Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 403
July 31, 2024
Paris Olympics: Here’s what’s on TV on Thursday, August 1
Here is the Paris Olympics TV schedule for Thursday, August 1, 2024. Highlights include the women’s gymnastics all-around finals ( 9 a.m., NBC), the U.S. women’s basketball team vs. Belgium (noon, USA) and swimming finals in women’s 200 breaststroke and 200 backstroke, the men’s 200 butterfly and the women’s 4×200 free relay (11:30 a.m., NBC).
ARCHERY7 a.m.
USA — Individual: Round of 64, 329:15 a.m.
E! — Individual: Round of 32BADMINTON3:30 a.m.
E! — Women’s Doubles: QuarterfinalsBASKETBALL8 a.m.
TELEMUNDO — Basketball11:45 a.m.
USA — Women’s Group C: Belgium vs. USABASKETBALL 3X311:35 p.m.
NBC — NBC Late Night (July 31)1 a.m.
USA — Men’s Pool Play4 a.m.
USA — Pool Play9:30 a.m.
USA — Men’s Pool Play2:05 p.m.
NBC — Men’s Pool Play5:45 p.m.
USA — Pool PlayBEACH VOLLEYBALLMidnight
USA — Pool Play3 a.m.
TELEMUNDO — Beach volleyball and race walking7 a.m.
TELEMUNDO — Beach volleyball1:05 p.m.
NBC — Pool Play4 p.m.
USA — Pool PlayBOXING10 a.m.
TELEMUNDO — Boxeo1:45 p.m.
USA — Men’s Light Quarterfinals & moreCANOEING8:30 a.m.
E! — Slalom: Men’s Kayak FinalCYCLING11:35 p.m.
NBC — NBC Late Night (July 31)11:30 a.m.
UNIVERSO — Swimming and BMX6:45 p.m.
USA — BMX Racing, ShootingEQUESTRIAN12:45 p.m.
E! — Jumping: Team QualifierFENCING10:25 a.m.
E! — Women’s Team Foil Bronze/Gold FinalsFIELD HOCKEY8 a.m.
USA — Women’s Pool B: USA vs. Great BritainGOLFMidnight
GOLF — Men’s Round 1: Part 14 a.m.
GOLF — Men’s Round 1: Part 2GYMNASTICS9 a.m.
NBC — Women’s All-Around FinalUNIVERSO — Gymnastics8 p.m.
NBC — Primetime in Paris (Aug. 1)HANDBALL2:45 p.m.
USA — Women’s Group PlayROWING2:40 a.m.
E! — Finals: Double Sculls & more10 a.m.
USA — Finals: Double Sculls & moreSHOOTING6:45 p.m.
USA — BMX Racing, ShootingSWIMMING2 a.m.
USA — Heats: Men’s 50m Free & more11:30 a.m.
NBC — Finals: Women’s 200m Fly & moreUNIVERSO — Swimming and BMX8 p.m.
NBC — Primetime in Paris (Aug. 1)TABLE TENNIS1 a.m.
E! — M&W Singles: Round of 166 a.m.
E! — Women’s Singles: QuarterfinalsTRACK & FIELD3 a.m.
TELEMUNDO — Marcha Atletica y Voleibol de Playa5:30 a.m.
USA — Men’s 20km Race Walk7 a.m.
E! — Women’s 20km Race WalkVOLLEYBALL4 a.m.
E! — Women’s Pool Play10:45 a.m.
USA — Women’s Pool PlayWATER POLO1:30 a.m.
E! — Men’s Group: Greece vs. USA2:30 p.m.
NBC — Men’s Group: Greece vs. USA5 p.m.
USA — Men’s Group Play8 p.m.
USA — Men’s Group: Greece vs. USA
What’s next for Katie Ledecky? Another race and a relay as she goes for more records
NANTERRE, France (AP) — Katie Ledecky has tied one of swimming’s most impressive records.
Chances are, she’ll have it all to herself by the time she completes the Paris Olympics.
The 27-year-old Ledecky bumped her career total to 12 medals with a dominating victory in the 1,500-meter freestyl e Wednesday night, equaling three fellow Americans — Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin and Jenny Thompson — for the most ever by a female swimmer.
Ledecky was first an Olympian in 2012Ledecky won her first gold in London when she was just 15.
“It’s not easy, it doesn’t get any easier, so I do try to enjoy it each year and there’s different perspective that I have different years and different challenges that you face each year,” Ledecky said after winning the 1,500.
What’s next for Ledecky?— She is expected to compete in the final of the 4×200 freestyle relay on Thursday. The U.S. took silver in that event at the Tokyo Games after winning gold in the two previous Olympics, so that seems like a pretty sure bet for lucky medal No. 13.
— Ledecky will be going for her fourth straight gold medal in the 800 freestyle, with the preliminaries set for Friday morning and the final to follow Saturday next evening.
“I have the relay tomorrow, that’s my next focus,” she said after the race. “Then, I’ll think about the 800.”
