from the board, it could erode the Fed’s political independence, which is considered critical to its ability to fight inflation because it enables it to take unpopular steps like raising interest rates. If bond investors start to lose faith that the Fed will be able to control inflation, they will demand higher rates to own bonds, pushing up borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans and business loans.

Cook has retained Abbe Lowell, a prominent Washington attorney. Lowell said Trump’s “reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority,” adding, “We will take whatever actions are needed to prevent his attempted illegal action.”

Cook was appointed to the Fed’s board by then-President Joe Biden in 2022 and is the first Black woman to serve as a governor. She was a Marshall Scholar and received degrees from Oxford University and Spelman College, and she has taught at Michigan State University and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Her nomination was opposed by most Senate Republicans, and she was approved on a 50-50 vote with the tie broken by then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

Questions about ‘for cause’ firing

The law allows a president to fire a Fed governor “for cause,” which typically means for some kind of wrongdoing or dereliction of duty. The president cannot fire a governor simply because of differences over interest rate policy.

Establishing a for-cause removal typically requires some type of proceeding that would allow Cook to answer the charges and present evidence, legal experts say, which hasn’t happened in this case.

“This is a procedurally invalid removal under the statute,” said Lev Menand, a law professor at Columbia law school and author of “The Fed Unbound,” a book about the Fed’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Menand also said for-cause firings are typically related to misconduct while in office, rather than based on private misconduct from before an official’s appointment.

“This is not someone convicted of a crime,” Menand said. “This is not someone who is not carrying out their duties.”

Fed governors vote on the central bank’s interest rate decisions and on issues of financial regulation. While they are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, they are not like cabinet secretaries, who serve at the pleasure of the president. They serve 14-year terms that are staggered in an effort to insulate the Fed from political influence.

No presidential precedent

While some presidents have pushed out Fed chairs before, no president has sought to fire a Fed governor. In recent decades, presidents of both parties have largely respected Fed independence, though Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson put heavy pressure on the Fed during their presidencies — mostly behind closed doors. Still, that behind-the-scenes pressure to keep interest rates low, the same goal sought by Trump, has widely been blamed for touching off rampant inflation in the late 1960s and ’70s.

President Harry Truman pushed Thomas McCabe to step down from his position as Fed chair in 1951, though that occurred behind the scenes.

The Supreme Court signaled in a recent decision that Fed officials have greater legal protections from firing than other independent agencies, but it’s not clear if that extends to this case.

Menand noted that the Court’s conservative majority has taken a very expansive view of presidential power, saying, “We’re in uncharted waters in a sense that it’s very difficult to predict that if Lisa Cook goes to court what will happen.”

Sarah Binder, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the president’s use of the “for cause” provision is likely an effort to mask his true intent. “It seems like a fig leaf to get what we wants, which is muscling someone on the board to lower rates,” she said.

FILE – Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook, right, talks with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell before an open meeting of the Board of Governors at the Federal Reserve, June 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)A fight over interest rates

Trump has said he would only appoint Fed officials who would support lower borrowing costs. He recently named Stephen Miran, a top White House economic adviser, to replace another governor, Adriana Kugler, who stepped down about five months before her term officially ended Aug. 1.

Trump appointed two governors in his first term, Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, so replacing Cook would give Trump appointees a 4-3 majority on the Fed’s board.

“The American people must have the full confidence in the honesty of the members entrusted with setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve,” Trump wrote in a letter addressed to Cook, a copy of which he posted online. “In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter, they cannot and I do not have such confidence in your integrity.”

Trump argued that firing Cook was constitutional. “I have determined that faithfully enacting the law requires your immediate removal from office,” the president wrote.

Cook will have to fight the legal battle herself, as the injured party, rather than the Fed.

Trump’s announcement drew swift rebuke from advocates and former Fed officials.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called Trump’s attempt to fire Cook illegal, “the latest example of a desperate President searching for a scapegoat to cover for his own failure to lower costs for Americans. It’s an authoritarian power grab that blatantly violates the Federal Reserve Act, and must be overturned in court.”

