Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 46

Horoscopes Aug. 14, 2025: Halle Berry, live life your way

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Mila Kunis, 42; Halle Berry, 59; Jackee Harry, 69; Steve Martin, 80.

Happy Birthday: Turn your knowledge, attributes and connections into something new and exciting. An opportunity to explore a new outlet for your skills, talents and knowledge will help you improve and reinforce your confidence in what you can, will and want to achieve. Let go of situations and people who bring you down or hold you back. Choose to make the most of each day, and live life your way. Your numbers are 5, 16, 22, 27, 34, 37, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep your thoughts to yourself and avoid an emotional altercation with someone you encounter while socializing. Pay more attention to taking care of your responsibilities and less to adding to your to-do list. Organization and discipline are necessary to maintain your reputation. A clean slate will help avoid criticism. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Emotions will surface regarding domestic and personal affairs. Focus on patience, kindness and compromise, and you will find solutions that bring you closer to the lifestyle you desire and the people you care about most. Don’t waste time on matters over which you have no control. Follow your heart and do what makes you happy. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): An open mind will keep you aware of the possibilities. Research, observe and converse with people in the know, and you’ll discover something that will make life choices easier. Changing your routine, focusing on health and fitness, and using your intelligence to navigate uncomfortable situations will help you manage whatever you encounter. 4 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Look at every angle, regulation or uncertainty that prevails before you make a move. Change requires your attention and insight to ensure no one lures you down the wrong path or tries to take advantage of you. Walk away from excessive suggestions, and avoid taking on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. 2 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You have the wherewithal to be successful, but first, you must determine what that means to you. It’s time to make yourself happy and to let others fend for themselves. Time is ticking, and talking is procrastinating if you don’t follow through. Be engaging and fruitful, and let discipline drive you to your destination. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Volunteer, do your part and see what happens. The people you meet will lead to new possibilities. Engage in discussions, offer suggestions and showcase your skills. Networking and redesigning how you adapt your expertise to fit trends will take you on a fascinating journey. Pay attention, nurture the ones you love, reflect and engage. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Push hard when energy is a requirement to get things done on time and your way. Take control, do your thing and stop waiting for someone else to step in and do things for you. Take better care of your health and well-being, and fine-tune your lifestyle to eliminate excess. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Engage in events or pastimes that will help hone your assets and redefine what and how you offer what you enjoy doing most. Travel, reunions and personal growth will help you discover what’s missing in your life and how to turn things around that are holding you back. Love and romance are in the stars. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A change will spark your imagination and interests. Refuse to let emotional spending or indulgent behavior cause you to miss an opportunity or chance to lower your overhead to ease your stress. Home improvements that you can do yourself will be the most rewarding. Invest wisely in yourself, and you can thrive. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Spend more time nurturing and protecting what you’ve worked so hard to acquire, and less time trying to impress outsiders with tough talk or force. Show compassion and understanding, and you’ll gain insight into what others want and need to support your demands. Life is about clarity, honesty and free will, not conquest and demand. 5 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be careful making promises. Don’t offer anything you can’t deliver. A change at home can save you money. Get the go-ahead from those close by or where regulations require you to meet specific conditions before you continue. A moneymaking opportunity is within reach. Extend your thoughts and put your plans in motion. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Spend less time analyzing and pontificating and more time doing. What you accomplish will have an impact on those you encounter and the reputation you are building. A change may be necessary to embark on a journey to learn and expand your interests, lifestyle and long-term plans. Personal growth, social events and romance are favored. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are friendly, gracious and kind. You are forthright and entertaining.

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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Judge weighs whether Trump violated federal law by deploying National Guard to Los Angeles

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge in San Francisco is weighing whether the Trump administration violated federal law by sending National Guard troops to accompany immigration agents on raids in Southern California.

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A three-day trial on the matter concluded Wednesday.

California has argued the troops violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws. Lawyers for the administration said the law doesn’t apply because President Donald Trump called up the National Guard under an authority that allows their deployment if “the president is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”

Federal and military officials were called to testify, and the trial’s third day largely focused on weedy arguments about the 1878 law and whether the court even had a role in determining the limits of presidential power.

