Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 417

Del Rey Oaks to have TOT measure on Nov. ballot for increase up to 14%

DEL REY OAKS – The city of Del Rey Oaks will be asking its electorate to consider a ballot measure this November that would increase its transient occupancy tax from 10% to up to 14% to supplement its general fund.

Del Rey Oaks is pursuing an increase to its transient occupancy tax “to bring the rate consistent with other cities on the (Monterey) Peninsula, and to increase revenue to maintain and protect essential city services,” said Mayor Scott Donaldson.

The Del Rey Oaks City Council recently voted unanimously to place the measure on the ballot. The measure asks, “Shall the measure to protect city services including police and fire, parks, bicycle and pedestrian safety, roadways and storm drains, by increasing the Transient Occupancy Tax up to 4%, raising up to $60,000 in additional yearly revenue the State cannot take away and taxing rent charged to “hotel” guests, including by online travel and short-term rental companies, for transient occupancy, with annual independent audits, until ended by voters, be adopted?”

The general tax measure would require a simple majority, 50% + 1, of Del Rey Oaks votes to pass.

The ballot measure would allow increases up to a maximum of 4%, anywhere from 10% to 14%, but it was recommended that the initial increase be set at 12% to be consistent with other cities on the Peninsula, said Donaldson.

The transient occupancy tax, or TOT, is charged to visitors renting short-term rentals in Del Rey Oaks. The rate is currently at 10%, and the proposed tax measure would allow the council to increase TOT from the current rate to a maximum of 14% which would put the city at a level comparable to other Monterey Peninsula cities. Carmel currently has a TOT rate of 10%, with Monterey, Seaside, Pacific Grove and Sand City all pegged at 12%, while Marina has a TOT rate of 14%.

“Further increases would be based on economic factors,” said Donaldson. “The measure would allow the council to increase the rate to 14%, equivalent to Marina, without going through the expense and time of creating another ballot measure.”

Unhosted short-term rental units are capped at 25 in the city of Del Rey Oaks, plus there are about 10 units that are occupied by residents and periodically rented out, said Donaldson.

Those units are projected to bring $190,000 to the city’s coffers this year at the current TOT rate of 10%. Conservative estimates project a TOT rate of 12% would generate an additional $30,000 and a 14% rate would generate $60,000. With the passage of the ballot measure, Del Rey Oaks could realize anywhere between a projected $220,000 to $250,000 more to the city’s general fund.

The tax is a general tax and revenues are retained and used as general fund revenue. If approved by voters, the additional revenue generated would be used for general government purposes to maintain and protect essential city services such as public safety response, parks services, maintaining public infrastructure such as streets, sidewalks, parks and facilities.

Donaldson said Del Rey Oak’s TOT “equates to our fourth-largest revenue source” for the city and its citizens.

Other cities on the Monterey Peninsula have both short-term rentals and hotel rooms generating TOT revenue, but Del Rey Oaks does not currently have hotel facilities.

“Our Fort Ord property provides the city with an opportunity for a hotel, but we’re at the very beginning of the development process and it’s yet to be determined,” said Donaldson, who added the property will be the city’s biggest opportunity for revenue growth on the horizon.

The estimated cost of the November 2024 election including this ballot measure and the three seats on the City Council is approximately $15,000. The costs are included in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget.

Steph Curry stars in Team USA’s 105-79 win over Jokic, Serbia in Olympic warmup

By KYLE HIGHTOWER | Associated Press

Stephen Curry was relatively quiet offensively during the U.S. Olympic team’s first two exhibitions before the Paris Games.

The Warriors superstar got a lot more assertive on Wednesday with his official Olympic debut less than two weeks away.

Curry scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 17 and the U.S. beat Serbia 105-79 to improve to 3-0 in its five-game slate of exhibitions in advance of the Paris Olympics.

Anthony Davis finished with seven points, six rebounds and six blocks, helping to lead a U.S. defensive effort that limited Serbia throughout. Anthony Edwards had 16 points. LeBron James added 11.

Curry scored the first nine points for the U.S. in a flurry that James said was by design.

“We drew it up for that particular reason, to get him going,” James said. “He sees one go through the hoop, you see what it opens up for the rest of his game, for the rest of the game for all of us. He set the tone.”

The U.S. led by as many as 31 points in the last of a pair of warmup games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Americans go to London to play two more tuneups before heading to France. The first is Saturday against South Sudan, followed by a matchup with Germany on Monday at London’s O2 Arena.

U.S. coach Steve Kerr likes the progress his team has made and said its ability to overwhelm teams with different defensive looks will be vital.

