Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 416

Man sentenced to prison for human trafficking of a minor in Salinas

SALINAS – The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that a Fresno man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for human trafficking, assault and felony evading.

On Aug. 11, the Salinas Police Department received information from the FBI that Joshua Haastrup, 22, of Fresno, who was wanted for human trafficking of a minor out of Las Vegas, was at a local motel.

Police officers and detectives set up surveillance of the motel and located Haastrup. Jane Doe, 15, was seen getting out of Haastrup’s vehicle. When officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Haastrup, he purposefully and violently rammed the front end of two separate patrol vehicles as he recklessly evaded law enforcement, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Haastrup reached speeds of up to 80 mph through residential areas of Salinas before officers were able to stop and arrest him.

Jane Doe was contacted by officers and was determined to be the same minor Haastrup had allegedly sexually exploited in Las Vegas. Evidence from a cell phone taken during the investigation confirmed that Haastrup had sexually exploited Jane Doe in Salinas during at least four separate trips between June 1 and Aug. 11.

Through interagency collaboration, Haastrup was located and arrested within hours of receiving information that he was in Monterey County, said the DA’s Office. Specifically, Salinas Police Detectives Evan Adams, Nicolas Reyes, Officer Isidro Medrano, and Sergeant Gerardo Magana assisted in this process. Additionally, Haastrup’s conviction of the egregious crime of human trafficking was made possible by Det. Jared Dominci, assisted by Det. Sgt. Kendall Gray and detectives at Las Vegas Police Department and District Attorney Investigator Pablo Andrade.

Jane Doe was supported by Victim Witness Program Coordinator Alma Sanchez.

Judge Pamela L. Butler sentenced Haastrup to 10 years in state prison after he was convicted of one count of human trafficking of a minor, one count of assault on a peace officer, and one count of felony evading. This is Haastrup’s first felony conviction. In addition to the prison sentence, Haastrup will have to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in commercial sex work, or some other type of labor, call 911 or reach out to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

TAMC gets $2.25M state grant for Highway 1 Elkhorn Slough corridor project

MOSS LANDING – The Transportation Agency for Monterey County has been awarded a $2.25 million Climate Adaption Planning grant from the California Department of Transportation for the “Highway 1 Elkhorn Slough Corridor Climate Resiliency Project.”

The grant was awarded to evaluate climate vulnerability of the Highway 1 Elkhorn Slough corridor which is vulnerable to coastal climate change impacts such a sea level rise and storm surges.

The “Highway 1 Elkhorn Slough Corridor Climate Resiliency Project” will focus on the resiliency of an 8-mile segment of Highway 1 through Moss Landing and the parallel rail tracks traversing the Elkhorn Slough, as well as county roads.

Nearly 40,000 vehicles cross the 8-mile stretch of the two-lane highway each day.

TAMC Executive Director Todd Muck said in a press release the railway runs along the main stem of the Elkhorn Slough for 5 miles, where the tracks are prone to being flooded during king tides, and points out that the track is critical to freight and the planned expansion of passenger rail service as an alternative option to driving Highway 101 to San Jose and beyond.

The Elkhorn Slough is an estuary where salt and freshwater meet. It contains the third-largest tidal salt marsh in California and is a place with rich biological diversity, providing a habitat for over 20,000 migratory birds. It is the largest nesting area for the snowy plover, home to more than a hundred fish species, and a resting place for threatened southern sea otters.

The $2.25 million Caltrans grant builds upon the initial $1 million State funding project grant secured by Assembly Member Dawn Addis and State Senator John Laird in October. That funding is for planning activities that will evaluate potential critical infrastructure updates to the sea level rise vulnerable transportation corridors along the corridor, according to the press release. This additional funding will enable TAMC to evaluate the viability of corridor alternatives, reach stakeholder consensus, establish a scope, and project design to position projects in the corridor for environmental clearance; ultimately preparing projects for future local, state, and federal grant opportunities.

In 2020, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments and The Nature Conservancy put together a report that evaluated options to elevate the highway while preserving the Elkhorn Slough ecosystem. The initial $1 million in State funding was to build on this report and create actionable plans for viable construction projects that consider the ecology and economy.

Caltrans awards transportation planning grants each year through a competitive process to encourage local and regional projects. The grant for the Elkhorn Slough project is one of four grants awarded in Caltrans District 5 and one of 89 projects awarded statewide for more than $51 million to help make the state’s transportation system more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

What to know about SF Giants’ 2025 schedule, from holiday games to Dodgers showdowns

Though the 2024 Major League Baseball season is still on its All-Star break, the league is full steam ahead with the 2025 season.