Trump deployed 4,000 National Guard members and later 700 Marines to Los Angeles in June after protests in response to immigration raids around the city. They were originally deployed to protect federal property, including a detention center targeted by protesters. The Guard members later began guarding agents as they continued arresting people suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. Between 250 and 300 Guard troops remain and have been activated through November.

Wednesday’s arguments

Deputy Assistant Deputy Assistant Attorney General Eric Hamilton said Wednesday that the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply because the Guard was deployed under a section of U.S. Code that allows the president to call any state’s guard into federal service when the country “is invaded,” when “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government,” or when the president is unable “to execute the laws of the United States.”

He said Guard members weren’t engaged in law enforcement and were just providing backup security for federal agents.

“If the purpose is the protection of law enforcement officers, it isn’t law enforcement in the first place,” he said. “On top of that, there’s the fact that a (president’s) constitutional inherent protective power is at work. That is itself an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act.”

California Deputy Attorney General Meghan Strong argued the troops’ role went beyond providing protection to federal agents and buildings. The troops, she said, had “an active, direct role” enforcing the law when they detained people at least in two occasions and set up roadblocks and perimeters blocking access to public streets.

“For all the pretense and wordsmithing defendants have tried to employ, the facts are inescapable: The activities defendants have ordered Task Force 51 troops to engage in across Southern California violate the Posse Comitatus Act,” she said. Task Force 51 was the name of the command post activated to coordinate the troops deployment deployment.

The Trump administration, she said, broke the law by using the troops to illegally enforce civilian law and operate as a single force with federal immigration officers, who often don military garb.

FILE – Members of the California National Guard and U.S. Marines, guard the entrance outside the Wilshire Federal in Los Angeles, June 13, 2025. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, File)

California is asking Judge Charles Breyer to order the Trump administration to return control of the remaining troops to the state and to stop the federal government from using military troops in California “to execute or assist in the execution of federal law or any civilian law enforcement functions by any federal agent or officer.”

Judge weighs whether troops crossed the line

“The question in this case is whether the troops that have been stationed in Los Angeles have or have not crossed that line,” said David Levine, a professor at UC College of the Law San Francisco. “Are they acting as military or are they acting as police? They can’t act as police. They can only act within their bounds.”

Troops deployed to Southern California received at least 60 requests for assistance from federal officials and responded to the majority of them, Hamilton told the judge.

Army Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, who commanded Task Force 51, said there were some times when troops outnumbered federal officers. He said that during an immigration enforcement at an illegal marijuana growing operation in Mecca, a desert community about 140 miles east of Los Angeles, about 300 task force soldiers were present, compared to 200 federal law enforcement agents.

National Guard troops also accompanied federal immigration officers on raids at two state-licensed marijuana nurseries in Ventura County and to an operation at MacArthur Park in downtown Los Angeles intended as a show of force against people in the U.S. illegally and those protesting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Sherman testified during the second day of the trial that he raised concerns the deployment could violate the Posse Comitatus Act.

He said soldiers were trained on the law and given materials that included a list of specific activities prohibited by the act, including doing security patrols and conducting traffic control, crowd control and riot control.

Sherman said that while the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits troops from carrying out those actions, he was told by his superiors that there was a “constitutional exception” that permitted such activities when the troops are protecting federal property or personnel.

Failed New Mexico candidate gets 80 years for convictions in shootings at officials’ homes

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A failed political candidate was sentenced to 80 years in federal prison Wednesday for his convictions in a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in Albuquerque in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

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A jury convicted former Republican candidate Solomon Peña earlier this year of conspiracy, weapons and other charges in the shootings in December 2022 and January 2023 on the homes of four Democratic officials, including the current state House speaker.

Prosecutors, who had sought a 90-year sentence, said Peña has shown no remorse and had hoped to cause political change by terrorizing people who held contrary views to him into being too afraid to take part in political life.

Peña’s lawyers had sought a five-year sentence, saying their client maintains that he is innocent of the charges. They have said Peña was not involved in the shootings and that prosecutors were relying on the testimony of two men who bear responsibility and accepted plea agreements in exchange for leniency.