“I think the identity of the team is our depth, the strength of the team is the depth,” Kerr said. “If we can play in 4- or 5-minute bursts of intense defense, hitting bodies, rebounding, being physical, then it makes sense to play that way. We’ll see if we can keep doing it.”

The U.S. had an uneven start before using a 16-2 run in the second quarter to take a 56-42 advantage and led 59-45 at halftime.

Nikola Jokic had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Serbia. Aleksa Avramovic added 14 points. Serbia was playing its second game in two days, coming off a loss to Australia on Tuesday in which it rested captain Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Though Serbia was without Bogdanovic for the second straight game, it struggled offensively, shooting just 41% (29 of 71). The U.S. also held a 30-21 rebounding edge. Adebayo and Davis combined for 14 rebounds.

“Bam and AD together are really something,” Kerr said. “Just the switching, but they can also protect the rim and be in a drop if we go to that coverage.”

Wednesday’s matchup was an important preview for the Serbians and U.S., which will both compete in Group C at the Olympics. They open their quests for gold against each other on July 28.

FINISHING STRONG

After nearly squandering a big lead in its narrow victory over Australia on Monday, there was no such letdown for the U.S. this time.

The Americans led by 25 after three quarters and quickly increased it to 30 in the final quarter.

LINEUP SHUFFLE

The U.S. used its third different starting lineup, going with Curry, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, LeBron James and Joel Embiid.

The only constants over the three exhibitions have been Curry, James and Embiid.

One of the reason’s Embiid’s presence on the roster was a desire for the U.S. coaching staff this cycle was to counter bigger teams like Serbia, which features a trio of 7-footers.

Embiid’s conditioning still isn’t at its peak. But he was active on both ends, finding cutters on the offensive end and being an active deterrent in the lane on defense.

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For the second straight game, the U.S. reserves provided a spark. Edwards, Davis, Tyrese Haliburton, Bam Adebayo and Devin Booker entered the game for the first time with 4:54 remaining in the opening quarter and trailing 16-13.

The U.S. proceeded to outscore the Serbians 15-12 the rest of the period to tie the game at 28 entering the second quarter.

The American reserves accounted for 28 points off the bench in the first half.

STILL NO DURANT

Kevin Durant sat for the third straight game as he continues to recover from the calf strain he suffered early during training camp.

But guard Derrick White made his debut after joining the team over the weekend as Kawhi Leonard’s replacement. White had four rebounds and an assist in just over nine minutes.

Kurtenbach: 3 SF Giants poised for post-All-Star explosions

If the Giants are going to win 38 of their final 65 games — bringing them to 85 wins and, perhaps, a wild-card playoff berth — they’ll need more than what they’ve already put on the diamond.

The sample size of this season — 97 games — is absolutely large enough to know that the team’s sub-.500 output is anything but an unfair representation.

So who is going to step up?

I have some ideas. You can shoot me yours via email or text.

Patrick Bailey

The catcher isn’t exactly slumping, posting a .784 OPS in his first 264 plate appearances of the year, but there’s even more production lying in that bat.

Ironically, Bailey’s nickname — Patty Barrels — isn’t entirely accurate. He has a barrel percentage of only 6.1, the 32nd percentile in baseball.

What Bailey does do as well as anyone in the game, though, is hit the ball in the so-called “sweet spot.” Bailey’s average launch angle off the bat is downright impeccable — falling between eight degrees and 32 degrees on 45 percent of batted balls.

Find that spot often enough and you’re hitting a lot of doubles and home runs — especially when you pair it with an exceptional exit velocity of 91.7 percent.

Being a catcher is tough, and it certainly holds back offensive production, but don’t be shocked if Bailey goes on an absolute heater in the second half of the season and pushes for 20 home runs, despite only hitting seven to this point.

Randy Rodriguez

It’s clear that Rodriguez has immense talent.

It’s also evident that he’s not used to the role that has made him a Major League player — fireballing reliever.

Rodriguez has been up and down so far in his rookie season. An outstanding May morphed into a tough June, but July has been better. He is a rookie, after all.

But I’m betting on the rest of July, August, and September to be downright dominant.

The stuff is undeniable. There are four pitchers in the game (minimum 40 innings pitched) who have a better four-seam fastball, per Stuff-Plus. His slider is a plus pitch. But you could have guessed that, right?

My question: When you have two pitches that good, why throw anything else?

Rodriguez was brought up as a starter in the Giants’ system. He was still a multi-innings guy when he was in Triple-A last season.

This creeps in when you see him throwing his other two pitches — a sinker to righties and a changeup to lefties.

Combined, they only account for 12 percent of his pitches thrown, but the sinker is league-average at best and the changeup is a harder sell, coming in 28 points below league-average on the Stuff-Plus model.