MLB released its full 2025 regular-season schedule on Thursday, and the Giants have several noteworthy series.

Here’s a look at the Giants’ most notable dates:

Opening Day in Cincinnati

San Francisco commences the 2025 season with a three-game set in Cincinnati from March 27-30, including a day off in the middle of the series on March 28. The Reds are famous for their Opening Day festivities, which include a pregame parade through the city streets.

Cincinnati has opened the MLB regular season at home every year since 1876, with one exception, according to the Findlay Market Parade’s website.

The action on the field should also be intriguing, with electrifying 22-year-old Elly de la Cruz highlighting the Reds’ crop of young prospects.

First trip to Sacramento

Traveling on Interstate 80 will have a new meaning for the Giants in 2025.

The Giants have traveled to Sacramento for exhibition games against its Triple-A affiliate, the River Cats, but they have never before played an official MLB game in California’s capital city. That will change next year.

The newly relocated Athletics host the Giants July 4-6 at Sutter Health Park. Both clubs will contend with Sacramento’s scorching summer heat and a new artificial surface scheduled to be installed in time for next season.

In 2025, each MLB team will play six games against its prime interleague rival instead of the four dates they have played in recent years.

San Francisco hosts the A’s May 16-18 at Oracle Park.

Nearly a year without Dodger Blue

Factoring in the remainder of the 2024 season, the Giants will go a long time without facing the Dodgers.

The Giants will face the Dodgers for the final time this season next week (July 22-25) in Los Angeles and will not face their longtime rivals again until June 13-15, 2025, when they are back in Southern California.

The Giants will go over a full calendar year between home series against the Dodgers. San Francisco last hosted the Dodgers at Oracle Park from June 28-30 and will not do so again until July 11-13, 2025.

Holiday road

The Giants will be well-traveled during America’s national holidays, leaving Bay Area fans little chance to spend the day off at the ballpark.

San Francisco will spend Memorial Day in Detroit, Independence Day in Sacramento, and Labor Day in Colorado.

Adding to their itinerant exploits, the Giants play 15 of their first 21 games on the road, including stops in Houston, New York, and Philadelphia. In May and early June, they travel to Chicago, Minnesota, Washington, Detroit, and Miami.

September to remember

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The Giants will be very familiar with their September opponents in 2025.

During the regular season’s final month, San Francisco will face four teams. The Giants play two series each against Colorado, Arizona, the Dodgers, and St. Louis.

San Francisco plays each team once at home and once on the road. The Giants wrap up the regular season with a homestand against St. Louis and Colorado from Sept. 22-28 at Oracle Park.

The smarter way to spend $1,000 a night on a hotel room

William O’Connor | (TNS) Bloomberg News

If you’ve planned a vacation of late, you’ll have no trouble believing the eye-watering figure from Virtuoso—a consortia of some 20,000 luxury travel agents—that luxury hotels are 85% more expensive this summer than they were in 2019. In Paris alone, prices have gone stratospheric, up 300 percent over last summer’s rates, as hoteliers try to capitalize on the Olympic Games.

This new world order has normalized spending $1,000 a night for an entry-level room in most major cities — never mind the cost of a five-star stay in a seasonal resort destination like the Amalfi Coast or the south of France. At the former, iconic spots such as Belmond’s Caruso can command last-minute rates of $3,250 for a standard, 452-square-foot room.

To that, we say: The most expensive resorts may often be the most luxurious ones, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the best choices.

If what you’re after is a great value — a stay that offers appropriate pampering, exquisite décor and a sense of seclusion from the general public, and even some bragging rights — the answer may be to avoid the top spots entirely.

In most major destinations, boutique hotels now offer style and sophistication comparable to their more luxurious counterparts — albeit usually with a less favorable staff-to-guest ratio — at a fraction of the cost and to an oftentimes cooler crowd. If you’ve already come to terms with spending upward of $1,000 per night, getting a large suite at one of these more intimate venues will likely make you feel more like royalty than taking up residence in an entry-level room at a larger and more recognizable resort. And even if there are fewer staff to cater to your whims, you’ll be a big fish in a small pond.

Here are four case studies of just how well this strategy can play out, supersizing your lodging without adding a penny to your budget.

A flaneur’s fantasy in Paris

The fanciest hotels in town carry the government-given “palace” status. There are 12 of these, including Le Bristol, the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Hotel Lutetia and Cheval Blanc.

They’re fabulous. But in the middle of the week in June, an entry-level superior room at the Plaza Athénée will run you $2,986 a night. For that price, you’ll get 325 square feet and a view of the landscaped inner courtyard.