Trump has repeatedly attacked the Fed’s chair, Jerome Powell, for not cutting its short-term interest rate, and even threatened to fire him.

Forcing Cook off the Fed’s governing board would provide Trump an opportunity to appoint a loyalist. Trump has said he would only appoint officials who would support cutting rates.

Powell signaled last week that the Fed may cut rates soon even as inflation risks remain moderate. Meanwhile, Trump will be able to replace Powell in May 2026, when Powell’s term expires. However, 12 members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee have a vote on whether to raise or lower interest rates, so even replacing the chair might not guarantee that Fed policy will shift the way Trump wants.

Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed.

Trump honors fallen US service members and criticizes Biden to mark Afghanistan bombing anniversary

By WILL WEISSERT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday marked the fourth anniversary of the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members during the chaotic withdrawal at the end of the Afghanistan War by signing a proclamation honoring the fallen.

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Surrounded by about 35 family members of those killed, including one wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap, Trump used the somber occasion to decry his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, for allowing the attack to happen.

Tuesday is the anniversary of the bombing that also killed more than 100 Afghans at Abbey Gate outside the Kabul airport on Aug. 26, 2021. Trump called it “one of the dumbest days in the history of our country by the previous administration.”

“That was a terrible day,” Trump said. “And I think it was the worst day, and in many ways the most embarrassing day, in the history of our country.”

Biden’s White House was following a withdrawal commitment and timeline that the Trump administration had negotiated with the Taliban in 2020. A 2022 review by a government-appointed special investigator concluded decisions made by both Trump and Biden were the key factors leading to the rapid collapse of Afghanistan’s military and the Taliban takeover.

Trump made the suicide bombing and Biden’s handling of it a frequent topic as he campaigned for president. The relatives of some of the U.S. service members killed also appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention in July 2024.

On the third anniversary of the attack, Trump was invited by family members of some suicide bombing victims to Arlington National Cemetery’s Section 60, a hallowed section where U.S. forces killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are buried.

That became a flashpoint after a staffer from Trump’s campaign reportedly shoved a cemetery employee who was trying to prevent the photographing of a ceremony honoring the service members killed in the Afghanistan War withdrawal. Federal law prohibits campaign or election-related activities within Army national military cemeteries.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, speaks alongside family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan at the attack at Abbey Gate, during an event where President Donald Trump signs a proclamation honoring the fourth anniversary of the attack, in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

In a statement marking the third anniversary of the attack, Biden called the 13 Americans who died “patriots in the highest sense” who “embodied the very best of who we are as a nation: brave, committed, selfless.”

“Ever since I became Vice President, I carried a card with me every day that listed the exact number of American service members who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan — including Taylor, Johanny, Nicole, Hunter, Daegan, Humberto, David, Jared, Rylee, Dylan, Kareem, Maxton, and Ryan,” Biden said in a statement in August 2024.

Also on hand for Monday’s proclamation signing were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, who told victims’ relatives that Trump’s action was “a rectification of a wrong” because Biden “lost your loved ones through incompetence” and his government “never actually put pen to paper to say we’re grateful for your sacrifice.”

Trump has ordered a new Defense Department review of what occurred during the withdrawal of U.S. forces, and Hegseth said he expected that to be complete by the middle of next year.

“The military needs to answer for what happened in Afghanistan,” Hegseth said.

New top admiral takes over the US Navy amid military firings

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Adm. Daryl Caudle took over as the Navy’s highest-ranking officer Monday, ending a six-month vacancy created by the Trump administration’s firing of his predecessor.

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Caudle became chief of naval operations as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ousted a growing list of military leaders with little or no explanation. Remarks at a swearing-in ceremony at Washington Navy Yard offered several nods to the admiral being in close alignment with the Trump administration leaders above him.