“Today was a necessary step toward Mr. Peña’s continued fight to prove his innocence,” said Nicholas Hart, one of Peña’s attorneys. “He looks forward to the opportunity to appeal, where serious issues about the propriety of this prosecution will be addressed.”

The attacks took place as threats and acts of intimidation against election workers and public officials surged across the country after President Donald Trump and his allies called into question the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Prosecutors said Peña resorted to violence in the belief that a “rigged” election had robbed him of victory in his bid to serve in the state Legislature.

The shootings targeted the homes of officials including two county commissioners after their certification of the 2022 election, in which Peña lost by nearly 50 percentage points. No one was injured, but in one case bullets passed through the bedroom of a state senator’s 10-year-old daughter.

Two other men who had acknowledged helping Peña with the attacks had previously pleaded guilty to federal charges and received yearslong prison sentences.

9 people plead not guilty in a Texas elections probe involving ‘vote harvesting’

By JUAN A. LOZANO

HOUSTON (AP) — Nine people, including a former mayor and city council member and the chief of staff to a state representative, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to felony charges brought forth in a rural Texas county by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton as part of a widening elections investigation that is being criticized by Latino rights activists as being politically driven.

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The nine people appeared either in person or by Zoom during a court hearing in Pearsall, Texas, before state District Judge Sid Harle.

All of the nine people, who were indicted in late June, have been charged with what is known in Texas as vote harvesting, a felony that often involves payment for collecting and dropping off other people’s absentee ballots.

In May, six other people, including Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho, the top elected official in the county, were indicted as part of Paxton’s investigation.

One of the individuals who pleaded not guilty on Wednesday was Juan Manuel Medina, who is the chief of staff for state Rep. Elizabeth Campos. Medina is also former chairman of the Democratic Party of Bexar County, where San Antonio is located.

Medina’s lawyer, Gerry Goldstein, declined to comment on Wednesday. “I’m going to do my talking in the courtroom,” Goldstein said.

On Wednesday, Goldstein filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against Medina, who is accused of providing compensation as a third party to two people for vote harvesting in February 2024.

In the motion to dismiss, Goldstein said the vote-harvesting statute is overbroad, vague and “restricts Constitutionally protected rights to speech and to participate in the election and voting process in violation of the First Amendment.”

Goldstein said in the motion that the vote-harvesting statute “would appear to punish a broad range of protected speech, including non-coercive voter assistance and core political expression, without requiring any actual voter fraud, coercion, or intimidation.”

“This indictment charges Medina in a capacity that is not a crime and the indictment should be dismissed,” Goldstein said in his 20-page motion.

The vote-harvesting charges are third-degree felonies and carry up to 10 years in prison. The other people who were indicted in June are: Cecilia Castellano, a former candidate for state representative; Frio County Commissioner Raul Carrizales; former Dilley Mayor Mary Ann Obregon; former Dilley City Council member Inelda Rodriguez; Petra Davina Trevino, a former candidate for Pearsall city council; Pearsall school district trustee Mari Benavides; Susanna Carrizales; and Rachel Leal.

Attorneys for Raul Carrizales, Susanna Carrizales, Castellano, Obregon and Rodriguez did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Attorneys for Benavides, Leal and Trevino could not immediately be reached for comment.

Paxton’s office and 81st Judicial District Attorney Audrey Gossett Louis, whose office presented the case to a grand jury with the Texas Attorney General’s Office, did not return a call or email seeking comment.

Last month, Paxton said that any elected official “trying to cheat the system will have to answer for it.”

“Under my watch, attempts to rig elections and silence the will of the voters will be met with the full force of the law. I will continue to fight to ensure Texas has free and fair elections,” Paxton said in a statement.

The indictments were the latest development in an investigation that Paxton started after the 2020 election to root out voter fraud, which is rare and typically occurs in isolated instances. Texas has tightened its voter laws in recent years and increased penalties that Democrats and opponents say are attempts to suppress turnout among Black and Latino voters.

A federal appeals court last year upheld the state’s law that tightened voter restrictions and increased penalties for vote harvesting.

Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70

Kurtenbach: The SF Giants season is (unofficially) over. Thank goodness

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants didn’t have the decency to maintain relevance until September.

They didn’t even come close.

Let Wednesday stand as the unofficial end of San Francisco’s season — the day the last bit of hope was extinguished. Even the most unabashed, removed-from-reality homer can no longer make the case that the Giants — 10 games back of the Padres in the National League West and three games under .500 after an 11-1 loss — have any shot of playing more than 162 games this season.

It’s done. It’s over. You almost feel indebted to the Giants for being expedient about it.

Starter Kai-Wei Teng was bashed for seven runs in a second inning Padres onslaught that started with a ball bouncing off of second base with the bases loaded and was capped by left fielder Helios Ramos spiking a throw into the outfield grass.

The only thing missing was the Benny Hill theme song.

Do the Giants even need to play the final 41 games, or can we end the torture now?

To have a reasonable chance of making the playoffs, the Giants would need to reach 90 wins. That means winning three of every four games from here on out — 31-10.

It’s such a laughable premise that I feel bad even presenting it — I might have misled you, must for a moment, into thinking such an outcome was possible.

The shame is that, going into this season, it didn’t seem ridiculous to believe the Giants were capable of a 90-win campaign.

But six months after Spring Training camp in Arizona and amid a run in which the Giants have won only seven of their last 24 games, that optimism has been replaced with justified anger and confusion.

Here’s a question: What are — no, were — the 2025 San Francisco Giants good at?

A few weeks ago, you could have pointed to their bullpen as a point of pride. That’s (justly) no longer the case after a tactical sell-off at the trade deadline.

Starting pitching? Logan Webb has a 5 ERA over his last nine starts, Robbie Ray is at 4.34 over his last five starts, Justin Verlander is a high 4 ERA pitcher and hasn’t gone six innings in a month, and the final two spots are in flux on a start-to-start basis.

Oh, and we know for certain this team can’t hit.

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It turns out that the power of friendship upon which this team was built is a terrible foundation in Major League Baseball.

If there was a process with this organization coming into the season, it was in Posey’s belief that if he could create a good clubhouse, he would create a good team.

Yes, he decided to build a baseball team off vibes.

The plan looked genius early in the season, when the Giants were winning nail-biters, walking off games with Little League and inside-the-park home runs and Wilmer Flores’ clutch hitting.

Was any of this sustainable? Of course not. And heaven forbid you asked such a question when Buster Magic was clearly in place.

No, the logic posited by those in Posey’s Cult of Personality (which, to be fair to him, he does little publicly to foster) was that good times would compound into more good times. The machine was turning, and the momentum was unstoppable.

It was a baseball Ponzi scheme.

And I can pinpoint the moment the pyramid started collapsing.

When the Giants had lost a home series to the Royals in mid-May and I suggested in a column that the team’s magic might already be waning, the response from some Giants — on and off the field, and no, I won’t name the names here — came in waves.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion on what I write and say. That’s particularly true when you’re the subject of such takes. Being fair game goes both ways.

But, frankly, some folks in black and orange came off as double-ply soft in that moment. It was a relatively benign column.

Sure, it’s unfair to paint with a broad brush, but this was the team that was supposed to supplant the Dodgers?

The Giants have subsequently done little to undercut my suspicions. They tied the Dodgers in the standings two months ago — June 13 — and have been in a free fall ever since.

And as this season has spiraled, it’s failed to bring out any fire and brimstone. Heaven forbid manager Bob Melvin (who somehow received a contract extension off this mess) raise his voice or publicly call out his team’s effort.

Is it all Melvin’s fault?

Hardly.

Posey paid Matt Chapman and Willy Adames a third of a billion dollars in the past year to be two right-handed power-hitting stalwarts for the lineup.

Together, they’ve combined for a .326 slugging percentage against lefties. It’s as if the Giants had soft-hitting Cardinals speedster Victor Scott batting twice in the middle of the lineup.

That’s just a bit of an issue amid the team’s seemingly countless (and ever-growing) list of on-field deficiencies.

But it’s not inconsequential that this team, which has been theoretically fighting for its season for the last few weeks, doesn’t seem to have any fight in it.