At the LVMH-owned Cheval Blanc, which sits on the Seine overlooking the Pont Neuf, the prices are similar: $2,823 a night for a starter “deluxe” room, clocking in at 485 square feet.

You’ll spend half that amount — $1,400 — on a corner suite at the new and already buzzy Château des Fleurs, around the corner from the Plaza Athénée in the 8th arrondissement. The vibe, both in its common spaces and its 37 rooms, is art nouveau with a splash of surrealism: think trippy curvy doors in the hallways and elongated silverware in its Korean-French restaurant, Oma, where a mirrored ceiling is crisscrossed with playful spherical molding.

Further along in the 16th is the St. James, which lays claim to being the only “château hotel” in Paris. Rooms in this majestic mansion start at $2,500 a night—less than the palaces, if not by much. But for that sum you get your own small villa facing the estate’s manicured gardens, with with a private hot tub and sauna. It’s a taste of the French countryside, but within a 20-minute walk of the Arc de Triomphe.

A selective sanctuary in Madrid

For all the fuss over the Olympics in Paris, it’s Madrid that has emerged as the hottest city this summer. (See here for our obsessively curated guide to the city.) At the edge of its preppy Salamanca neighborhood you could sleep off the tapas and tintos at the Rosewood Villa Magna, where the least expensive Deluxe Room offers 323 square feet for $1,500 a night. It’s the same price you’d pay just south on the Paseo del Prado, at the recently refurbished Mandarin Oriental Ritz, which bears the Midas touch in its opulence.

Alternatively, you could book into the Hotel Santo Mauro, which is exclusive for different reasons. One of Madrid’s more discreet properties, it’s the former palace of the Duke of Santo Mauro and part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection. Its 49 opulent rooms in the elegant but low-key neighborhood of Almagro, near the Museo Sorolla, feel like urban oases, and king suites that are nearly twice the size of Rosewood’s entry-level rooms go for around $1,340.

All its rooms have been recently redone by famed Spanish interior designer Lorenzo Castillo, who added rich textiles and vibrant wallpapers so that it feels like you’re the guest of a duke. No two suites look alike, but they all come with a well-curated minibar with Spanish wines and snacks, marble bathrooms, and have a turndown service that includes treats from La Pajarita, a nearly 200-year-old candymaker.

Lording over London

London has long been known for hotels with staggering nightly rates, and the new Raffles London at the OWO continues that tradition. Here, rooms measuring a mere 333 square feet start in the low $1,000s. Few spots worldwide have the stature of The Connaught, but a Contemporary Deluxe Room with dimensions of 377 square feet commands $1,992 a night in mid-June. Starting prices are even higher at The Emory, which just opened, though there at least you’re guaranteed to get a suite (and lots of extras) for the $2,000-and-up price tags.

Further east on a cobble street in Shoreditch is one of the city’s more eccentric and adored boutique properties – Batty Langley’s. The whole experience in this 18th century mansion feels like something out of a maximalist period drama with its tapestries, velvet upholstery, and antique furnishings. Modernity is often hidden in its 29 rooms–televisions and minibars are tucked away in wardrobes and some bathrooms behind bookcases.

In the deep blue 710-square-foot Earl of Bolingbroke suite, you can sleep in an immense gold-accented canopy bed originally built for a bishop and decompress in an antique tub from Tuscany carved from a single block of marble. The two-story suite can be found for $896 in July, a bargain when you discover its terrace with views that stretch all the way east to Olympic Park.

Wheeling and dealing in Manhattan

Across the pond in New York City, hotel prices have soared, in part due to a crackdown on short-term rentals. At the brand-new Fifth Avenue Hotel, a kaleidoscopic perch by hotshot designer Martin Brudnizki, a 285 square-feet King room in mid-June was going for $1,045 a night. A room at the Aman New York, just below Central Park, is $2,475 per night. And a Premier King at the Carlyle easily tops $1,000.

In lower Manhattan, one of the coolest hotels of the last few years is Nine Orchard. A former bank, its Swan Room cocktail lounge is a good bet for people watching later in the week. The 400-square-feet Supreme View King Suites, named for the skyline views from the hotel’s top floors, have summer rates of $850. A rare perk for New York, this type of room has a soaking tub inset in a marble-arched alcove that’s decked out with pricey Takamichi hair products. And all guests gain access to the East Room, a stunning urban oasis with a fireplace and coffered ceiling.