With those two other pitches, Rodriguez is still, well, pitching.

The dude only needs to throw.

I can appreciate that the reliever wants to maintain his craft, and I understand that the Giants asked Rodriguez to turn in multiple-inning efforts in the bigs — such is the plight of a middle reliever. But with the team’s rotation likely to be five-deep for the first time all season in the not-too-distant future, there’s every reason to believe he’ll be handed an inning in the home stretch. (Do baseball teams still hand relievers innings?)

There’s a one-two step to success in those frames — fastball, slider.

Rodriguez’s expected ERA is nearly a point lower than his actual 3.76 mark. Even if he decides to keep all four pitches for the final weeks of the campaign, I’d bet on him to be a sub-3-ERA pitcher.

But if he opts to keep it simple, an even better number is possible.

Blake Snell

Is this cheating? This feels like cheating.

Nevertheless…

It doesn’t take a comprehensive understanding of pitching mechanics to know that Snell is back.

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Snell taking a perfect game into the seventh inning of the first-half finale told us everything we needed to know. My goodness was he nasty.

There will still be some tough games from Snell in the final weeks — he does enjoy a good walk or five — but when he locates his fastball, everything falls into place and he’s almost unhittable.

And when that’s the case, the entire rotation falls into place.

With a resurgent Snell and Logan Webb, the Giants have an elite 1-2, lefty-righty combo. Add in Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb (one hopes, at least) and you have a really solid middle-of-the-rotation.

After that, the Giants can mix and match with Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, Jordan Hicks, and Keaton Winn.

Even if you have those four pitchers fighting for two spots in the rotation (can the Giants really trust Cobb?), San Francisco is in a great position for the home stretch.

What a change that would be for a team that was struggling to find two starters not long ago.

For beach lovers, Florida’s Anastasia Island is a pristine paradise

When searching for an idyllic sandy spot to spend sunny summer days at the seashore, look no further than Anastasia State Park, which has four miles of unspoiled beaches for family and friends to enjoy.

This more than 1,600-acre oasis is situated just outside the oldest city in the United States near a picturesque lighthouse and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. Visit the Atlantic Coast destination, a haven for wildlife and humans alike, to see untouched dunes, maritime hammocks and plenty of beautiful flora and fauna.

Modern-day visitors will sometimes camp out before or after attending concerts at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, which has a walking path connected to the state park. Overnight visitors can choose from one of 139 sites that can accommodate tents or RVs (with two tent-only loops).

Anastasia State Park, photographed in March, has four miles of pristine beaches in St. Augustine. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

The area’s history is revealed during a short hike that meanders through an old coquina quarry on the immediate righthand side of the park’s entrance. More than 300 years ago, sites like this were busy with workers hauling out coquina rock used to construct nearby buildings, including the Castillo de San Marcos.

The beach is by far the biggest draw of Anastasia State Park. A designated swimming area is under a lifeguard’s watch in the summer through Labor Day. Cycling, walking, swimming, surfing and shelling are all options along the pristine shoreline. The dunes within the park are home to the endangered Anastasia Island beach mouse and are protected, so be sure to cross on designated boardwalks.

The sun rises over Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine on March 8, 2024. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

When it comes time for a snack, visit the Island Beach Shop and Grill near the main beach access point. The concession stand serves burgers, tacos, sandwiches, hot dogs, wraps, salads, ice cream and other light bites. Visitors who are 21 or older can enjoy alcoholic beverages purchased from the grill. Find beach toys, apparel, souvenirs, bait and camping essentials within the gift shop — plus rentals of surfboards, beach chairs, umbrellas, bicycles and boogie boards. Beach wheelchairs are available for free to visitors with mobility limitations.

On the side of the park opposite the Atlantic Ocean, explore the estuarine tidal marsh where dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, fish, crabs and marsh birds have been spotted. Anastasia Watersports is set up with rentals of sailboats, kayaks, paddleboards and canoes.

A gull strolls the beachy shore of Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine as the sun rises on March 8, 2024. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

Away from the beach, the Ancient Dunes nature trail loops through a shaded maritime hammock and over former sand dunes. The state park is listed on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, so be on the lookout for a variety of shorebirds on the beach, great blue herons, tricolored herons, wood storks, roseate spoonbills, osprey, bald eagles, owls and songbirds within the maritime hammock.