The American star now has eight gold medals in her career, seven of them coming in individual races. She came into these games already holding the record for the most individual golds by a female swimmer.
Paris Olympics Day 5 recap: Ledecky wins, triathlon held in the Seine
By ANDREW DAMPF, Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — Katie Ledecky gritted her teeth and flexed her left arm atop the lane rope.
There was plenty of splashing, too, by one of the most accomplished swimmers to ever dive into the pool.
Ledecky dominated the 1,500-meter freestyle at the Paris Games on Wednesday for her eighth Olympic gold medal and 12th medal overall.
And that might not even have been the most impressive performance on a big night in the pool.
France’s Léon Marchand completed one of the most audacious doubles in swimming history by winning the 200 butterfly and the 200 breaststroke about two hours apart.
Leon Marchand, of France, celebrates after winning the men’s 200-meter breaststroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)There was also a world record in the 100 freestyle as Pan Zhanle of China lowered his own mark.
Triathlon successAn ambitious plan to clean up the long-polluted Seine River paid off when the swimming portions of the Paris Olympics triathlons were finally held in the waterway Wednesday.
After a couple of canceled swim practices and a day’s delay because of the river’s water quality, the women’s and men’s events finished in spectacular fashion — on the Pont Alexandre III bridge with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Australia’s Natalie Van Coevorden, center, competes in the swim leg of the women’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Athletes dive into the water for the start of the women’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Manami Iijima, of Guam, is helped by staff after crashing during the bike leg of the women’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Flora Duffy, of Bermuda, competes during the women’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Flora Duffy, of Bermuda, competes during the women’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Britain’s Beth Potter, left, Hungary’s Zsanett Kuttor-Bragmayer, center, and Taylor Spivey, of the United States, right, compete during the bike leg of the women’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Taylor Spivey, of the United States, competes during the bike leg of the women’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A woman watches athletes competing during the swim leg of the women’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Show Caption1 of 8Australia’s Natalie Van Coevorden, center, competes in the swim leg of the women’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Expand“It’s magical,” said newly minted gold medalist Cassandre Beaugrand of France. “It’s the best route we’ve had in a long time and I know all the other athletes feel the same.”
Beaugrand navigated slippery roads that turned the cycling portion into a series of spills following an early morning rain.
The men’s triathlon, which started less than an hour after the women finished, there was plenty of stifling heat and humidity to deal with as the sun came out in full force. Alex Yee of Britain used a burst at the end to catch and pass Hayden Wilde of New Zealand to win the gold medal by six seconds.
U.S. men beat South Sudan in basketballThe U.S. men’s basketball team had an easier time with South Sudan in the rematch than it did when the teams first met a couple of weeks ago. The U.S. clinched a trip to the quarterfinals with a 103-86 victory.
Guatemala’s goldA spinal injury ended Adriana Ruano’s Olympic dream as a gymnast. She came back as a shooter and won Guatemala’s first Olympic gold medal.
Ruano was training for the 2011 world championships in gymnastics, a qualifier for the London Olympics the following year, when she felt pain in her back.
Adriana Ruano Oliva of Team Guatemala is congratulated by her coach as she wins the gold medal after competing in the Shooting Trap Women’s Final on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 31, 2024 in Chateauroux, France. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)An MRI showed the then-16-year-old had six damaged vertebrae — a career-ending injury — and Ruano’s doctor recommended she take up shooting if she wanted to stay in sports without aggravating her injured back.
That advice paid off Wednesday as Ruano won gold in the women’s trap with an Olympic-record score of 45 out of 50.
Djokovic still chasing goldNovak Djokovic is three wins away from earning the only big title he lacks.
Related ArticlesOlympics | Paris Olympics: Here’s what’s on TV on Thursday, August 1 Olympics | What’s next for Katie Ledecky? Another race and a relay as she goes for more records Olympics | Drag queen in Olympic opening ceremony has no regrets, calls it ‘a photograph of France in 2024’ Olympics | Flavor Flav wears special clock made by Maggie Steffens’ late sister-in-law Olympics | Simone Biles mocks MyKayla Skinner’s ‘work ethic’ comment after winDjokovic needed a bit of time to assert himself before taking control with a five-game run for a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Dominik Koepfer of Germany, reaching the singles quarterfinals for the fourth time at the Summer Games.
A gold medal is pretty much the only accomplishment of significance missing from the resume of Djokovic, a 37-year-old from Serbia who has won a men’s-record 24 Grand Slam titles and spent more weeks at No. 1 than anyone in the history of the computerized tennis rankings.
Djokovic next faces Staassefanos Tsitsipas.
Rafael Nadal’s Paris Games ended when he and Carlos Alcaraz were eliminated in the men’s doubles quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to the fourth-seeded American duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Design phase of new Monterey Regional Airport terminal gets $2.58M grant
MONTEREY – The plans for the look and function of the new terminal at the Monterey Regional Airport attained full funding as another infusion of grant money brings the construction of the facility closer to realization.