Perhaps they’re just following the leader. Watching Melvin sit stone-faced and silent on the top step of the dugout on Wednesday as Dom Smith took four straight balls with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, only for two of the pitches to be incorrectly called strikes, it’s easy to wonder if his even-keeled energy is the right approach for this and future Giants’ teams.

Is going with the flow — good or bad — the defining characteristic of Giants’ baseball?

It is right now. And I don’t see how that’s acceptable.

Does Posey see it the same way? More importantly, is he willing to do something about it if he does? It’s an important determination as he tries to avoid a fifth straight season of abject mediocrity — the kind that feels so much worse than just being plain awful — in 2026.

The three-time champion is trying to rebuild the Giants in his winning image.

As we reach the unofficial end of Posey’s first season in charge, it seems that standard isn’t in sight.

CLASSIC CAR PHOTOS: Pacific Grove’s big ‘Little’ car show

The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. According to the event’s website, it showcased 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Avenue, admiring the cars. Some car owners even allowed attendees to sit in the car. (Arianna Nalbach – Monterey Herald)While Wednesday's Little Car Show mainly featured cars, John Monteforte brought a collection of vintage Honda motorcycle as well. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)Pat Kaye's 1968 Volkswagen Beetle was one recipient of the Mayor's Choice Award at the Little Car Show in Pacific Grove. The Beetle features a custom license plate -- KENSIES -- for his grandaughter, who he is gifting the car to when she turns 16. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. According to the event’s website, it showcased 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Avenue, admiring the cars. (Arianna Nalbach – Monterey Herald)The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. According to the event's website, it showcased 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Ave, admiring the cars. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)While Wednesday's Little Car Show mainly featured cars, John Monteforte brought a collection of vintage Honda motorcycle as well. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)Pat Kaye's 1968 Volkswagen Beetle was one recipient of the Mayor's Choice Award at the Little Car Show in Pacific Grove. The Beetle features a custom license plate -- KENSIES -- for his grandaughter, who he is gifting the car to when she turns 16. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)Lucky Buggah Hayes' car "MOMO" was one of many featured at the 15th year of the Little Car Show in Pacific Grove on Wednesday. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. According to the event's website, it showcased 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Ave, admiring the cars. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)Pat Kaye's 1968 Volkswagen Beetle was one recipient of the Mayor's Choice Award at the Little Car Show in Pacific Grove. The Beetle features a custom license plate -- KENSIES -- for his grandaughter, who he is gifting the car to when she turns 16. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. The event showcased about 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Avenue, admiring the cars. To view a photo gallery of the event visit montereyherald.com. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)Lucky Buggah Hayes' car "MOMO" was one of many featured at the 15th year of the Little Car Show in Pacific Grove on Wednesday. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. According to the event's website, it showcased 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Ave, admiring the cars. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)While Wednesday's Little Car Show mainly featured cars, John Monteforte brought a collection of vintage Honda motorcycle as well. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)The interior of Albert Oetting's 1956 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia at the Little Car Show in Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. According to the event's website, it showcased 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Avenue, admiring the cars. To view a photo gallery of the event visit montereyherald.com. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)Lucky Buggah Hayes' car "MOMO" was one of many featured at the 15th year of the Little Car Show in Pacific Grove on Wednesday. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)While Wednesday's Little Car Show mainly featured cars, John Monteforte brought a collection of vintage Honda motorcycle as well. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. According to the event's website, it showcased 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Ave, admiring the cars. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. According to the event's website, it showcased 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Ave, admiring the cars. (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)Show Caption1 of 20The Little Car Show returned to Downtown Pacific Grove on Wednesday for its 15th year. According to the event’s website, it showcased 125 vehicles. Guests wandered Lighthouse Avenue, admiring the cars. Some car owners even allowed attendees to sit in the car. (Arianna Nalbach – Monterey Herald)Expand

Son of Warriors owner Joe Lacob stepping away from front office job

Kent Lacob, son of Warriors owner Joe Lacob, is stepping down from the team’s front office after 10 years working for the organization.