Important informationLocation: 300 Anastasia Park Road in St. AugustineHours: Open 8 a.m. until sundown dailyFee: $8 per vehicleAmenities: Boardwalk, beach, campfire circle, campground, canoe/kayak launch, hiking trails, laundry, picnic tables and pavilions, historic sites, accessible amenities, concession and restaurant, rentals, parking, playground, restroomsActivities: Bicycling, birding, boating, camping, fishing, hiking, paddling, picnicking, shelling, surfing, swimming, wildlife viewing

The estuarine tidal marsh is a prime location for kayaking at Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

Accessibility: Anastasia State Park offers a number of accessible amenities, including elevated boardwalks, a Mobi-Mat for beach access, beach wheelchairs available for free, accessible campsites and interpretive exhibits.What to bring: When spending a day on the beach, pack some form of shade, sunscreen, towels, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages in the cooler for a full day of fun in the sun.What not to bring: Florida’s state parks prohibit alcohol (except in designated areas) and the removal or destruction of plants, animals and cultural artifacts.Pets: Pets are prohibited on beaches, buildings and boardwalks, but permitted in the campground.Clouds give way to a starry night sky at Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine on  March 7, 2024. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Pro tips: While Anastasia State Park has a large campground, the sites tend to be booked far ahead of time. Look at availability months before planning an overnight trip to the park, which proves a worthwhile experience in seeing the sunrise and sunset on the beach, plus offering after-hours access.More information: 904-461-2033 or floridastateparks.org

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.

‘Young Woman and the Sea’ review: Ridley stars in stirring Disney sports drama

Don’t be too hard on yourself if the name Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle doesn’t ring any bells.

It sounds as if Daisy Ridley and Joachim Rønning knew little to nothing about her before, respectively, starring in and directing a film about the first woman to swim the English Channel, “Young Woman and the Sea.”

According to the production notes for the well-made, often stirring, squeaky-clean and ultimately joyous sports biopic debuting this week on Disney+, its writer, Jeff Nathanson, “was looking for empowering stories to share with his two daughters” in 2016 when he came upon the 2009 book “Young Woman and the Sea: How Trudy Ederle Conquered the English Channel and Inspired the World” by Glenn Stout.

Within a year, Nathanson (“Remember the Titans,” “Top Gun”) had put together a screenplay, the movie eventually coming together with the help of prominent producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who, along with Nathanson, had worked with Rønning on 2017’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.”

“Star Wars” sequel trilogy star Ridley signed on to portray Ederle and serve as a producer on the film.

Trudy Ederle, portrayed by Daisy Ridley, faces a great challenge in “Young Woman and the Sea.” (Courtesy of Disney Enterprises Inc.)

After a brief scene in which Trudy faces the daunting and dangerous task ahead of her, staring at the crashing waves ahead and singing a song from her childhood, “Young Woman and the Sea” begins in earnest with the 1904 sinking of the General Slocum paddle steamship on New York City’s East River, not far from the apartment where her German immigrant parents are raising their family. The fact that more than 1,000 passengers who died were women and children who didn’t know how to swim inspires Trudy’s mother, Gertrude (Jeanette Hain, “The Reader”), to get lessons for her children.

Because Trudy has been left partially deaf after an illness, she is not allowed to take part in such lessons and is taught instead by her initially reluctant father, Henry (Kim Bodnia), in the waters of Coney Island. She takes to the water like a fish and soon revels in races with her sister, Meg, around a pier.

Years later, Gertrude enrolls Trudy and Meg (Tilda Cobham-Hervey, “I Am Woman”) with the Women’s Swimming Association. It’s run by the no-nonsense Charlotte “Eppy” Epstein (Sian Clifford, “Fleabag”), who thinks so little of Trudy’s ability that she lets the young woman hang around and get some pool time in exchange for help with keeping the boiler going.

Before long, though, Trudy isn’t just better than Meg and the other women — and off boiler duty — she’s winning races and setting records. Eppy now believes Trudy capable of great things, even as others including her father seemingly do not.

Trudy makes these waves at a time when women aren’t exactly widely welcomed into the world of athletics. If that isn’t clear enough early on, it is hammered home with Trudy’s involvement with the 1924 summer Olympics in Paris. On the voyage there, men train on the deck of the ship while Trudy and other females essentially are locked away in their cabins — close enough to the ship’s boilers to make sleeping difficult — so as not to be a temptation to the men. (The women are also given a pamphlet about their expected decorum in Paris, the second chapter of which is titled, “What to Do If You’re Approached by a Frenchman.”)

Frustrated by her lackluster showing in Paris and not willing to give into the life her extremely traditional butcher father expects of her, Trudy is inspired by a movie reel looking for the “NEXT MAN” to make the 21-mile swim from France to England,” which adds that “ONLY THE STRONGEST MAN WILL SURVIVE.”

