Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 76

Horoscopes July 16, 2025: Will Ferrell, rethink your strategy

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Gareth Bale, 36; AnnaLynne McCord, 38; Corey Feldman, 54; Will Ferrell, 58.

Happy Birthday: Rethink your strategy, and you’ll devise a long-term plan that is more conducive to using your attributes to reach your goals. Forcing issues will not get you to the finish line, but taking the path with the fewest obstacles will ensure you reach your destination. Apply your energy to physical aspirations, and it will deter anger, upset and disputes. Concentrate on professional advancement and financial gains. Your numbers are 5, 17, 24, 26, 37, 40, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Go after your interests with vengeance. Don’t wait for someone to beat you to the finish line. Ask the experts, and you’ll fast-track your way to the top, bringing about positive professional and financial change. Think big, but be mindful of your boundaries. Keep whatever you do simple and affordable, and you will see long-term benefits. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Put your time to good use. Tidy up loose ends and complete whatever task or responsibility you receive from your superiors. How and what you do counts, not the promises or compliments you make. Verify the validity of any information you receive before passing it along. Your astuteness will pay off. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Visualize what you want, find out what it will cost, and search for bargains, sales and second-hand items that serve the same purpose. Sticking to facts and figures will help liberate you from those most likely to attempt to take advantage of you. Making personal improvements will boost your confidence. 4 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your imagination will be in overdrive. Don’t overreact; give others the benefit of the doubt, but keep your guard up just in case. Taking less action and more time for observation will ensure you make the right choice and come out on top. A little charm will go a long way. 2 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Engage in events that stimulate the mind and motivate you to be and do your best. Working alongside others will encourage the formation of new friendships and provide opportunities to experience different lifestyle choices that may interest you. Personal growth, gain and self-improvement are favored, and romance will fulfill your dreams. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take precautions when dealing with financial, medical or contractual matters. Pay attention to detail and negotiate any changes you want to implement before proceeding. Repress signs of anger, channel pent-up energy into self-improvement and create a well-planned strategy to enrich your life. Take responsibility for your actions and your happiness. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Walk away from anyone demanding too much time, patience and talent. Concentrate on doing more for yourself. Expanding your interests, skills and friendships to maximize the most out of your life will offer good returns. Cater to yourself by changing your work or living space to accentuate your lifestyle. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If you want more money, focus on career choices that pay top dollar. Including educational pursuits on your resume when applying for your dream job will pay off. Networking events will position you for success if you demonstrate what you can offer rather than pontificate. An opportunity will come from an unexpected source. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Live, learn and appreciate whatever comes your way. Take what you have and use your talent and imagination to manufacture something that improves your lifestyle. Let your charm work its magic on someone you want to get to know better. Persistence, playfulness and patience will pay off. Home and self-improvement are favored. 5 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take time to observe and rethink your next move. Numerous outside influences can deter you from achieving what you want. Bide your time, watch how others respond and learn from the experience you gain. Hone your skills and plan your actions to ensure you are ready when the time is right. 2 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Turn up the volume, direct your energy and play to win. Your enthusiasm will be uplifting for those on your team and daunting for those wanting to compete with you. Kindness and confidence will carry you forward with the class and poise of a winner. Believe in yourself and your actions. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll do best in environments that feature something you enjoy doing. Refuse to let anyone play with your emotions. Rise above, know your worth and use your energy to ensure every move is picture-perfect. Let your goodness shine through when someone plays dirty, and you’ll come out on top. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are friendly, accommodating and thoughtful. You are imaginative and changeable.

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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Warriors Summer League takeaways: Will Richard leads egalitarian attack vs. Grizzlies

The Summer League Warriors embodied their NBA team’s “strength in numbers” mantra at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday night

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A dozen Warriors players scored in the first half of Tuesday’s game against Memphis, a fitting accomplishment for a squad that does not have a singular high-profile prospect on its roster. The Warriors shot 53% from the first half, and used a 11-2 run in the third quarter to build a 10-point lead.