The Warriors confirmed the news to the Bay Area News Group on Wednesday afternoon.

In an interview with The Athletic, which broke the story, Kent Lacob explained why he is leaving the team.

“Yeah, it’s very comfortable. And I’m incredibly fortunate to have this. Not by my own doing,” Lacob said. “But I have stepped into a world that just put me in this situation to have all this around me. I’m incredibly grateful for it. But I also don’t think that it necessarily gives me a fully robust perspective on life and what it is that I ultimately am going to want when I, like, reflect on what I did with my life.”

Kent, 32, is the third-youngest of Lacob’s children. He began his career in the NBA in 2015 as one of six members of the Warriors’ front office staff after playing college basketball at Washington University in St. Louis. 

He started as the franchise’s coordinator of basketball operations, then became the general manager for the Warriors’ G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. Lacob has spent the last two years as the Warriors’ vice president of basketball development. 

He told The Athletic that he does not have immediate plans for what he is going to do next, but said that he is not interested in working for another NBA team, nor being in a “corporate setting.” 

Per the Athletic, Kent Lacob resigned before the NBA Draft in June, with his father understanding his son’s desire to try to succeed outside of the family business.  

“When you’re my kids,” Joe Lacob said, “you worry about the nepotism charges, and I understand it. I’ve been on the other side. I know what it’s like to look at the rich kid growing up with all of the advantages and whatever. So I understand why people say stuff like that. Now, I know my kids aren’t that way.”

Joe Lacob’s eldest son, Kirk, remains the franchise’s executive vice president of basketball operations.

Warriors schedule news

In the group stage of the NBA Cup, Golden Sate will play at the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 7 and the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 14, then will play host to the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 21 and Houston Rockets on Nov. 26, the team announced Wednesday. 

If the Warriors are the top team in the group, or the Western Conference team with the best record that didn’t win a group, they will advance to tournament play starting on Dec. 9. The final will be played in Las Vegas on Dec. 16. 

The full regular-season schedule is expected to be announced on Thursday. 

CDC shooting marks latest in a string of hostility directed at health workers. Many aren’t surprised

By JEFF MARTIN, HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JOHN SEEWER

ATLANTA (AP) — A barrage of bullets launched at the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week by a man authorities say was angry over COVID-19 vaccinations is the latest attack directed at health care workers amid hostility lingering from the pandemic.

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Some public health care workers say the shooting that killed a police officer and rattled the CDC campus shouldn’t be surprising in the face of ongoing misinformation and animosity about the safety of immunizations.

“All of us, anybody who stands up for science or vaccines, will at some level get hate mail or a phone call that’s unnerving or a death threat,” said Paul Offit, the co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine.

Just four years ago, while hospitals overflowed with unvaccinated patients, school board members, local leaders and doctors were regularly confronted in public with taunts comparing them to the Taliban, Nazis and leaders of Japanese internment camps. Sometimes the conflicts descended into violence and harassment.

The distrust and anger that grew since then has been amplified by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said Offit, who heads the vaccine education center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Kennedy has been a leading voice in spreading false information about vaccines, scientists and public health leaders, often using heated rhetoric that says they have caused mass death and injury. People he describes in such language have said his comments have led to threats, intimidation and even violence.

Kennedy denounces violence but criticizes CDC’s work

Kennedy, who toured the CDC campus on Monday, said no one should face violence while working to protect the health of others and called political violence wrong. But he went on to criticize the agency’s pandemic response.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., center, visits the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

“One of the things that we saw during COVID is that the government was overreaching in its efforts to persuade the public to get vaccinated, and they were saying things that are not always true,” Kennedy said during a television interview with Scripps News later in the day.

A spokesperson for Kennedy blasted any notion that blamed vaccine misinformation for Friday’s attack.

“This narrative is pure fiction, built on anonymous complaints and a willful disregard for the facts,” said Andrew Nixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Secretary Kennedy is not advancing an ‘anti-vaccine agenda’ — he is advancing a pro-safety, pro-transparency, and pro-accountability agenda.”

Authorities have said that 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White had written about his discontent with the COVID-19 vaccine before he opened fire on the CDC.