In February, Hegseth fired Caudle’s predecessor, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, without explanation. Neither Caudle nor Navy Secretary John Phelan addressed the ouster at the ceremony Monday, though Franchetti was among several former chiefs of naval operations in attendance.

Franchetti had been the second woman ever to be promoted to four-star admiral and is among several female military leaders fired by the Trump administration. She was ousted the same day as Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Phelan, the Navy’s civilian leader, described the sea service as rife with issues like “decaying shipyards, inadequate maintenance, enormous cost overruns (and) delayed delivery and repair rates” and unspecified traditions that were stifling innovation.

“Admiral Caudle, together we must rebuild, reform and refocus on what matters — readiness, accountability and results — in order to execute President Trump’s mandate of peace through strength,” Phelan said.

Caudle was unequivocal in his agreement with the often-repeated Trump administration phrase, saying, “Peace through strength works.”

The admiral, who until the promotion was commanding U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said he wanted to be “judged by the results we achieved.”

Specifically, he cited the number of ships delivered and repaired on time, the number of ships that are fully manned, and ordinance production as meeting the Navy’s demands.

Phelan said Caudle’s success “is inextricably linked to my success as secretary of the Navy and vice versa.”

Maine clinics denied Medicaid funds during lawsuit after Trump cuts to abortion providers

By PATRICK WHITTLE

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A network of clinics in Maine will not resume getting Medicaid funds to treat thousands of low-income patients during its lawsuit over Trump administration cuts to abortion providers, a judge ruled Monday.

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The decision against Maine Family Planning came despite a ruling last month by another federal judge, who said Planned Parenthood clinics around the country must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the provider wrangles with the Trump administration over efforts to defund it. That legal fight continues.

Without Medicaid, the much smaller provider in Maine says it will have to stop serving hundreds of primary care patients by the end of October. The organization says abortions are a relatively small percentage of its overall services, which include cervical cancer screenings, contraception and primary care to low-income residents in one of the poorest and most rural states in the Northeast.

President Donald Trump’s policy and tax bill, known as the “ big beautiful bill,” blocked Medicaid money from flowing to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. The parameters in the bill also stopped funding from reaching Maine Family Planning, and it is the only other organization that has come forward publicly to say its funding is at risk.

Maine Family Planning says Medicaid dollars are not used for its abortion services, and it’s unfair to cut off funding for the clinics “solely because Congress wanted to defund Planned Parenthood,” an attorney for the organization told the judge earlier this month.

However, Judge Lance Walker said in his ruling Monday that the payments will not resume during the ongoing lawsuit by the provider seeking to restore the funds. He wrote that Congress can “withhold federal funds and otherwise disassociate from conduct that is not enshrined” as a constitutional right.

Walker, a 2018 Trump appointee, also wrote that it would be “a special kind of judicial hubris” to undermine the big bill, which he described as the end result of democratic processes.

The network of 18 clinics said in a statement Monday that Walker’s ruling will destabilize the state’s entire health infrastructure by potentially turning low-income patients away from their doctors. The group said about 8,000 people receive family planning and primary care from its clinics.

“Mainers’ health should never be jeopardized by political decisions, and we will continue to fight for them,” said George Hill, president and chief executive officer of Maine Family Planning.

When asked if the organization is considering appealing the decision, the group issued a statement that said the network is “considering all options to ensure that Maine’s Medicaid patients can continue to receive the health care they need and deserve.”

Attorneys representing the Trump administration did not immediately comment. Emily Hall, an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, told the judge in court earlier this month that Congress has a right not to contract with abortion providers.

“The rational basis is not simply to reduce the number of abortions, it’s to ensure the federal government is not paying out money to organizations that provide abortions,” Hall said.

While advocates of cutting Medicaid for abortion providers focused on Planned Parenthood, the bill did not mention it by name. Instead, it cut off reimbursements for organizations that are primarily engaged in family planning services — which generally include items such as contraception, abortion and pregnancy tests — and received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023.