More than $2.58 million in federal funding was awarded through the Airport Improvements Grant Program made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and will support the remainder of the Monterey airport’s Replacement Terminal Design project, announced U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, CA-19, on Tuesday.
“The Monterey Regional Airport plays such an important part of our lives and livelihoods in California’s 19th Congressional District,” said Panetta in a press release. “Way too many people from our community rely on that airport for their professional and personal travel for it to be out of date, out of compliance and out of character for our community.”
The old terminal building will be replaced with a new modern facility, the design of which will be completed later this fall. Then it will go to bid toward the end of 2024 and bids should be in hand in Feb. 2025., with vertical construction estimated to start later in 2025. (James Herrera/Monterey Herald)The passage of the legislation is allowing the federal government to invest in local infrastructure, and will provide the Monterey Regional Airport the resources for a modern facility to continue to provide safe, reliable and efficient travel for visitors and members of the local community, said Panetta.
The Airport Improvement Program provides grants to public agencies – and, in some cases, to private owners and entities – for the planning and development of public-use airports that are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems which includes the Monterey airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The new federal investment secured to support the design phase of the new terminal totals $2,583,765.
“The design phase is now fully funded through grants from the FAA,” said Monterey Regional Airport Executive Director Mike La Pier. “The new grant will fund the final phase of our design efforts for the replacement terminal.”
The total design phase cost is “roughly $6.1 million,” he said.
“We will complete design later this fall after which we will go to bid toward the end of this year,” said La Pier. “Bids should be in hand in February 2025.”
In early 2023, Panetta announced a $3 million grant for the Replacement Terminal Design project as part of a broader $25 million total federal investment in Monterey Regional Airport enhancements.
According to La Pier, the total cost of the replacement terminal project which includes the design and construction has a current estimated price tag of $88 million, “however, my staff and I are continuing to work the architects to reduce the estimate. In addition, the final cost will not be known until we receive bids for construction.”
HOK Group Inc., a design, architecture, engineering and urban planning firm out of St. Louis, has been selected by the Monterey airport as the architect for the replacement terminal project. The firm was founded in 1955 and has numerous award-winning airport designs under its belt.
In March, HOK Group posted an update on its website saying the Monterey airport will be a new five-gate terminal replacing the current outdated facility. The single-level layout promotes accessibility and easy wayfinding. An apron level below will support airport, airline and maintenance staff. The project will include the airport’s first passenger boarding bridges so travelers can easily access planes in any weather.
In June, the long-term parking lot at the Monterey Airport was moved to make way for the location of the new terminal and its adjacent apron. Workers have already moved about 148,000-cubic-yards of earth out of the old parking lot. The footprint for the new terminal building and its corresponding apron to accommodate aircraft is being established. (James Herrera/Monterey Herald)The nature-inspired design features a pre-security garden plaza with native landscaping. From the garden, a glass wall offers views into the terminal’s post-security central plaza, which features a center bar for dining and various seating options. A post-security outdoor terrace showcases the region’s scenic beauty and mild climate.
“The Monterey Peninsula Airport District sought a beautiful and cost-effective design that expresses the beauty of Monterey,” said Bart van Vliet, project manager in HOK’s San Francisco studio, in the update. “We’re collaborating with them to create an innovative terminal that wows and welcomes passengers to Monterey.”
HOK says the project team is also upgrading long- and short-term passenger parking facilities, as well as improving the access roads leading to the airport. The plan includes creating space to accommodate two more aircraft for overnight parking. The airport also can use this extra space for additional ground boarding when the five gates are at capacity.
In June, the long-term parking lot at the Monterey Airport was moved to make way for the location of the new terminal and its adjacent apron.
The new terminal is targeting LEED Platinum certification and net-zero energy readiness. The airport will remain operational during construction, which is set to begin in 2025.
49ers’ backup QB battle: Quick study Dobbs trying to chase down Allen
SANTA CLARA — The head start belongs to Brandon Allen, but if Joshua Dobbs has proven anything after a whirlwind 2023 season it’s that he can learn on the fly.
Dobbs, who graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering from Tennessee in 2017, is vying with Allen to be the backup to 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy. He’s an aspiring pilot with 35 hours under his belt who has put that pursuit on hold for a chance to provide air support for the defending NFC Champions under coach Kyle Shanahan.
“There’s actually a lot of crossover,” Dobbs said following practice Wednesday. “You talk to the FAA, they repeat a call, you’ve got to say it back to them very specifically. You’ve got a lot of stuff going on. It’s like you’re in the pocket and you’ve got to call one of coach Shanahan’s plays. They get real wordy.”
Allen was the backup for Purdy last year, and he’s had a year in the system as well having played in Cincinnati which has some 49ers-like features on offense.
“I think everyone knows Kyle’s offense is difficult at times to get down and be comfortable in,” Allen said. “It comes with reps and studying and having that whole year to come back and be in the same system has been good. I’m definitely more comfortable with the verbiage. I’m able to call plays a lot easier.”