White also had verbalized thoughts of suicide, which led to law enforcement being contacted several weeks before the shooting, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. White died at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Friday after killing DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose.

Shooting rattles CDC campus

Following the attack, CDC employees were asked to scrape off old CDC parking decals from their vehicles. But even before that, some workers had taken steps to become less visible, including not wearing their public health service uniform, said Yolanda Jacobs, a union leader who represents some CDC workers.

The CDC’s new director told employees this week that no act of violence can diminish their mission to protect public health.

The notable bullet marks on the windows of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters are visible on Sunday Aug. 10, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

“We know that misinformation can be dangerous. Not only to health, but to those that trust us and those we want to trust,” Dr. Susan Monarez told employees during an “all-hands” meeting Tuesday, her first since the attack capped her first full week on campus as director.

The federal agency, tasked with tracking diseases and responding to health threats, has been hit by widespread staff cuts, key resignations and heated controversy over long-standing CDC vaccine policies upended by Kennedy.

“What happened on Friday is a direct result of that misinformation,” said Sarah Boim, a former CDC worker whose job was targeted for elimination earlier this year. “Health Secretary Kennedy is one of the biggest pushers of misinformation.”

The shooting, she said, left her in tears.

“My friends and family still work in those buildings,” she said. “My mom works in one of those buildings.”

In the aftermath, officials are assessing security and encouraging staff to report any new threats, including those based on misinformation about the CDC and its vaccine work.

Anti-vaccine tension has been building

Despite its prominence since the pandemic, anti-vaccine rhetoric leading to harassment and violence took root before then.

In 2019, an anti-vaccine activist assaulted California state Sen. Richard Pan, streaming it live on Facebook, after Pan sponsored a bill to make it more difficult to get a vaccine exemption. Another threw blood at Pan and other lawmakers.

The attacks came after Kennedy spoke outside the California Capitol, two large posters behind him featured Pan’s image, with the word “LIAR” stamped across his face in blood-red paint.

Pan, a pediatrician, blames Kennedy for what happened then and now at the CDC.

“And you wonder why someone would go shoot up the CDC,” Pan said. “Because he basically told them that those are the people you should hurt.”

Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri, and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

Mexico says 26 capos sent to US were requested by Trump administration, not part of tariff talks

By FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ and MEGAN JANETSKY

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico sent 26 alleged cartel figures to face justice in the United States because the Trump administration requested them and Mexico did not want them to continue running their illicit businesses from Mexican prisons, officials said Wednesday.

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The mass transfer was not, however, part of wider negotiations as Mexico seeks to avoid higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, the officials said.

“These transfers are not only a strategic measure to ensure public safety, but also reflect a firm determination to prevent these criminals from continuing to operate from within prisons and to break up their networks of influence,” Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said in a news conference on Wednesday.

The 26 prisoners handed over to American authorities on Tuesday included figures aligned with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel among others. They were wanted by American authorities for their roles in drug trafficking and other crimes. It comes months after 29 other cartel leaders were sent to the U.S. in February.

In the exchange, the U.S. Justice Department promised it would not seek the death penalty against any of the 55 people included in the two transfers, which experts say may help avoid any violent outburst by the cartels in response. Authorities said the operation involved nearly a thousand law enforcement officers, 90 vehicles and a dozen military aircraft.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said earlier Wednesday that the transfers were “sovereign decisions,” but the move comes as the Mexican leader faces mounting pressure by the Trump administration to crack down on cartels and fentanyl production.

García Harfuch also confirmed Wednesday that a U.S. government drone — non-military — was flying over central Mexico, but at the request of Mexican authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.

So far, Sheinbaum has tried to show the Trump administration a greater willingness to pursue the cartels than her predecessor — a change that has been acknowledged by U.S. officials — and continued to slow migration to the U.S. border, in an effort to avoid the worst of Trump’s tariff threats. Two weeks ago, the two leaders spoke and agreed to give their teams another 90 days to negotiate to avoid threatened 30% tariffs on imports from Mexico.

“Little by little, Mexico is following through with this demand by the Americans to deliver drug capos,” said Mexican security analyst David Saucedo. “It’s buying (the Mexican government) time.”