The U.S. Senate’s parliamentarian rejected a 2017 effort to defund Planned Parenthood because it was written to exclude all other providers by barring payments only to groups that received more than $350 million a year in Medicaid funds. Maine Family Planning asserts in its legal challenge that the threshold was lowered to $800,000 this time around to make sure Planned Parenthood would not be the only entity affected.

Clipboard: Salinas High grad Weimer cleared for final college football season at West Virginia

Jeff Weimer has won a ruling over the NCAA as the West Virginia District Court granted him a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction, clearing the Salinas High graduate to play this fall for the University of West Virginia football team.

The 6-foot-2 senior receiver was one of four players at West Virginia to be declared eligible after the NCAA had deemed that all four had used up their college eligibility.

Weimer is in his seventh college football season, having used a redshirt year, a medical redshirt year and a COVID year to earn one more year of eligibility.

The sure-handed receiver spent last season at Idaho State, where he had 75 catches for 1,016 yards and six touchdowns, earning all-conference honors.

Entering the transfer portal for the second time, the 25-year-old landed at West Virginia, where he hopes to make an impression with NFL scouts playing in the Big 12 Conference.

Having won a Central Coast Section Division I title with Salinas in 2017, Weimer has also had stops at Hartnell, City College of San Francisco and UNLV.

In his one season at Hartnell before the pandemic, Weimer caught 74 passes for 1,040 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Clara Adams receives honor

Salinas resident Clara Adams was honored by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors last week when they announced that Aug. 19 will be “Clara Adams Day” in Monterey County.

Adams, who is a junior at Watsonville High, won AAU Junior Olympic National track and field titles in the 200 and 400 meter sprints last month in the 18-under division in Houston, while running for the Cheetah Athletics Track Club in Salinas.

The 16-year-old owns the county records in the 200 (23.42 seconds) and 400 (52.58), with her mark in the 400 being the sixth fastest time in the world this year in the 18-under division.

While at North Salinas High last season, Adams broke the Central Coast Section record in the 400, advancing to the state finals in both the 200 and 400.

Adams won the state 400-meter title, only to have it stripped from her after spraying her shoes with a fire extinguisher minutes after the race in the infield, as it was deemed unsportsmanlike.

The Adams’ are seeking legal action against the California Interscholastic Federation.

Martorella promoted to Triple-A

Nathan Martorella has been called up to the Miami Marlins Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville after spending most of the season at Double-A Pensacola.

With 11 homers this season, the left-handed hitting first baseman has hit 10 or more homers in three consecutive minor league seasons.

The Salinas graduate and Cal alum will go into the final month of his season with 11 homers and 55 runs batted in, just three RBI off his season total from 2024.

Because Martorella has been in the minors for four seasons, the former San Diego Padres fifth-round draft pick is eligible to be plucked by a Major League Baseball team as a Rule 5 Draft pick.

Martorella has surpassed last year’s walk total with 51 in 105 games, sporting a .302 on-base percentage. He has doubled 18 times.

The Herald’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2019, Martorella has homered and driven in three runs in 11 games for Jacksonville, with three walks and six runs scored.

Over four minor league seasons at four different levels, Martorella has hit 51 homers and driven in 215 runs, hitting .236.

Aldrete heating up

Released by the Sacramento A’s Double A affiliate earlier this summer, Carter Aldrete has rebounded for Gastonia in the Atlantic League of Independent Baseball.

In 23 games for Gastonia, the right-handed Aldrete has hit 12 homers and driven in 30 runs, hitting .292. With 12 walks, he has a .374 on-base percentage.

The 27-year-old former Monterey High and Arizona State utility player started the year with the A’s parent club in spring training before being sent down to Double A.

Drafted by the Giants in the 15th round in 2019, the right-handed slugger spent four seasons in the organization before being released before the start of the 2024 season at Double A Richmond.