After seven practices, it’s too close to call to determine which quarterback would step in should disaster strike with Purdy. It was a better day offensively Wednesday after two turnover-filled sessions on previous days, including seven interceptions from Purdy.
There were no picks and it was an efficient if not spectacular session. Purdy was 8-for-9, Allen 9-for-14 and Dobbs 7-for-9. Tanner Mordecai, an undrafted free agent from Wisconsin, got no work after getting a few snaps on Tuesday.
The remainder of training camp, a scrimmage in Southern California with New Orleans and three preseason games will determine the final pecking order behind Purdy.
Not surprisingly, Allen seemed to be in the lead after the first few practices, but Dobbs has gradually come around in terms of accuracy, efficiency and learning to be precise with footwork that ties into the timing and rhythm of the passing game.
Allen signed quickly for a chance to back up Purdy, and Dobbs was added later with a $2.25 million bonus after starting for both Arizona and Minnesota after he was originally the training camp backup in Cleveland. Dobbs was traded twice and as he put it has “learned four offenses in a span of 365 days” now that he’s with the 49ers.
Dobbs was traded from Cleveland to Arizona last Aug. 24 and started for the Cardinals until Kyler Murray’s ACL healed, then was dealt to Minnesota to step in for Kirk Cousins after a torn Achilles.
“It seemed like every time you got settled it was like, ‘OK, let’s go learn a new offense, learn new teammates, learn a new city and try to get reacclimated to go out and play,” Dobbs said.
Dobbs ended up starting 12 games, passing for 2,464 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for two teams. He had some very good games and some rough landings, but overall wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
“It’s not easy to do and obviously he did pretty well being thrown into tough situations like he was last year,” Allen said. “I’ve known Josh for a while. He’s really smart, picked up the offense pretty quickly and you can see he’s dialed into what he’s trying to do on the field.”
The Aiyuk saga
Before practice began, hold-in wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk made his way to the field and exchanged greetings with both Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
A contract agreement? A fond farewell maybe?
Perhaps neither. Aiyuk sat in a golf cart and watched practice, with Deebo Samuel coming over to visit for a time. There were no announcements by the 49ers or national reports indicating anything had happened with Aiyuk with regards to a contract or trade.
#49ers Brandon Aiyuk just walked to midfield and dapped up John Lynch & Kyle Shanahan
pic.twitter.com/eB6OmbxfW9
— 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙁𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 (@TheSFNiners) July 31, 2024
Moody getting his kicks
Jake Moody continued an almost flawless camp by converting all three of his field goal attempts. He has missed only one in seven practices, with ESPN reporting he is 20 of 21. His long was a 55-yard attempt on Tuesday.
With only one kicker in camp, the 49ers haven’t spent an inordinate amount of time on field goal attempts, with Moody also working on keeping kickoffs away from return specialists as much as possible as the 49ers adjust to the new rules.
In an interview with 49ers flagship station KNBR, Moody talked about the difference coming in with a full offseason as opposed to the combine-draft-49ers off-season-regular season whirlwind he experienced as a third-round draft pick out of Michigan.
“Last year was tough,” Moody said. “Personally, I take some time off in the offseason, kind of like a pitcher in the MLB. I like to take a month off without kicking the ball, but last year I didn’t get that because I had the combine, the workouts with different teams and I had to stay ready for anything. I really didn’t get an offseason last year.”
Special teams coordinator Brian Schneider can see a difference.
“It’s always fun seeing guys in their second year come in when camp starts,” Schneider said. “I saw it in Jake. It’s just a whole different feel where their body feels like and how comfortable they are. They know exactly what it looks like.”
Practice notes
— First-round pick Ricky Pearsall Jr. made an acrobatic sideline snag with one hand on a ball thrown by Purdy while being defended by Ji’Ayir Brown. Pearsall also had a touchdown reception from Purdy in the the red zone.
— Wide receiver Ronnie Bell had a few impressive catches, including a touchdown from Allen in a red zone sequence.
— Second-year linebackers Dee Winters and Jalen Graham continued to flash as they compete with veteran De’Vondre Campbell to replace Dre Greenlaw as he rehabs his torn Achilles.
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— The 49ers worked in pads but had a shorter session heading into a players’ off day Thursday.
Resting or injured
— Besides Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams (holdout), defensive tackle Javon Hargrave missed his second day of practice due to undisclosed reasons. Missing practice due to rest or injury included guard Aaron Banks, wide receiver Jauan Jennings, tight end Logan Thomas, running back Isaac Guerendo, offensive linemen Jarrett Kingston, Spencer Burford and Jon Feliciano and wide receiver Jacob Cowing.
College softball: Salinas High grad Montanez named new CSUMB softball coach
MORAGA – Returning to a conference where she put together a historic softball career as a player nearly a decade ago had an appeal to Emily Montanez.