Yes, “Young Woman and the Sea” lays the sexism on VERY THICK, but it’s effective all the same.

Even two men who are supposed to be on her side, sponsor James Sullivan ( Glenn Fleshler, “Barry”) and coach Jabez Wolffe (Christopher Eccleston, “True Detective”), may not actually have her best interests at heart.

Thankfully, she finds a genuine champion of her cause in the colorful Bill Burgess (Stephen Graham, “Rocketman”), who in 1911, became the second person to swim the channel successfully. If she is to come up short in her attempt on Aug. 6, 1926, it won’t be because he didn’t do everything he could on her behalf — including making good on a difficult promise he makes her.

“The Young Woman and the Sea” takes a little too long to get to the meat of Ederle’s story, but you can understand Nathanson and Rønning choosing to spend time establishing the dynamics of both the Trudy-Meg and Trudy-Henry relationships, as both inform Trudy’s journey as a character.

While Ridley, whose big-screen credits also include 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and last year’s “The Marsh King’s Daughter,” is solid, infusing Trudy with the strength and determination the role demands, the standout performer is Bodnia. Also excellent in the series “Killing Eve,” the Danish deftly handles the crucial moments involving Henry, the character benefiting from the movie’s most satisfying character arc.

Kim Bodnia, second from left, Jeanette Hain, Daisy Ridley and Tilda Cobham-Hervey appear in a scene from “Young Woman and the Sea.” (Courtesy of Disney Enterprises Inc.)

No doubt “Young Woman and the Sea” will draw countless comparisons to last year’s likewise enjoyable “Nyad,” the biographical drama about swimmer Diana Nyad that earned Academy Award nominations for star Annette Bening, and supporting player Jodie Foster. While both films hit on some of the same all-but-obligatory sports-movie beats, they are stories of two women who, while sharing the all-important trait of being driven in a way most of us will never know, are different people.

Like Nyad, Ederle is deserving of the spotlight, and it’s nice that her nearly century-old story is getting its day in the water.

‘Young Woman and the Sea’

Where: Disney+.

When: July 19.

Rated: PG for thematic elements, some language and partial nudity.

Runtime: 2 hours, 9 minutes.

Stars (of four): 3.

 

 

Quick Fix: Veal Scallopini with Mango Salsa and Brown Rice and Peas

Linda Gassenheimer | Tribune News Service

It’s a treat to enjoy ripe mangos and they’re at the height of the season now. This light mango salsa dresses delicate veal scallopini. These are very thin cuts of veal that take only a couple of minutes to sauté.

The mango salsa uses fresh mango cubes. Here is a quick way to make it.

Slice off each side of the mango as close to the seed as possible. Take the mango half in your hand, skin side down. Score the fruit in a crisscross pattern through to the skin. Bend the skin backwards so that the cubs pop up. Slice the cubes away from the skin.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast can be used instead of veal. Thin chicken cutlets are available in the market or pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet or bottom of a heavy skillet to about 1/4-inch thick.

A quick way to defrost frozen peas is to place them in a colander and run warm water over them.

COUNTDOWN:

Make mango salsa and set aside.

Make brown rice and peas and divide them between two dinner plates.

Saute veal.

SHOPPING LIST:

To buy: 3/4 pound veal cutlets, 1 ripe mango, 1 small jalapeno pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 bottle ground cumin, 1 lime, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 package microwaveable brown rice and 1 bag frozen peas.

Staples: olive oil, onion, salt, black peppercorns.

Veal Scallopini with Mango Salsa

Recips by Linda Gassenheimer

1 cup mango cubes

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 small jalapeno pepper. Seeded and chopped (1 tablespoon)

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1 1/2-teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salt

3/4 pound veal cutlets

2 teaspoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

To make mango salsa: place mango cubes in a medium-size bowl. Add onion, jalapeno pepper and red bell pepper. Mix cumin and lime juice together and drizzle over ingredients. Add salt to taste and cilantro. Toss well.

To make veal: heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown veal 2 minutes, turn and brown second side 1 minute. Salt and pepper the cooked sides. Divide between two dinner plates and spoon mango salsa on top.

Yield 2 servings

Per serving: 290 calories (25.7 percent from fat), 8.3 g fat (1.7 g saturated, 3.5 g monounsaturated), 132 mg cholesterol, 37.6 g protein, 16.2 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber, 114 mg sodium.

Brown Rice and Peas

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

1 package microwave brown rice (1 1/2-cups cooked)

1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Microwave rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 1/2-cups rice and reserve remaining rice for another time. Add the peas and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Divide between the two dinner plates.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 216 calories (7.0 percent from fat), 1.7 g fat (0.4 g saturated, 0.6 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 6.2 g protein, 43.9 g carbohydrates, 4.7 g fiber, 9 mg sodium.