Aldrete rebounded playing in the American Association in Cleburne, Texas in 2024 under manager Pete Incaviglia, a former Monterey High and Texas Rangers slugger.

Earning an all-star appearance as a second baseman, Aldrete hit .341 with 21 home runs for the Railroaders in 2024, prompting the A’s organization to sign him in 2025.

Officials needed

Peninsula Sports Incorporate is looking for high school and middle school officials for all sports this season. Varsity officials are paid $100 a game.

There is an immediate need for officials in the fall for football, flag football, water polo, field hockey and volleyball. Training is provided. Call Tom Emery at (831) 241-1101.

Seaside’s Finest

Seaside’s Finest Fall Skills Basketball Development Program will run from Aug. 25 to Oct. 30, Mondays and Thursdays from 7-8:30 p.m. at Monterey Peninsula College. Go to https://seasidesfinest.leagueapps.com

Baseball Club

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

Mayor says Del Rey Oaks’ state of the city is “very solid”

DEL REY OAKS – Del Rey Oaks Mayor Scott Donaldson said that he wanted to tell the citizens of Del Rey Oaks that “the state of your city is very solid and we are doing those things that we need to do to keep the city moving in the right direction,” at the recent second annual mayor’s state of the city address.

Mayor Donaldson, along with City Manager John Guertin, presented the information to those in attendance at the Moose Lodge in Del Rey Oaks to accommodate what was expected to be a crowd of about 40.

A number of topics were covered from the city budget, the development of the city’s parcels of former Army land, and South Boundary Road, among others.

On the city’s budget, Donaldson reported that there has been no reduction in services provided to the community and that there are sufficient reserves.

With a Fiscal Year 2026 proposed budget of about $5 million, the top five sources of revenue for the city are its sales tax, property taxes, business licenses, short-term rentals and its interest on reserves.

“The focus is on sustainability by living within our means,” said Donaldson.

But the city is always looking for ways to increase revenues and a big source could come from developing part of the 362 acres of land conveyed to the city by the U.S. Army on the former Fort Ord when the base was closed in 1994.

The city of Del Rey Oaks entered into an Exclusive Right to Negotiate with a developer about a year ago to develop nearly 250 acres of the city’s land on the former Army base.

“The focus for any development is going to be community opportunities and revenue opportunities,” said Donaldson. “We were given that land to provide us with revenue opportunities and it just makes sense particularly looking at our budget and how thin our revenue sources are. That’s something for the long term, we’re really going to need to have to keep the city growing.”

Donaldson added that the City Council recently approved the city’s housing element, and that “all of our housing is designated to be built out at the former Fort Ord.”

City Manager Guertin explained that in order for the city to go forward and be viable and sustainable, especially financially, development out on Fort Ord is the best opportunity that it has.

“We try to get creative and we try to come up with new revenue sources, but our opportunities are limited with what we can do,” said Guertin. “Development is our best option, but we want to be mindful.”

If the current developer decides to pass on the opportunity to develop the parcels, then the city would send out a “request for proposals.”

The mayor said that if they decide that it is just too difficult for them and it doesn’t pencil out, the next steps that the city has at its disposal would be to open up a request for proposals process.

“We want to get a developer that’s going to work with the community and listen to you all about what you want your community to look like because this has the potential to double your city in size,” said Guertin. “That’s no small thing.”

South Boundary Road will be instrumental in delivering not only traffic to the new development area but also utilities for infrastructure.

“We are moving forward with the design and EIR (Environmental Impact Review) process,” said Donaldson.

The plan is to move the intersection of S. Boundary Road and General Jim Moore Boulevard north to where Gen. Jim Moore Boulevard transitions from two lanes to four, heading toward Seaside and installing a roundabout at that point. It will connect to S. Boundary Road and go around the native plant site near the corner of Canyon Del Rey and Gen. Jim Moore boulevards.