A breezy break in the Balearics

Ever since United Airlines introduced direct flights from New York last summer, Mallorca has perfected the one-two punch of glamour and convenience. Paradisiacal Deia on its northern shores remains one of the most magical places in the Med. For the A-list, it’s also known as home to La Residencia, part of the Belmond group. Here at this complex of golden ochre stone accented with pale green shutters, a 376-square-foot double room with a queen-size bed starts at $2,214 a night. Up in the hills southwest of Deia in a restored 16th century estate is Son Bunyola, a new jewel in the crown of Richard Branson’s Virgin Hotels. Here, a charmingly rustic 330-square-foot Mountain View room will set you back $1,200 a night.

But a quick ferry ride away – or by a connecting flight from almost any major European airport – is the much more under-the-radar island of Menorca. On its south shore, not far from its ancient city of Ciutadella, is Vestige Son Vell, which opened last fall. Set in a neoclassical country villa on hundreds of acres, it features multiple pools, extensive flower-filled gardens, and 34 elegantly restored rooms.

Most importantly in this era of overcrowding, at the end of its long southern drive is a secluded sandy cove, a unique asset on an island where the luxury stays tend to be in the countryside. Here, a 500-square-foot Garden Junior suite carved out of a former outbuilding comes with an enormous Balinese bed, a private walled-off garden, and temperature-controlled wide-brick floors. The price tag? $1,100.

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©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trump’s convention notably downplays Jan. 6 and his lies about election fraud

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — As the Republican National Committee moves into its final day Thursday, the loudest applause for a speaker not named Trump so far has been for a previously little-known economist who served as a trade adviser to the former Republican president.

Peter Navarro came to the convention stage straight from Florida on Wednesday, the day he was released from a four-month federal prison sentence for defying a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 Committee.

Navarro was one of Trump’s advisers who urged Trump to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject electoral college votes for Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021 in a last-minute bid to stay in office. Pence’s refusal to act unlawfully helped spur Trump’s defiant speech on the ellipse the morning of Jan. 6, and the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by the president’s supporters.

“Now here’s the most important thing I’m going to tell you,” Navarro said to the crowd as he complained of “lawfare jackals” pursuing him for his defiance of Congress. “You may think this’ll never happen to you. Uh-uh, they’re already coming for you.”

Navarro’s appearance was the rare mention of what have become a staple of Trump’s campaign but not his convention — the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and Trump’s lies about widespread voting fraud costing him the 2020 election.

On the campaign trail, Trump’s message has been unmistakable.

Last year, Trump called Jan. 6 a “beautiful day” and repeatedly calls the hundreds of people convicted of federal crimes for Jan. 6, including attacks on police officers, “hostages” whom he has pledged to pardon if elected to a second term. Trump’s rallies sometimes feature the song “Justice For All,” recorded by a group of men imprisoned after convictions for the attack who call themselves the J6 Prison Choir. Trump’s embrace of the song pushed it to the top of Billboard’s digital song sales chart.

Trump’s senior campaign advisor Chris LaCivita was asked in an interview at the RNC Thursday with Politico about whether Trump will continue talking about pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters.

LaCivita wouldn’t directly answer the question but said “What we’re talking about right now are the issues that matter,” listing off Social Security, Medicare and closing the border.

The former president still continues to claim that fraud cost him the 2020 election even though his own attorney general, recounts and investigations found no evidence of that. Courts rejected dozens of lawsuits from Trump and his allies challenging Biden’s win. And a comprehensive AP review found fewer than 475 cases of fraud in key battleground states, nowhere near enough to tip the outcome of the contest.

In 2022, Biden and Democrats campaigned on the GOP’s embrace of Trump’s election lies and found electoral success, winning control of the U.S. Senate while defeating election deniers in key state races. Biden has made the Jan. 6 attack the centerpiece of his own reelection campaign, arguing Trump is a danger to democracy.

Election denial, meanwhile, has become a central issue for the Republican Party. Trump has remade the party apparatus, installing his daughter-in-law Lara Trump as co-chair with Michael Whatley, a North Carolina Republican who has repeated Trump’s election lies.

The party has filed a wave of election lawsuits around the country and hired as its election integrity director Christina Bobb, a controversial former conservative journalist who has been indicted by Arizona’s Democratic Attorney General for her role in assembling a slate of electors contending that Trump, not Biden, won the state in 2020. Republicans have also positioned themselves to try to block certification of November’s election.

The Republican convention’s program has been revised on the fly after Saturday’s assassination attempt on Trump. Speakers have sought a more unifying tone. Trump’s aides contend the former president is now the only candidate who can bring the country together.

Still, Trump’s allegations and moments between convention speakers have been occasionally punctuated by a video of Trump vowing to require only voting on Election Day rather than the mail balloting he blames for his defeat.