The Grizzlies fought back, but the Golden State went on a run of their own in the fourth to secure the 96-84 victory.

Jackson Rowe led the Warriors with 14 points, and rookie Will Richard was a two-way standout with 12 points and two steals.

After scoring 22 against Utah, Gabe Madsen put in seven points on 3 of 3 shooting in Golden State’s second consecutive victory.

The Warriors will take on Toronto on Thursday.

Rookie update

Richard remained efficient and effective as the starting shooting guard for the Warriors, making 5 of 8 against a Grizzlies team led by third-year forward GG Jackson.

Meanwhile, inconsistency continued to plague Alex Toohey’s scoring game, with the Australian making just one shot. However, he also remained an active defender with 1 steal and two blocks.

A trio of undrafted rookies played second consecutive good games. Chris Manon went for 11 points as a high-energy wing while also nabbing three assists.

Sacramento’s Coleman Hawkins grabbed five rebounds, and Leopold Delaunay was an effective off-ball scorer with eight points.

Warriors shuffle lineup

Warriors Summer League coach Lainn Wilson continued to shuffle the lineups in the team’s third game in Las Vegas.

Point guard Taran Armstrong and center Isaiah Mobley, starters on Sunday, did not play.

Rowe, who did not dress against the Jazz, started against the Grizzlies. The versatile 28-year-old forward-center resumed his role as a versatile passer out of the short roll and a determined driver.

Fellow post player Marques Bolden also played as the Duke alum continued his comeback from an Achilles injury. He scored nine points and pulled down two offensive rebounds.

Houston product LJ Cryer, who led the Cougars to the NCAA championship game last season, made his first appearance in Las Vegas.

He flashed the shotmaking ability that helped make him a feared lead guard in college, and tied Jaden Shackelford (12 points) for the team lead with four assists.

Grizzlies have Bay Area ties

Memphis guard Jaylen Wells suited up for the Grizzlies after a banner rookie season that saw the Sacramento native finish second in Rookie of the Year voting.

After missing the teams’ matchup during the play-in tournament with a broken right wrist, Wells returned to Summer League healthy. The Sonoma State alum scored 11 against the Summer League Warriors.

Starting next to Wells on the wing was Cam Spencer, another second-year player with Bay Area ties.

The 25-year-old and younger brother of Warriors reserve guard Pat Spencer recently signed a four-year contract extension.

Cam scored a game-high 23 points and made 8 of 9 free throws. Older brother Pat is currently an unsigned free agent.

Memphis guard Jahmai Mashack was traded by the Warriors in the recent seven-team trade that brought Richard to the Bay Area. He was a thorn in the Warriors side defensively, ripping away four steals while also scoring 15 points.

SF Giants’ Logan Webb throws scoreless inning, Steven Kwan extends MLB All-Star Game to historic tiebreaking HR derby

Logan Webb’s 2024 MLB All-Star Game appearance didn’t go as planned. This year, he was just about the only one who had a straightforward performance at the 2025 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday in Atlanta.

The San Francisco Giants right-handed ace earned his first All-Star selection last season and pitched the third inning in Arlington, Texas, surrendering three runs in his debut and squandering a three-run lead for the National League.

Things went a little bit better for Webb the second time around. He redeemed himself at this year’s contest held at Truist Park, navigating a leadoff single to pitch a scoreless third inning for the NL.

The National League looked poised to earn an easy win, but things didn’t follow the script for the senior circuit in the late innings. The American League mounted the biggest comeback in All-Star Game history, erasing a six-run deficit to force a 6-6 tie.

Washington-Fremont High grad Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians entered the game as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning and had the key hit in the top of the ninth, running out an infield single to drive in the tying run.

Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians steals second base during the ninth inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park on July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker, whose three-run home run off Giants reliever Randy Rodriguez cut the AL’s deficit in half in the seventh inning, led off the tiebreaking home run derby with two home runs in three swings.

Stanford alum Kyle Stowers of the Miami Marlins was next up for the NL, hitting one homer in his trio of swings. Teammate Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies picked him up, hitting home runs on all three of his swings to clinch a 4-3 derby win for the National League and win the most valuable player award.