“It will carry all the utilities out to our development site so all of the water, electric, and sewer will go along that road,” said Donaldson. “It’s giving the life blood to the heart our there and that’s why it’s so critical.”

After the presentation on the state of the city, the mayor and city manager took questions which ranged from topics such as short-term rentals, ways to increase revenue and water.

To view the Del Rey Oaks Mayor’s State of the City address, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H0rvsGkk5M.

PG&E delays Moss Landing battery system restart to 2026; Elkhorn Road paving to begin

MOSS LANDING — Pacific Gas & Electric announced the Elkhorn Battery Energy Storage System at its Moss Landing electric substation will remain offline until at least June 30, 2026, following equipment issues identified during a phased restart earlier this summer.

The system, made up of 256 Tesla Megapacks, disconnected from the grid back in January after the Vistra fire triggered its infrared fire detection system. PG&E began returning batteries to service on June 1, but reported a clamp failure and coolant leak in one unit during testing. No injuries, outages, smoke or fire occurred, according to the electric company.

Tesla, which maintains the facility for PG&E, is developing an inspection and repair plan. Until repairs are completed, the system will remain disconnected from the grid except to maintain a minimum charge. PG&E said it is in contact with local stakeholders and will provide updates as work progresses.

(Screenshot from Pacific Gas & Electric’s ‘Creating Our Clean Energy Future.’ Photo courtesy of Pacific Gas & Electric.)(Screenshot from Pacific Gas & Electric’s ‘Creating Our Clean Energy Future.’ Photo courtesy of Pacific Gas & Electric.)(Screenshot from Pacific Gas & Electric’s ‘Creating Our Clean Energy Future.’ Photo courtesy of Pacific Gas & Electric.)Show Caption1 of 3(Screenshot from Pacific Gas & Electric’s ‘Creating Our Clean Energy Future.’ Photo courtesy of Pacific Gas & Electric.)Expand

Meanwhile, the Monterey County Department of Public Works announced paving work on Elkhorn Road will take place next week as part of the Elkhorn Road Rehabilitation Project.

Paving on Monday and Tuesday will take place between Hall Road and Strawberry Road between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. with reversible traffic control in place. From Thursday to Sep. 4, the road will close to through traffic from Strawberry Road to Walker Valley Road between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. A signed detour will be in place via Strawberry Road, San Miguel Canyon Road, Paradise Road and Walker Valley Road. No closure is planned for Labor Day weekend.

Drivers are advised to expect delays, follow posted signage and use caution in construction zones.

For updates on road projects, visit the Monterey County Public Works website.

House committee subpoenas Epstein’s estate for documents, including birthday book and contacts

By STEPHEN GROVES, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the estate of the late Jeffrey Epstein on Monday as congressional lawmakers try to determine who was connected to the disgraced financier and whether prosecutors mishandled his case.

The committee’s subpoena is the latest effort by both Republicans and Democrats to respond to public clamor for more disclosure in the investigation into Epstein, who was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019. Lawmakers are trying to guide an investigation into who among Epstein’s high-powered social circle may have been aware of his sexual abuse of teenage girls, delving into a criminal case that has spurred conspiracy theories and roiled top officials in President Donald Trump’s administration.

FILE – A board outlining the case against Ghislaine Maxwell is seen during a news conference to announce charges against Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, July 2, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

The subpoena, signed by Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the oversight committee, and dated Monday, demands that Epstein’s estate provide Congress with documents including a book that was compiled with notes from friends for his 50th birthday, his last will and testament, agreements he signed with prosecutors, his contact books, and his financial transactions and holdings.

Comer wrote to the executors of Epstein’s estate that the committee “is reviewing the possible mismanagement of the federal government’s investigation of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell, the circumstances and subsequent investigations of Mr. Epstein’s death, the operation of sex-trafficking rings and ways for the federal government to effectively combat them, and potential violations of ethics rules related to elected officials.”