“Keep your eyes open, because these people want to cheat, and they do cheat, and it’s the only thing they do well,” Trump says in the video.

Tony Fabrizio, Trump’s pollster, said at an event outside the convention hall that the campaign isn’t worried about Democrats’ message about Jan. 6 and democracy. “If it was going to work it would have worked already,” Fabrizio said.

Republican speakers have picked up one new wrinkle on election conspiracy theories, contending that illegal immigrants who entered the country over the past four years will flood the polls in November.

It’s illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and reviews of voter rolls in states like Georgia and North Carolina have found only a few dozen to zero noncitizens have registered to vote, nowhere near enough to make a difference in statewide races.

But Republicans argue that it’s conceivable there could be a sudden rise on illegal noncitizen votes and complain Democrats won’t vote for their bill to require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Critics say that, given the lack of evidence that noncitizens are voting in significant numbers, adding additional requirements will only make it harder for actual U.S. citizens who can’t lay their hands on a birth certificate to vote.

“Biden and Harris want illegals to vote now that they’ve opened up the border,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said onstage at the convention.

But that’s remained an occasional punchline rather than the focus of a speech. Navarro’s appearance, on the other hand, was a full-throated attack on the federal justice system.

Navarro, who led the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, contended he couldn’t testify before the Jan. 6 committee because it would violate executive privilege, a claim that was rejected by the courts. In doing so, he became the first Trump official convicted of a crime in connection to the Jan. 6 attack.

“The Jan. 6 committee demanded that I betray Donald Trump to save my own skin,” Navarro said. “I refused.”

He named the federal judge, a Barack Obama appointee, who ultimately sent him to prison and contended it was political, without mentioning that the only other person to similarly refuse to testify in the Jan. 6 inquiry, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, was similarly sent to prison by a Trump-appointed judge.

“They did not break me and they will never break Donald Trump,” said Navarro before being joined on the stage by a woman he identified as his fiancee, to wild cheers. He spoke for more than 10 minutes — longer than several members of Congress or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who preceded him.

On the floor, delegates were thrilled. Brian McAuliffe, a Texas financial planner, wore a giant button with a red line through a banana that read “Don’t Banana My Republic.” He said he has an acquaintance who the federal government prosecuted for Jan. 6 even though McAuliffe says the man didn’t enter the building — and he had to plead guilty to a lesser charge rather than fight a felony count in court because he didn’t have the money to defend himself.

“It’s not what they’re doing to Trump, it’s what they’re doing to everyone else,” McAuliffe said.

He was glad, though, that allegations of election fraud were kept to a minimum. McAuliffe helps certify elections in Hays County, Texas, between Austin and San Antonio, and has surveyed non-voters to understand why they don’t cast a ballot. Fear of fraud is the top reason, he said,

“Talking too much about fraud,” he said, “just turns people off.”

——

Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

Beaches in the Monterey County score high grades in summer, says Heal the Bay’s 2024 report

Beaches in Monterey County scored high in water quality during the summer, according to this year’s edition of Heal the Bay’s 34th annual “Beach Report Card,” which was released on Wednesday.

Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica-based environment nonprofit, releases the annual report that examines the amount of pollution at beaches along the West Coast to help keep people safe when visiting the beach.

The “Beach Report Card” utilizes an A-to-F grading system to communicate water quality to the public. While A or B grades indicate good water quality for recreational use, C to F grades mean increased health risks, according to the report. The grades are split into three seasonal categories, including summer dry, wet weather and winter dry.

“I’m excited to announce that once again, during the summer when most people are in the water, 90% of our West Coast beaches were safe to swim in 2023,” said Heal the Bay President and CEO Tracy Quinn at a press conference on Wednesday.

This year’s report graded more than 500 beaches in California.

Monterey County’s beaches received all A’s for Summer Dry grades, which is better than average according to the report. Wet Weather Grades were also above average with county beaches getting A and B grades.

Both the inner and outer beaches at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro are closed until Saturday after raw sewage was discharged into the Dominguez Channel which discharges at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro and the Port of Long Beach. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)

Heal the Bay’s scores saw a drop during the winter dry and wet weather periods coastal counties, because California received 31% more rainfall than the 10-year average during the winter. The report said Monterey County does not monitor its beaches in winter months so no Winter Dry Grades were generated.

“L.A. County received 23 inches of rain, and while we celebrate rain here in Southern California, our highly developed landscape turned rain into polluted urban runoff,” said Annelisa Moe, associate director of science and policy and water quality at Heal the Bay. “This unfortunately led to particularly poor grades this year during our winter season.”

Sewage spills and inadequate infrastructure is also an issue for water quality at beaches, Moe said.