(Linda Gassenheimer is the author of over 30 cookbooks, including her newest, “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.” Listen to Linda on www.WDNA.org and all major podcast sites. Email her at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com.)

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

If lawsuit ends federal mandates on birth control coverage, states will have the say

Sam Whitehead | KFF Health News (TNS)

David Engler had been pretty sure he didn’t want children. Then a frustrating school day two years ago helped seal the deal for the now 43-year-old substitute teacher.

“It was wild. I had to call the office seven times to get kids pulled out,” he said. “The next day, I called Kaiser and said, ‘I’d like to know how much a vasectomy is.’”

A representative with Engler’s insurer, Kaiser Permanente, told him the procedure would be free because it was a form of birth control, he said. But after undergoing the vasectomy last winter, he received a bill for $1,080.

“I felt defeated, tricked, and frustrated,” said Engler, who lives in Portland, Oregon.

Oregon law mandates that public sector employees have access to vasectomies at no cost, a provision that goes beyond the federal Affordable Care Act. But David Engler, a substitute teacher in Portland, was billed $1,080 by his health plan provider after the procedure. (Kristina Barker for KFF Health News/TNS)

Engler’s experience highlights how a labyrinthine patchwork of insurance coverage rules on reproductive health care creates confusion for patients. Oregon requires that vasectomies be covered for most people who work in the public sector. But the federal Affordable Care Act — which mandates that most health plans cover preventive health services, such as contraception, at no cost to the consumer — does not require vasectomies to be covered.

And that perplexity surrounding coverage may get more complicated.

An ongoing federal lawsuit aims to strike down the ACA’s preventive care coverage requirements for private insurers. If the case knocks out the mandates, state-level laws — which vary widely across the country — would carry more weight, a change that would resume the “wild West” dynamic from before Obamacare, said Zachary Baron, a health policy researcher at Georgetown Law.

It would create an environment “in which insurers and employers pick and choose which services they want to cover or which services they want to charge for,” Baron said. “It would certainly threaten access to care for millions of Americans.”

Studies have shown the requirements to cover preventive care have reduced consumers’ out-of-pocket costs and increased their use of short- and long-term birth control methods.

The job of defining which contraceptive services should be covered falls to the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA. Two other groups — the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP — make recommendations on other kinds of care that the ACA requires insurers to cover.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, a group of individuals and Christian-owned businesses, argue the members of these three panels haven’t been properly appointed by Congress. They also say the recommendations for insurance plans to cover medication for HIV prevention violate their religious rights.

On June 21, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit issued what it called a “mixed bag” opinion in the case. It said one group — the USPSTF — had not been properly appointed, and therefore its recommendations made after the ACA was signed into law were unconstitutional. The plaintiffs had asked for a nationwide ruling, but the court said only the plaintiffs’ organizations could be exempted from its recommendations.

The court then sent the plaintiffs’ challenges to the recommendations made by HRSA and ACIP — including those on contraception — back to a lower court to consider.

The case is likely headed to Reed O’Connor, a federal judge in Texas who has issued decisions undermining the ACA — including a ruling striking down the entire law that the U.S. Supreme Court later overturned.

“O’Connor is a judge notoriously hostile to the Affordable Care Act,” said Gretchen Borchelt, vice president of reproductive rights and health at the National Women’s Law Center. “He is someone who is willing to impose remedies where he takes access to care away from everybody in the country based on what’s happening in one situation.”

A win for the plaintiffs, she worried, could create confusion about what kind of contraception is covered and how much it costs, which would ultimately lead to more unintended pregnancies — all at a time when women have less access to abortions.

Nearly two dozen organizations — including the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association — have joined Borchelt’s group in filing briefs warning about the potential disruptions a ruling for the plaintiffs could cause.

Jay Carson, an attorney with the Buckeye Institute, a conservative think tank, said he’s happy with the court’s ruling. His group, along with the state of Texas, filed briefs in support of the plaintiffs.

“Unelected bureaucrats” shouldn’t have the power to decide what insurance plans should be required to cover, said Carson. “We’ve gotten so far afield of Congress actually making the laws and, instead, relying on Congress to just empower some agency to do the heavy lifting.”

What power agencies do have is likely to be curtailed in the wake of a June 28 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned a decades-old precedent dictating that courts should defer to federal agencies when it comes to regulatory or scientific decisions.

“Courts are going to be more able to scrutinize experts,” said Richard Hughes, a health care regulatory attorney with the firm Epstein, Becker, and Green. “It’s a vibe shift — we’re moving in the direction of the administrative state being curtailed.”