So did becoming a college head coach for the first time, taking the reins of arguably the most successful sports program at Cal State Monterey Bay since its inception into Division II sports.
Yet, the selling point for the former Salinas High first baseman was returning to an area where she honed her softball skills as a youth – where her family remains a short drive from the CSUMB campus.
“I’ve played in the conference,” Montanez said. “It’s competitive. But coming back home was the key thing. It was a no-brainer to take the position.”
Introduced last week as the new softball coach at Cal State Monterey Bay, Montanez’s first official day on the job is Thursday.
The 33-year-old becomes just the second softball coach in school history, replacing Andrea Kenney, who retired last spring after producing over 500 wins in 18 seasons for the Otters.
New CSUMB softball coach Emily Montanez was an associate head coach at St. Mary’s in Moraga last season. (Photo by Tod Fierner)“I have some big shoes to fill,” Montanez said. “I also know that I will do whatever I need to do. I’m excited for what the future looks like. Andrea did an incredible job with the program.”
Having spent the past six years at St. Mary’s – the last five as the associate head coach, Montanez’s last day as a part of the Gael’s coaching staff was Wednesday.
“This (St. Mary’s) is such a special place,” Montanez said. “It was so much fun building the program to where it is now. To see these seniors turn it around from their freshman seasons was incredible.”
Montanez was speaking about St. Mary’s winning its first ever West Coast Conference title last spring to advance to the NCAA West Regionals.
While the Otters stumbled last spring in posting a 19-30 overall record, this isn’t a reclamation project for Montanez.
The program has won five California Collegiate Athletic Association titles in the past 14 years and made eight NCAA Division II appearances, the last coming in 2022.
“I’m looking forward to building the next chapter at Monterey Bay,” Montanez said. “What I will focus on is building the athlete as a person, how to be a leader and successful on the field and after they graduate.”
In a Zoom meeting with players, Montanez said she was greeted warmly by 36 returnees. She’s in the process of hiring a pitching coach as well. CSUMB lost just two seniors and one starter.
“I will meet with the players and get a little more in-depth next week,” Montanez said. “A lot of them are still gone. When we get back to school on Aug. 26, we’re going to go hard.”
While pitching will be the centerpiece of building her program, Montanez is an aggressive coach who will demand execution at the plate and on the base paths.
“If we’re not hitting, we’ll figure out other ways to produce runs,” Montanez said. “We will play small ball. I don’t know what the program was before, but I want to execute every play.”
The Otters were shutout seven times last year and were held to one run on seven other occasions, accounting for 14 of their 30 losses.
While revenue for scholarships has improved at CSUMB, it still has one of the smallest budgets in the CCAA, which can make recruiting challenging.
“The special part of recruiting is finding athletes where this is the best fit for them,” Montanez said. “What’s important to me is making sure the athlete is successful. It’s not just softball. You’re here to get a degree.”
Having served as a hitting coach and infield coach at St. Mary’s, Montanez believes the program’s past success and being from the area will help when it comes to recruiting.
“The location sells itself,” Montanez said. “There are very few programs that are a mile from the beach. There is so much pride in the program.”
A former first baseman at Cal State East Bay, Montanez remains among the top 10 in school history in hits (155) at No. 6 and is No. 10 all-time in home runs and runs scored.
A member of The Herald’s All-County softball team in 2009 at Salinas, Montanez hopes her ties to the area will help in perhaps keeping some of the local softball talent in the area home.
“There’s a ton of talent in the area,” Montanez said. “I’m excited for the ones that want to stay in the area. I realize that’s not for everyone. There are a lot of hard-working athletes that come from this area.”
Montanez had the privilege of working with four former county athletes last spring who were a part of St. Mary’s conference title team.
“I will pursue wherever I can to find the best athletes,” Montanez said. “If it’s down the street or in SoCal, I will find the best ones to fit our program to be successful at CSUMB.”
Donald Trump falsely suggests Kamala Harris misled voters about her race
By MATT BROWN and MICHELLE L. PRICE, Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Donald Trump falsely suggested Kamala Harris had misled voters about her race as the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago Wednesday in an interview that quickly turned hostile.
The Republican former president wrongly claimed that Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president, had in the past only promoted her Indian heritage.
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said while addressing the group’s annual convention.
Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, supporting her colleagues’ legislation to strengthen voting rights and reforming policing.
Trump has leveled a wide range of criticism at Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden atop the likely Democratic ticket last week. Throughout his political career, the former president has repeatedly questioned the backgrounds of opponents who are racial minorities.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, moderated by ABC’s Rachel Scott, FOX News’ Harris Faulkner and Semafor’s Nadia Goba, speaks at the National Association of Black Journalists, NABJ, convention, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris’ campaign, said in a statement that “the hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power.”
“Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency — while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch he left us in,” Tyler said. “Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters on Wednesday about Trump’s remarks and responded with disbelief, initially murmuring, “Wow.”