Monterey County’s 36 spills sent 2,986 gallons of sewage into waterways across the county. Los Angeles County saw 185 sewage spills totaling approximately 9 million gallons, a stark increase from the 330,396 gallons reported the previous year, according to the report. In February, about 8 million gallons of raw waste entered the Dominguez Channel, subsequently affecting Cabrillo Beach and necessitating beach closures.

The report is available at healthebay.org.

The Monterey Herald contributed to this report.

 

‘Twisters’ review: Sequel delivers big thrills and nice character moments

“Twisters” director Lee Isaac Chung made headlines recently in defending the decision to keep the topic of climate change out of the sequel to the 1996 natural disaster-fueled blockbuster “Twister.”

“I just wanted to make sure that with the movie, we don’t ever feel like (it) is putting forward any message,” he said in an interview with CNN. “I just don’t feel like films are meant to be message-oriented.”

At first, this feels like a missed opportunity — and, arguably, cowardice on the part of Chung and the production — given climate change’s well-documented link to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. (To be fair, though, the link between climate change and tornadoes isn’t so clear.)

However, having seen “Twisters” — which is blowing into theaters this week with incredible force — we like it just the way it is. Chung has made a well-crafted, consistently entertaining sequel that benefits both from stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell and nearly 30 years of impactful special-effects development that help make the original feel, well, nearly three decades old.

Chung rose to prominence as the writer-director of 2020’s acclaimed “Minari,” a semi-autobiographical film. And while he subsequently directed an episode of the “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian,” he’s never helmed anything with the scale of “Twisters” and action-heavy nature of “Twisters.” Working from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith (“The Revenant”) — with the story credited to “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski — Chung doesn’t let the occasional silly plot development or the fact the movie has too many characters get in his way. He balances all the hurricane-force thrills the movie requires with myriad satisfying character moments.

Many of those circle around Edgar-Jones’ Kate Carter. We meet her in the movie’s prologue, during which she is getting help with friends — including boyfriend Javi — chasing storms in Oklahoma for a college project. (In one of only a couple of noticeable nods to “Twister,” they are using a version of the “Dorothy” machine featured heavily in that movie.)

They are out to collapse — or, as they like to say, “tame” a tornado. However, let’s just say they meet a cyclone that gets the best of them.

Five years later, Kate, having given up chasing, is working as a storm tracker for the United States Weather in New York City when Javi shows up out of the blue. Now working for a private company using a portable version of a weather-tracking radar system he used in the military since their time together, he says he needs to spend one week in Oklahoma to help him test the tech in what’s expected to be a once-in-a-generation tornadoes-filled event.

“You have a gift,” he says. “I can’t do this without you.”

In Oklahoma, she meets his crew of uniformed “Ph.Ds,” including right-hand company man (future Superman David Corenswet), as well as a group of rough-around-the-edges storm chasers from Arkansas — “hillbillies with a YouTube channel,” as someone puts it.

Leading them is cool and cocky “tornado wrangler” Tyler Owens (Powell), who takes an immediate interest in Kate, calling her “city girl.” Initially, she gives him the cold shoulder — and some misleading information regarding where to find their next twister — but, of course, the pair will grow closer as “Twisters” proceeds.

Kate, portrayed by Daisy Edgar-Jones, is unimpressed by cocky storm chaser Tyler, right, even as he’s being followed for a story by journalist Ben, portrayed by Harry Hadden-Paton, early on in “Twisters.” (Courtesy of Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)

In Kate and Tyler, we have two sides of the same coin, storm trackers who rely on both carefully gathered data and gut instinct. But while she is most interested in giving people more of a warning a tornado may be coming their way, he and his lot concern themselves primarily with shooting fireworks up through a cyclone and, importantly, getting potentially viral footage of it.

Or so she thinks.

Thanks both to Smith’s script and the performances of Edgar-Jones and Powell, Kate and Tyler form an appealing tandem; if not the soul of the story, she’s its conscience, while he provides its requisite bravado and adventurous spirit.

Powell, a fellow “Top Gun: Maverick” alum, continues to display the movie-star charisma he exhibited in last year’s “Anyone But You,” while “Normal People” and “Where the Crawdads Sing” star Edgar-Jones is compelling via subtle acting choices instead of big moments.

Understandably, some may be disappointed “Twisters” doesn’t connect more to the original — “Twister” star Helen Hunt has said a pitch she made in 2020 to helm a sequel was rejected — but this follow-up more than lives up to its predecessor.