Saucedo said the Mexican government has been able to avoid a burst of violence by cartels – a reaction often seen when capos are captured – in part, because Ovidio Guzmán, a son of infamous capo Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, showed it’s possible to negotiate with U.S. prosecutors. Ovidio Guzmán pleaded guilty last month to drug trafficking and other charges and hopes for a lighter sentence in exchange for his cooperation.

But Saucedo warned that if such mass prisoner transfers continue, the Latin American country is bound to see another outburst of violence in the future.

Horoscopes Aug. 13, 2025: Debi Mazar, you are sitting in a better position than you realize

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Shani Davis, 43; Debi Mazar, 61; John Slattery, 63; Dawnn Lewis, 64.

Happy Birthday: You are sitting in a better position than you realize. It’s your opportunity to effect change and transform the negatives in your life into something positive. Take an in-depth look at how you spend your days and what you gain from interactions with those you engage with, as well as the responsibilities you undertake. Expect emotional issues to surface. Instead of pushing them aside, act swiftly and move forward. Your numbers are 6, 17, 20, 23, 31, 34, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotional excess is apparent. Pay attention, demonstrate discipline in all that you do and look for subtle solutions to unusual situations. Refuse to let someone’s persuasive power lead you to do something that doesn’t feel right. Know when to say no and move on. Don’t drown your sorrows in indulgent behavior. Make success your goal. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Go about your business, finish what you start and avoid conversations that lead to ridicule or resentment. Pay attention to how you look, feel and present yourself to the world. A makeover, shift in image or redefining what you want to do next will point you in a positive direction. Romance is favored. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You’ll crave change, but before you engage in something new, research the cost and the possibilities. Reach out to interest groups and networking functions that can guide you on your journey. Choose to learn as you go, and take on whatever excites you. A positive attitude will lead to new opportunities. 4 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take a closer look at situations that can influence your status, direction or relationships with associates. Keeping the peace is in your best interest. Avoid acting in haste or exhibiting excessive tendencies that may result in criticism. Focus on bringing money in, not doling it out. Choose to be creative, innovative and disciplined. 2 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Stick to what you know and do best, and use your attributes to recognize and deal with what you no longer feel is beneficial. You have the intelligence and ingenuity to make your life better, but first, you must put aside your emotional baggage and get rid of what’s weighing you down. Embrace positive change. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): An adjustment to how you handle your money and work responsibilities and maintaining a healthy reputation will reinforce the qualities that separate you from anyone trying to compete with you. Stand up for your principles and be a leader who lives up to your promises. Take the high road, and success will follow. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Set aside your differences and listen to what others have to say. Look at the big picture and recognize what’s in it for you, then address what’s necessary for you to participate. Life can get complicated, but if you refrain from procrastination and take control, making a positive difference, something good will transpire. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Make your actions count. Refuse to get caught in a verbal battle when it’s what you do that makes a difference. Personal improvements, travel, connecting with someone from your past and letting go of whatever holds you back are the path to freedom. Follow your heart and pursue your dreams. Romance is favored. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Look around you and consider the upgrades you want to make to your surroundings. Declutter to make room for exploring new projects and plans and improving your lifestyle. Set a budget and stick to it to avoid unwanted stress and debt. Be smart with your money, and protect against illness and injury. 5 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You may want to rethink your subscriptions, expenditures and investments. Consider your options and confront who and what’s causing you financial grief. An emotional conversation will develop if you share expenses or have taken on financial responsibilities that don’t belong to you. Address and offer alternatives to anyone infringing on your kindness. 2 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your fast-paced attitude and actions will lead to friction if they aren’t in sync. Be aware of all aspects of a situation. It’s essential not to judge others but also not to make choices that please others at your own expense. Be in control, and make changes to protect yourself from anyone taking advantage of you. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take a midweek break and do something that makes you happy: a spa day or engaging in an event that offers insight into something of interest. Personal improvements, spending time with someone you love or visiting a place that brings you peace or closure can be uplifting. Romance is in the stars. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are engaging, sensitive and inquisitive. You are enthusiastic and mischievous. 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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