Rodriguez, making his All-Star debut, inherited two runners in the seventh inning as well as some of Webb’s first-time bad luck. Rooker hit the third pitch and first fastball he saw from Rodriguez to left field, cutting the American League’s 6-0 deficit to three.

Rodriguez conceded one more run in the inning and recorded two outs, finishing with two earned runs allowed. He would have finished the inning, but former A’s first baseman Matt Olson couldn’t make a play on a hard ground ball hit right at him by Jazz Chisholm of the Yankees.

Olson struck out looking during his lone at-bat in the seventh, stranding runners on second and third for the NL. He did made a strong play in the top of the ninth, snagging a one-hop rocket from Chisholm to temporarily strand Bobby Witt Jr., the eventual tying run, on third base.

Giants pitcher Robbie Ray did not pitch in the game after starting against the Dodgers on Sunday in San Francisco.

Many other players with Bay Area connections made appearances in the All-Star showcase.

Alameda High alum Bryan Woo of the Seattle Mariners pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning for the AL in the third.

Like Webb last year, Archbishop Mitty-San Jose High alumnus and Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic endured a rough outing in his ASG debut, allowing three runs and recording just one out in the sixth inning. The big hit Bubic surrendered was a three-run opposite-field home run by Pete Alonso of the Mets.

Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals gestures during the sixth inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park on July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson started the game at shortstop for the American League and batted ninth, flying out to left field off Webb and grounding out in his other at-bat.

Detroit Tigers pitcher and Hayward native Tarik Skubal started the game for the AL and struggled out of the gate, giving up two runs in the first inning on weakly hit singles by Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr. and a double down the right-field line by Ketel Marte.

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Longtime Giants nemesis Clayton Kershaw pitched the second for the National League and retired each of the two batters he faced. Kershaw, who was an All-Star selection by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred ahead of his anticipated retirement, was pulled mid-inning to a standing ovation.

Former Giants starter Carlos Rodon pitched a scoreless second for the AL, conceding a double to Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Former Giants prospect Zack Wheeler, the centerpiece of San Francisco’s 2011 trade for Carlos Beltran and the NL Cy Young favorite, was in line to start the game but did not appear after deciding to rest his arm for a second-half run with the Philadelphia Phillies. Neither did Matthew Boyd, a Cubs reliever who signed with the Giants in 2022 but never pitched for San Francisco as he recovered from forearm flexor tendon surgery.

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers stands on second base behind Jacob Wilson #5 of the Athletics during the first inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park on July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

MLB boss not ruling out return of second Bay Area team if expansion happens

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said nothing is off the table when it comes to potential expansion, including the return of a second MLB team to the Bay Area.

Speaking before Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta, Manfred said expansion beyond the 30 existing clubs will be an “open book,” if and when he and team owners begin those conversations.

“You know what? People who want baseball should participate in the expansion process when we start that process,” Manfred said as he met with members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. “And I think by being wide open, with no predeterminations as to where it’s going, we’re going to end up with the best locations if we want to expand.”

The Giants are the only MLB team left in the Bay Area, with its nearly 8 million residents, after the Athletics departed Oakland last fall for their new home in West Sacramento, following a 57-year stay at the Coliseum. Each plan to build a new local stadium for the A’s fell through, as did any hope of moving the team to San Jose, with the Giants claiming territorial rights.

The Giants’ territorial rights to the South Bay reportedly only extended to the A’s.

The A’s announced in April 2024 that they would play at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento until the end of the 2027 season before relocating to a new ballpark, scheduled to open in 2028, located next to the Las Vegas Strip.

Manfred said Tuesday that he had a positive relationship with former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf as they worked together to find a new home for the A’s in the city, with hopes that a new stadium would be constructed at Howard Terminal.

But Manfred had a different relationship with Sheng Thao, who was elected as Oakland’s mayor in 2022, recalled in November, and was indicted on federal charges in January. Barbara Lee was elected Oakland’s new mayor in April.