Tyler (Glen Powell)  tries to save pal Lily (Sasha Lane) in a scene from “Twisters.” (Courtesy of Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)

And, OK, so “An Inconvenient Truth” “Twisters” is not. It’s a popcorn movie chock-full of barns being torn apart, cars being hurled through the air and a few innocent people meeting highly inconvenient ends.

And, even with a soundtrack packed with country jams, it really rocks.

‘Twisters’

Where: Theaters.

When: July 19.

Rated: PG-13 for intense action and peril, some language and injury images.

Runtime: 2 hours, 2 minutes.

Stars (of four): 3.5.

 

Horoscopes July 18, 2024: Vin Diesel, action is necessary

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Lamar Johnson, 30; Chace Crawford, 39; Kristen Bell, 44; Vin Diesel, 57.

Happy Birthday: Head into new territory and discover what you are missing. Use your imagination this year, and you’ll find something exciting to incorporate into your everyday routine. The sky is the limit once you open your mind to the possibilities. Refrain from contemplating when action is necessary to get you to a higher level of learning and living. Your numbers are 8, 14, 22, 26, 35, 46, 49.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t be fooled by hype or deals that sound too good to be true. Focus on being your best and incorporating what you enjoy doing most into your daily routine. Live life your way and take responsibility for your happiness. Indulge in personal gain, self-help and love. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Put your energy into making changes that offer the freedom to live life by your rules and allow you to create opportunities that lower debt and stress. Discuss your plans with those affected, but be adamant regarding your destination and timeline. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can think big, but don’t overstep your boundaries or put yourself in a vulnerable position. Someone will take advantage of you if you give them the chance. Think about your goal and the best way to reach your goal without jeopardizing your position or reputation. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t fear being different; your uniqueness will attract interest and promote the help you require to get what you want. Do what comes naturally and enjoy what comes from interacting with people of interest and participating in new adventures. Share your thoughts, and opportunities will be yours. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Push yourself to achieve stellar health. Start a fitness program or change your eating habits or friends to ensure you have the best advantage in life, love and liberty. Engage in activities that introduce you to people who can benefit your agenda. Romance is on the rise. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Shake things up. Travel, courses, conferences and exploring something that can help you bring about positive lifestyle changes will get you moving in the right direction. Refuse to let emotional situations stand between you and happiness. Change is your passage to peace of mind. 2 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Open a new chapter and start writing about the people, places and pastimes that intrigue you. Knowing what you want is necessary to reach your destination with gratitude and appreciation. Put your energy into building the connections, skills and life tools that lead to success. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Pay attention to your spending habits and investments. Although opportunities are present, making the right decision will take work. Research, picking an expert’s brain and protecting what you already have will help you avoid loss and stress. Say no to joint ventures, and refuse to argue. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Get out and see what’s happening in your community. Engage in something that interests you and try to spend time with people who stimulate you mentally, get you moving physically and ease any emotional anxiety you harbor. Make romance a priority. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Set goals and continue until you reach a level of satisfaction that you can accept. Don’t hesitate to make changes at home that allow you to expand your interests and make your space comfortable and convenient. Don’t dismiss someone’s complaint; listen and compromise. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take a moment to study a situation before you leap into action. Understand how your decisions influence your lifestyle, loved ones and prospects. Trying to get others to buy into an odd or obscure plan is a warning sign. Take your time to make a move. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Emotional reactions will hold you back. It’s to your benefit to withhold your feelings. A change may be necessary, but don’t cut corners. Everything must be in place for your plans to work to your advantage. Bide your time and pay attention to rules and regulations. 2 stars

Birthday Baby: You are playful, fun-loving and entertaining. You are imaginative and tolerant.

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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3 takeaways as Plowden stays hot, Warriors remain undefeated in Summer League

Fresh off a two-way contract, Daeqwon Plowden continued to star for the Summer Wariors.

Plowden, who entered Wednesday night’s game against Cleveland shooting 62.5% from 3, so he saw his percentage drop as he went 4-for-9 from deep.

“He’s playing even better than I thought,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said in an in-game interview from Cox Pavilion.

Plowden scored a game-high 16 points in 25 minutes, pacing the Warriors to yet another blowout win — 96-85 over Cleveland. The Warriors never trailed and led by 25 at one point as Plowden continued to thrive, Pat Spencer returned to the court and Roman Sorkin logged a double-double with other centers Quinten Post, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Marques Bolden inactive.

Including their perfect California Classic, Golden State is 6-0 in Summer League.

Here are three observations from another blowout Warriors win.

No TJD, no Podz, no adjustment period

The Warriors shut down Brandin Podziemski and Jackson-Davis for the rest of Summer League after three games, rewarding them for their play and willingness to participate as established NBA players.