Jean-Pierre, who is Black, called what Trump said “repulsive” and said, “It’s insulting and no one has any right to tell someone who they are how they identify.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked his opponents and critics on the basis of race. He rose to prominence in Republican politics by propagating false theories that President Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, was not born in the United States. “Birtherism,” as it became known, was just the start of Trump’s history of questioning the credentials and qualifications of Black politicians.
During this year’s Republican primary, he once referred to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”
Related ArticlesNational Politics | Black women, white dudes, crazy cat ladies: Identity groups fuel a groundswell for Harris National Politics | Lake-Gallego Senate contest set in Arizona; key House races up in the air National Politics | Donald Trump’s invitation to Black journalists convention in Chicago divides membership National Politics | About 8 in 10 Democrats are satisfied with Harris in stark shift after Biden drops out: poll National Politics | How Republicans helped shape gay activism in AmericaTrump’s appearance Wednesday at the annual gathering of Black journalists immediately became heated, with the former president sparring with interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News and accusing her of giving him a “very rude introduction” with a tough first question about his past criticism of Black people and Black journalists, his attack on Black prosecutors who have pursued cases against him and the dinner he had at his Florida club with a white supremacist.
“I think it’s disgraceful,” Trump said. “I came here in good spirit. I love the Black population of this country. I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country.”
Trump continued his attacks on Scott’s network, ABC News, which he has been arguing should not host the next presidential debate, despite his earlier agreement with the Biden campaign. He also several times described her tone and questions as “nasty,” a word he used in the past when describing women, including Hillary Clinton and Meghan the Duchess of Sussex.
The Republican also repeated his false claim that immigrants in the country illegally are “taking Black jobs.” When pushed by Scott on what constituted a “Black job,” Trump responded by saying “a Black job is anybody that has a job,” drawing groans from the room.
At one point, he said, “I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”
The audience responded with a mix of boos and some applause.
Scott asked Trump about his pledge to pardon people convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and specifically whether he would pardon those who assaulted police officers.
Trump said, “Oh, absolutely I would,” and said, “If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”
Scott pointed out they have been convicted and therefore are not innocent.
“Well, they were convicted by a very, very tough system,” he said.
At one point, when he was defending his supporters who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, he said, “Nothing is perfect in life.”
He compared the 2021 insurrection to the protests in Minneapolis and other cities in 2020 following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and to more recent protests at the Capitol last week by pro-Gaza demonstrators, falsely claiming that no one was arrested in those other demonstrations and that only his supporters were targeted.
As Trump made the comparison, a man in the back of the room shouted out: “Sir, have you no shame?”
The former president’s invitation to address the organization sparked an intense internal debate among NABJ that spilled online. Organizations for journalists of color typically invite presidential candidates to speak at their summer gatherings in election years.
As he campaigns for the White House a third time, Trump has sought to appear outside his traditional strongholds of support and his campaign has touted his efforts to try to win over Black Americans, who have been Democrats’ most committed voting bloc.
His campaign has emphasized his messages on the economy and immigration as part of his appeal, but some of his outreach has played on racial stereotypes, including the suggestion that African Americans would empathize with the criminal charges he has faced and his promotion of branded sneakers.
Trump and NABJ also have a tense history over his treatment of Black women journalists. In 2018, NABJ condemned Trump for repeatedly using words such as “stupid,” “loser” and “nasty” to describe Black women journalists.
The vice president is not scheduled to appear at the convention, but the NABJ said in a statement posted on X that it was in conversation with her campaign to have her appear either virtually or in person for a conversation in September.
Trump posted on his social media network that he was told he could not do the event virtually.
“She declined, and I am getting ready to land in Chicago in order to be there,” Trump wrote. “Now I am told that she is doing the Event on ZOOM. WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?”
Trump later Wednesday is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. EST.
Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Aaron Morrison in New York, Gary Fields in Chicago and Will Weissert and Farnoush Amiri in Washington contributed to this report.
Horoscopes July 31, 2024: B.J. Novak, change only what’s necessary
CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Rico Rodriguez, 26; B.J. Novak, 45; Zac Brown, 46; J.K. Rowling, 59.