Eliminating federal coverage requirements for contraception would leave it up to states to determine what services health insurance plans would be required to provide.

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“It would leave significant gaps in coverage,” Baron said.

A group of Democratic-led states made such an argument in a court brief last year, arguing for the mandates to be upheld to discourage self-funded plans from declining to offer preventive services, as they often did before the ACA.

Even when states can regulate what health plans cover, people still fall through the cracks. “I see denials all the time in instances where the treatment clearly is covered,” said Megan Glor, a health insurance attorney in Oregon.

Patients can appeal their insurers’ decisions, but that’s not easy. And if a patient’s appeals fail, litigation is generally the only option — but that’s a long, complicated, costly process, Glor said. Likely, the best outcome for a patient is an insurer covering what should have been covered in the first place.

When Engler called Kaiser Permanente about his vasectomy charge, he said a representative told him the bill was sent by mistake. Still, he said, the insurer kept asking for money. Engler filed and lost multiple appeals and eventually settled the charge for $540.

Engler’s vasectomy likely should have been free, Glor said. As a teacher, Engler is a public sector employee, which means his insurance would be subject to an Oregon law that mandates no-cost coverage for vasectomies.

Kaiser Permanente told KFF Health News that state law does not apply because of a federal rule for high-deductible health plans paired with health savings accounts. That rule requires patients to cover out-of-pocket costs until their deductible is met.

However, after KFF Health News contacted Kaiser Permanente about Engler’s situation, he said the company promised to issue a full refund for the $540 he had paid to settle his case.

“Although we administered the benefit correctly, an employee who spoke with Mr. Engler told him incorrectly that he would not have” to share the cost, said Debbie Karman, a Kaiser Permanente spokesperson.

Engler said he’s happy with the outcome, though he’s still unsure how Kaiser Permanente’s staff was confused about his insurance coverage.

He worries that others don’t have the means he had to advocate for himself.

“It’s scary,” he said. “So many people are limited in their resources or their understanding of how to fight — or even who to fight.”

(KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.)

©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Horoscopes July 17, 2024: Luke Bryan, invest in yourself

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Luke Bryan, 48; Carey Hart, 49; David Hasselhoff, 72.

Happy Birthday: Stop dreaming; do whatever it takes to improve your life. Change begins with you. Please don’t take the easiest path; it won’t satisfy your soul. Consider what brings you joy, and make a point to incorporate more of that into your everyday routine. Get moving and make your health and happiness your goals. Invest in yourself and your future. Your numbers are 6, 11, 21, 27, 33, 38, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Reclaiming a lifestyle you miss is OK. Set your sights on what makes you happy. Learn from experience; don’t leave making the first move to someone else or wait for situations to fall into place magically. Enough procrastination; do your part to bring about positive change. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Revisit your investments and how you handle them. Don’t be fooled by someone’s rhetoric. Find out what’s at stake and stick to investing in improvements that are uplifting, functional and add value to your life and surroundings. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Discuss your intentions with someone you trust to offer sound advice, and keep what you share a secret. Gaining insight into the consequences before you act will enable you to change your plans accordingly. A change of scenery or doing some research will bring about better choices. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use your connections, imagination and drive to bring about change. Opportunity is within reach, but it will take effort to use your skills and experience to make a marketable move. Mingle with people who can offer insight or connections to a better future. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Network, mix business with pleasure and fact-check information you receive before you change what or how you get things done. Talks will lead to opportunities and newfound friends. Don’t sit on the sidelines when you can further your agenda. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Discover what’s new and possible. Listen, take notes and adjust your agenda to fit the demands necessary to reach your target. Don’t take on too much or make promises that deter you from doing what’s best for you. Don’t share your plans until they are underway. 2 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Attend talks or functions that can feed you the information you require to formulate your next move. Don’t put yourself in a vulnerable position by being too open with someone who can damage your reputation. It’s best not to reveal your true feelings. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Handle money matters carefully. Avoid risky joint ventures if you want to lower stress. Take better care of yourself mentally, physically and financially. If you let others intervene, you’ll lose control of the outcome. Speak on your behalf and keep life simple. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take one step at a time. Listen, but don’t believe everything you hear. Too much of anything will end up dragging you down. Maintain balance and equality, and you’ll discover a simpler lifestyle. Surround yourself with people who share your beliefs and enjoy similar pastimes. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Monitor what’s happening and who’s doing what, and you’ll avoid getting roped into something time-consuming that leads you in a direction you don’t care to go. Put your energy into personal growth and getting rid of tension and turmoil. Take time to rejuvenate. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sit tight. Look inward and make self-adjustments that improve your living conditions and surroundings. Redesign your schedule and the time you allow to regenerate. A new look or healthier routine will offer the boost you need to achieve personal satisfaction and happiness. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Stick to the facts, or someone will blame you for being misleading. Don’t lure others into your plans when you can change what you don’t like, and keep moving forward without explaining your actions. Keep life simple and honest, and focus on your needs. 2 stars

Birthday Baby: You are engaging, influential and forceful. You are reliable and pointed.