Golden State didn’t miss a beat without them after the opening tip.

The Warriors started on a 15-4 run, including seven straight points to open the contest.

Jackson Rowe nailed a pair of 3s, Pat Spencer organized the offense, and center Roman Sorkin ran the floor. They hit their first six shots of the game.

The Warriors played quickly and unselfishly — staples of Anthony Vereen’s philosophy. That they were able to maintain such style without Podziemski and Jackson-Davis, despite little time to practice, is a testament to the coaching staff and the players’ buy-in. They know that if they avoid isolation basketball and make the extra pass, everybody eats.

Particularly without Podziemski and Jackson-Davis, the Warriors don’t have the most draft pedigree or hype in the Summer League. But they’ve played the best basketball nonetheless.

Pat Spencer’s return

When the Warriors signed Daeqwon Plowden to a two-way deal, some fans saw the move as a precursor to waiving Pat Spencer. In Plowden, Spencer and undrafted guard Reece Beekman, the Warriors have all three two-way slots filled, with second-rounder Quinten Post yet to sign. Something’s got to give.

But Spencer, in his return from a three-game absence from a minor shoulder injury, reminded anyone why he belongs on the roster in the first place.

Spencer knows how to play. Sure, he can shoot, and yeah, he’s a smart defender. But more than anything, he just knows how to play.

Multiple times, he threw advance passes in transition that led to buckets or good looks. He initiated half court sets with patience. He timed backdoor cuts with precision. He snuck into passing lanes and knew to re-establish himself before corralling a rebound under the rim. He lobbed a perfect entry pass to Roman Sorkin, who established deep post position early in a possession.

Over and over, Spencer made the right decision. He finished with 13 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals.

A lot can happen with those two-way spots. It’s still early in the summer. But Spencer has given the Warriors a lot to like over the years, and it’d be premature to write him off now.

Joe Lacob makes an appearance

Sitting courtside, Joe Lacob dapped up Floyd Mayweather Jr. and took in the Warriors’ sixth straight Summer League win.

In a mid-game sideline interview, Lacob praised Brandin Podziemski, who also attended the game.

“He was a revelation, to be honest,” Lacob said. “He started a whole bunch of games for us. Steve had a hard time getting him (off) the floor. We had to have him on the floor, he was so good. He does so many things well. He’s ultra confident, has an NBA body, can get wherever he wants, obviously he can shoot 3s, he can drive, he can pass. What can’t he do? We’re really excited. We think we’ve got a future All-Star, we really do.”

The comments come at a fascinating moment for Podziemski, the First-Team All-Rookie. For the first time in his career, Podziemski is in trade rumors, having been at the center of Utah’s reported asking price for Lauri Markkanen.

The Warriors have always been optimistic about Podziemski. They’re not alone; rival executives and scouts across the league are extremely high on the guard. He’s already elite at help defense, rebounding for his position and connective passing. He has no holes in his game and, if he can improve his on-ball creation, could blend all those skills with volume scoring.

That’s the recipe for an All-Star player. Lacob isn’t talking his own guy up just for the sake of doing so. He’s talking fairly realistic truths.

County launches Bixby, new virtual assistant for Treasurer-Tax Collection Office

SALINAS >> The County of Monterey is launching its first-ever virtual assistant and chatbot and it’s called Bixby. The virtual assistant will help residents and businesses that work with the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office according to the county.

The county ran a successful beta phase that began in March, and the system is now fully tested and operational.

Bixby will draw on resources from the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website, streamline activities by assisting with a variety of tasks including answering simple or redundant questions, be able to communicate in 70 different languages and will incorporate elements of the Bixby Bridge, giving the chatbot a local feel and look according to the county.

The chatbot was named after Bixby Bridge in Big Sur, to symbolize connection and navigation. Bixby aims to have an approachable and helpful demeanor and encourage users to ask questions while providing information on a wide range of subjects.

Bixby will also prioritize accuracy and reliability by ensuring the information given is trustworthy and up-to-date. Treasurer-Tax Collector staff will be able to see questions and answers and make improvements as needed.

“Innovation is at the heart of what we do here in the county,” said Treasurer-Tax Collector Mary Zeeb in a press statement. “Bixby represents a significant step forward in how we serve our community, providing easy access to information and assistance. We are excited to see how Bixby will enhance the user experience and help us serve our customers better.”

The idea for a virtual assistant came out of the pandemic with website improvements to better serve customers according to the county.

You can find the new virtual assistant and try out its service by visiting the County of Monterey Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website and interacting with Bixby.

The county also has plans to expand this system to other departments that have external customer interactions in an effort to provide services more efficiently.