Happy Birthday: Jump at the chance to explore possibilities, and expand your interests into areas of concern where you can make a difference. Learning, sharing information, traveling and deciding what’s important to you will help you formulate a plan that wards off interference from manipulators and hesitation on your part. Change only what’s necessary and benefits you. Your numbers are 8, 13, 24, 26, 37, 42, 49.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Evaluate your daily routine and, with a grateful heart, consider the upside and how you can expand in a positive direction. It’s time to face any negativity in your life and adjust circumstances to fit your dreams, hopes and wishes. 4 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You may crave change, but making a move prematurely will lead to disappointment. Regroup and think before you sign up for or agree to something questionable. Refuse to let someone’s friendly or kind gesture trick you into participating in a scam. 4 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Act before someone tries to step in and take over. Use your imagination, speed and intellect to deter anyone from taking advantage of you by embellishing a situation. Concentrate on home and self-improvement instead of trying to please someone unworthy of your trust and affection. 3 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Tune in to what’s trending, and decide how to upgrade and use your skills to enhance an income increase. Refuse to let the changes others make or suggest throw you off guard or point you in the wrong direction. Follow your heart and do what’s best for you. 3 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Assess your health and emotional well-being. Consider what will boost your morale and encourage you to eliminate what’s no longer working for you. Set boundaries, lower your overhead and ease stress. Consider what you are grateful for, and embrace what makes you happy. 4 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Pay attention to detail and avoid mistakes. Use extra energy to help ward off arguments and frustration. Plan your day strategically to get as much done on your own as you can and you will feel good about what you accomplish. Love and respect yourself. 2 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Claim your spot and keep things moving forward. It’s up to you to incorporate what you want to happen by acting on your behalf and for those unable to do so. Plant your feet firmly behind your beliefs, and refuse to let anyone interfere with your plans. 5 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Keep tabs on how you feel and what you do that affects your health and emotional well-being. Don’t let poor behavior be your downfall or lead to loss. A change may tempt you, but unless it’s within your means, do not participate. 3 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Think before you speak or act. The recipients of your intentions will respond negatively. Look inward and transform yourself instead of trying to change those around you. A change at home may not suit your emotional needs, but it will surely meet your financial expectations. 3 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Discipline will be necessary to avoid a loss. Emotional spending or investing in a scam or out of love for someone heading down a dubious path will not bode well. Practicality is necessary if you wish to avoid stress and uncertainty. 3 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put more time and effort into fixing up your space or adding to your convenience and comfort. Take up a new hobby or participate in an event or activity that excites you. Make relationships and personal improvements your priorities. Romance is on the rise. 5 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take a breather and establish what you want. Discussing your next move is only worthwhile once you feel confident of the outcome. Refuse to let a change or suggestion someone makes lead you into battle. First, figure out what’s best for you. 2 stars
Birthday Baby: You are intuitive, a crusader and a teacher. You are responsive and colorful.
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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July 30, 2024
SF Giants fall to A’s in first game since standing pat at MLB trade deadline
SAN FRANCISCO — Hours after Farhan Zaidi declared that the Giants were putting their postseason hopes in the hands of a starting rotation he called the “best in baseball” and a young core that had “been the catalyst for some of our best play,” the lowly A’s knocked around their starting pitcher and held their lineup in check.
In a 5-2 loss Tuesday night to their last-place cross-bay rivals on the same day they largely stood pat at MLB’s trade deadline, Robbie Ray served up three home runs and put his team in four-run hole that they were unable to overcome against his counterpart, fellow lefty J.P. Sears, who blanked the Giants for seven innings.
The loss snapped the Giants’ season-long winning streak at four games and did them no good in the National League wild-card chase, where all six teams ahead of them won, including the Padres, who got two home runs in the ninth inning to force extra innings against the Dodgers in an eventual 6-5 victory.
“It’s probably going to fall on us to carry the load a little bit,” said Ray, who allowed three or more home runs for the 13th time in 223 career starts. “We definitely have the guys for it. We’ve just got to go out and do what we know how to do … I felt like it was just bad execution tonight. I just left some pitches over the plate that if I execute them it’s probably an out, and they made me pay for it.”
Making his second start in return from Tommy John surgery, Ray’s first time pitching at Oracle Park didn’t go as smoothly as his re-entry to the major leagues last week at Dodger Stadium, when he struck out eight over five hitless innings. Surrendering seven hits and issuing three walks, Ray battled traffic on the base paths every inning he toed the rubber but met the end of his evening with one out in the fifth, when Brent Rooker turned a 95 mph fastball into a two-run homer.
The pitch was Ray’s 93rd of the evening, and “95 is kind of what we were looking at today, tops, so he had to come out in the middle of the inning,” manager Bob Melvin said. “They just made him work some. Threw a lot of pitches. He made some mistakes, and they hit some homers, which they’ve done for a while now.”
The three home runs were the most allowed by a Giants pitcher in an outing this season, and J.J. Bleday tacked on a fourth against Taylor Rogers with a solo shot in the eighth that extended the lead to 5-0.
Ray’s rocky performance isn’t to be unexpected from a pitcher making his second start since major elbow surgery but also displays the risk of the Giants’ deadline strategy, betting on the 32-year-old’s ability to quickly return to form that earned him the 2021 American League Cy Young.
“He won’t make any excuses for that,” Melvin said, suggesting Ray may have been pitching with less adrenaline than in his first start in 16 months.
“I don’t think so,” Ray said when asked if a lack of adrenaline factored in. “I felt good coming into this game. My arm felt great. My body felt great. Just poor execution.”