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The Justice Department, trying to distance Trump and Epstein, last week began handing over to lawmakers documentation of the federal investigation into Epstein. It has also released transcripts of interviews conducted with Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend. But Democrats on the committee have not been satisfied with those efforts, saying that the some 33,000 pages of documents they’ve received are mostly already public.

“DOJ’s limited disclosure raises more questions than answers and makes clear that the White House is not interested in justice for the victims or the truth,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement.

Pressure from lawmakers to release more information is likely to only grow when Congress returns to Washington next week.

A bipartisan group of House members is attempting to maneuver around Republican leadership to hold a vote to pass legislation meant to require the Justice Department to release a full accounting of the sex trafficking investigation into Epstein.

What to know about cashless bail after Trump’s executive order

By MELISSA GOLDIN, Associated Press

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday threatening to withhold or revoke federal funding to local and state governments that offer cashless bail, arguing that it is a threat to public safety.

“No cash. Come back in a couple of months, we’ll give you a trial. You never see the person again,” he said, moments before signing the order.

Attorney General Pam Bondi must submit a list of jurisdictions that have “substantially eliminated cash bail as a potential condition of pretrial release from custody for crimes that pose a clear threat to public safety and order” within 30 days, as stipulated in the order.

Proponents of eliminating cash bail describe it as a penalty on poverty, suggesting that the wealthy can pay their way out of jail to await trial while those with fewer financial resources have to sit it out behind bars. Critics of the cashless route have argued that bail is a time-honored way to ensure defendants released from jail show up for court proceedings. They warn that violent criminals will be released pending trial, giving them license to commit other crimes.

Here’s what to know:

What it is

Cashless bail refers to policies that allow people to be released from jail without paying any money while they await trial. It is an alternative to the traditional cash bail system in which which people pay money to be released and get their money back if they return to court when they are supposed to. The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution prohibits excessive bail.

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In 2023, Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail when the state Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law abolishing it. The move was part of an expansive criminal justice overhaul adopted in 2021 known as the SAFE-T Act. Under the change, a judge decides whether to release the defendant prior to their trial, weighing factors such as their criminal charges, if they could pose any danger to others and if they are considered a flight risk.

A number of other jurisdictions, including New Jersey, New Mexico and Washington, D.C., have nearly eliminated cash bail or limited its use. Some have used practices such as court date reminders, transportation vouchers, flexible scheduling and on-site child care to increase court attendance for people who have been released without bail.

When it’s offered

Policies vary by jurisdiction, but many exclude the use of cashless bail for more serious crimes such as murder and other violent offenses. Cashless bail might also be denied if there is concern an individual might flee before trial. In some cases, it is granted automatically for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.

The impact on crime

Studies have shown mixed results regarding the impact of cashless bail on crime. Many focus on the recidivism of individual defendants rather than overall crime rates.

Loyola University of Chicago’s Center for Criminal Justice published a 2024 report on Illinois’ new cashless bail policy, one year after it went into effect. It acknowledges that there is not yet enough data to know what impact the law has had on crime, but that crime in Illinois did not increase after its implementation. Violent and property crime declined in some counties.

A 2024 report published by the Brennan Center for Justice saw “no statistically significant relationship” between bail reform and crime rates. It looked at crime rate data from 2015 through 2021 for 33 cities across the U.S., 22 of which had instituted some type of bail reform. Researchers used a statistical method to determine if crime rates had diverged in those with reforms and those without. The report found that “put simply” there was no “significant difference in crime rates between cities that reformed their bail policies and those that did not.”

Asked last month what data Trump was using to support his claim that cashless bail leads to increase in crime, the White House pointed to a 2022 report from the district attorney’s office in Yolo County, California, that looked at how a temporary cashless bail system implemented across the state to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in courts and jails impacted recidivism. It found that out of 595 individuals released between April 2020 and May 2021 under this system, 70.6% were arrested again after they were released. A little more than half were rearrested more than once.