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

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

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Jarren Duran’s 2-run HR gives AL a 5-3 win over NL in All-Star Game

By Stephen Hawkins | The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.

Duran turned some heads in his first All-Star Game, hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer for the American League and being named after Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams.

“That’s an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”

The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.

Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.

Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.

“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.

Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.

The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.

Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.

“Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”

Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pulled a 400-foot drive to right off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.

“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”

When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.

Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.

Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.

“I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”

The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.

Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.

The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League’s 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.

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AL starter Corbin Burnes of the Orioles arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. A former Saint Mary’s College star, the right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.

After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.

Quick game

Played in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.

Won in both leagues

Bruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL’s San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.

Up next

The MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.

Oakland A’s closer Mason Miller sets All-Star record with 103.6 mph pitch, earns win in ASG debut

Mason Miller continues to make history.

The Oakland Athletics’ hard-throwing rookie closer unleashed his four-seam fastball for the world to see on Tuesday night, and he didn’t disappoint. Pitching for the American League team at the All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, Miller hit 103.6 mph on his first pitch to Trea Turner, breaking the record for fastest recorded pitch in All-Star history.

Aroldis Chapman had held the record for the fastest pitch thrown in an All-Star Game during the pitch-tracking era (since 2008) when he hit 103.4 on the radar gun in 2015 with the Reds.

Miller earned the victory on the mound as the American League defeated the National League 5-3. The final All-Star in the A’s Oakland franchise history joins Mark Mulder (2004) and Vida Blue (1971) as the only Athletics to be named winning pitchers in the All-Star game.

In his perfect top half of the fifth inning, Miller induced a one-pitch flyout from the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte, struck out Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani on four pitches and got the Phillies’ Turner looking on a perfectly located slider.

Ohtani hit a three-run home run in his previous at-bat against Boston’s Tanner Houck.

“I wasn’t giving him one up, that’s for sure,” Miller told Tom Verducci of Fox Sports during an in-game interview. “I think I got the second strike, then I got one that might’ve been down a little bit, but I got to the back-foot slider.”

Miller’s perfect inning kept the score tied at 3-3, and the A.L. went ahead in the bottom of the fifth, when Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran hit a two-run home run off the Reds’ Hunter Greene.

“It’s hard to not enjoy that, with this crowd and these players here,” Miller said. “It’s what you dream of.”

Multiple other players with Bay Area connections appeared in the All-Star Game. Here’s how they fared:

Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants

It was an All-Star debut to forget for the Giants’ sinker-balling ace. Webb inherited a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning and immediately got into trouble, allowing a single to former Cal star Marcus Semien of the Texas Rangers and walking Fremont native Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians.

After getting Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson to ground out, Webb surrendered a two-run double to Juan Soto of the New York Yankees. Webb got Soto’s teammate Aaron Judge to ground out, but Cleveland’s David Fry singled home Soto to tie the game.

Webb struck out Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez to end the inning.

Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants

Ramos replaced Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper in the National League cleanup spot during the sixth inning. He struck out on four pitches against Texas’ Kirby Yates in the top of the eighth and recorded one put-out in right field.

Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians

The pride of Fremont’s Washington High had a productive day in his first career All-Star appearance. Kwan started the game in left field and popped out to Turner in his first at-bat but walked in the third and scored on Soto’s double.

Kwan was replaced by Detroit’s Riley Greene prior to the fifth inning.

Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles

Burnes, who attended Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, started the game for the American League and pitched a scoreless first inning despite walking Ohtani and conceding a double to Harper.

Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

Skubal, an American League Cy Young Award candidate who was born in Hayward and grew up in Fremont before attending high school in Arizona, pitched a clean top of the second for the AL. He induced a groundout from Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich and got flyouts from Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm and Home Run Derby champion Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers

Starting at second base in Globe Life Field, his home ballpark, the reigning World Series champion and Bay Area native went 1-for-2 with a single and run scored. He lined out to left field in his other at-bat and started a double play after fielding a 103.5 mph ground ball from Harper.

Along with Kwan, he was replaced prior to the fifth inning by Baltimore’s Jordan Westburg.

Check back for updates to this story.