By trading Jorge Soler to Atlanta, the Giants opened an opportunity for Marco Luciano to get regular at-bats at designated hitter after homering six times with as many walks as strikeouts over the past month for Triple-A Sacramento. The 22-year-old top prospect doubled and scored in the eighth inning once the Giants had forced Sears from the game but went down swinging in his first two trips to the plate and the Giants weren’t able to mount much else offensively.
Going 0-for-4, Tyler Fitzgerald’s hit streak was snapped at 12 games, and the Giants’ were held to five or fewer for the fourth time in 12 games since the All-Star break. Patrick Bailey singled home Matt Chapman to cut the deficit to 5-2 in the ninth, but they were still held to four or fewer runs for the seventh time since the break.
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin argues with home plate umpire Chris Segal after San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos (17) was ejected from the game against the Oakland Athletics in the seventh inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)Heliot Ramos, whose All-Star first half was a big reason why the Giants weren’t bigger sellers Tuesday, was ejected in the seventh inning arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Chris Segal, who rung him up on the 10th pitch of his at-bat — at the top of the strike zone — and didn’t allow him to get many words in before tossing him from the game. It was Ramos’ first career ejection and the first time a Giants player has been tossed from a game this season.
While apologizing and saying he didn’t like the call and got caught up in the heat of the moment, all Ramos would reveal was that he “said something I shouldn’t have.”
“I thought it was a little quick,” said Melvin, who has been ejected four times this season.
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Pulling into second base with nobody out, that is where Villar would remain as the next three batters — Derek Hill, Tyler Fitzgerald and Casey Schmitt — struck out to end the inning. Bailey’s ninth-inning single represented their only hit in seven chances with runners in scoring position.
“We were behind his heater a little bit, and his slider’s an acquired taste if you haven’t faced him a whole lot,” Melvin said of Sears, who took a 4.81 ERA into the game. “There’s not a lot of depth to it. But he pitched up and down pretty well and was getting some calls on the outside corner to righties that helped him some. But he pitched well.”
NotableThe Giants held a moment of silence before the game to honor Reyes Moronta, who pitched for the team from 2017-21 and died Monday at age 31.
Up nextRHP Logan Webb (7-8, 3.72) faces off against RHP Ross Stripling (2-9, 6.02) for the final game of the Giants’ home stand and the last iteration of the Bay Bridge rivalry at Oracle Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Oakland Athletics’ Daz Cameron (28) high-fives Oakland Athletics third base coach Eric Martins (3) after hitting a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman (26) fields a ball hit by Oakland Athletics’ Brett Harris (77) in the sixth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Harris was out at first. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Oakland Athletics’ Daz Cameron (28) heads to home plate after hitting a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Tyler Fitzgerald (49) tags-out Oakland Athletics’ Zack Gelof (20) attempting to steal second base in the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Oakland Athletics’ Zack Gelof (20) fields a ball hit by San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos (17) in the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Ramos was out at first base. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Oakland Athletics’ Max Schuemann (12) throws to first base for an out on a hit by San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman (26) in the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Jorge Soler (2) salutes the dugout after hitting a double in front of Oakland Athletics’ Max Schuemann (12) in the sixth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher JP Sears (38) throws against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
The San Francisco Giants dugout watches the final outs in their 5-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics in the ninth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Oakland Athletics’ Tyler Ferguson (65) throws against the San Francisco Giants in the ninth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Oakland Athletics’ JP Sears (38) heads to the dugout after the final out of the top of the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Show Caption1 of 11Oakland Athletics’ Daz Cameron (28) high-fives Oakland Athletics third base coach Eric Martins (3) after hitting a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
ExpandReports of antisemitism: Carmel school district reaches resolution with Department of Education
CARMEL >> Jewish students in Carmel Unified School District have dealt with multiple incidents of antisemitic harassment over the past three school years, according to a federal civil rights investigation.
The investigation documented 15 alleged incidents of harassment dating back to 2021, including graffiti depicting swastikas, a verbal threat to Jewish students and a reference to Hitler. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights sent a 13-page letter to Superintendent Sharon Ofek on Friday stating the district “failed to take prompt and effective steps reasonably calculated to end a known hostile environment for students of shared Jewish ancestry.”
The Office for Civil Rights determined the district violated Title VI, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin. As a result, the report recommends the district take several steps to retroactively address these allegations and any future claims of harassment.
The district did not admit to violating the law, but it did come to a Resolution Agreement with the Office for Civil Rights. The district agreed to take 10 steps to resolve the issue, including reviewing the incidents that took place from 2021-24 and determining any further action needed, implementing new ways to track reports of harassment as well as the district’s responses and conducting a districtwide assessment of school climate, “specifically regarding antisemitism.”
In a prepared statement, Ofek said she is “fully committed to creating a safe environment for all of our students, as a school needs to be a place for growth and learning, not trauma.
“As a Jewish-American, I fully support this major step towards ensuring that antisemitism is completely eradicated from the classroom, culture, and overall learning environment,” said Ofek. “To the victims whose unfortunate experiences led to the OCR investigation, know that you are not alone, and I am always here to support you.”