“I had worked very hard with (Schaaf) to try to make it work in Oakland. I don’t have any problem with any government official in Oakland,” Manfred said. “I thought Mayor Thao was not particularly helpful when we got down to brass tacks, but I don’t think I’m going to have to deal with her going forward.”

Several Major League players have complained about the field conditions and infrastructure at Sutter Health Park, including the mound, the batter’s box, and the shorter-than-usual foul poles. The clubhouses for the A’s and visiting teams are located beyond the left field wall, and not near the dugouts.

“It’s less than ideal, to say the least,” MLB Players’ Association chief Tony Clark said of Sutter Health Park in a separate meeting with the BBWAA members in attendance.

All-Star Game in San Francisco?

Manfred and Clark say plans are moving ahead, exploring the possibility of using major leaguers in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a tournament that could be played on an extended All-Star break.

“I think it is an opportunity to market the game on a really global stage,” Manfred said. “Obviously, the clubs are going to have to endorse this. I mean, it’s a big deal.”

MLB met with Los Angeles organizers on Monday in Atlanta ahead of the All-Star Game and stated that Olympic officials were meeting with the MLBPA. If big leaguers are allowed to participate in the Olympics, Oracle Park would be the front runner to host that year’s All-Star Game, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Manfred mentioned Baltimore, Boston, and Toronto as possible future sites for All-Star Games.

“There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done,” Clark told the BBWAA in a separate session. “We do know players are interested in playing, whether it’s for the Team USA or any number of other teams around the world. … There’s just a lot of conversation that needs to be had sooner rather than later to see how viable this is, but we’re hopeful that we can figure our way through it for the benefit of the game.”

MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the U.S. 2-0 in the gold medal game.

Manfred, Roberts talk Misiorowski

National League All-Star manager Dave Roberts said including Milwaukee rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski on his team was “an easy answer” despite complaints from some players over his inclusion after just five big league appearances.

“If it brings excitement, attention to our game, then I’m all about it,” Roberts said before Monday’s Home Run Derby.

“I think for me, kind of my North Star is the All-Star Game should be the game’s best players,” the Los Angeles Dodgers manager added before also addressing the other side of the argument by adding, “It’s about the fans and what the fans want to see.”

Misiorowski has pitched in only five games, a record low for an All-Star, sparking a debate between those who argue the game is for the most deserving players and those who believe it is for the fans.

Manfred said Tuesday he made the decision based on “the excitement that was going to be generated, the fan interest in seeing this guy,” and adding a competitive pitcher to the game.

“He’s a very, very good pitcher on a very, very good run right now,” Manfred said. “Do I understand five starts is short? Yeah, I do. And do I want to make that the norm? No, I don’t. But I think it was the right decision given where we were.”

The 23-year-old created an instant stir when he threw a 100.5 mph fastball for his first pitch in the big leagues. Oh, and for good measure, he opened that debut on June 12 against St. Louis by throwing five no-hit innings before leaving with cramping in the Brewers’ 6-0 win.

The 6-foot-7 rookie is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and has 33 strikeouts with only 12 hits allowed in 25 2/3 innings. It’s an impressive debut, but some players still believe the right-hander hasn’t been in the game long enough to merit All-Star consideration over more established players.

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Tampa Bay, controlled by Stuart Sternberg since October 2005, said last month it had entered exclusive discussions for a sale to a group led by Patrick Zalupski, Bill Cosgrove, and Ken Babby, and The Athletic reported Monday that a sale is expected to be finalized by September.

“I have no reason to quibble with or dispute the reports that have been out there,” Manfred said.

Because of damage caused to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg last October by Hurricane Milton, the Rays are playing home games this season at Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ spring training facility in Tampa.

“We think we’re going to be ready to play in ‘26 in the Trop,” Manfred said, adding that there are contingency plans to start the season elsewhere before moving to Tropicana Field later in the year if the stadium isn’t ready by opening day. He didn’t say what the contingency plans were.

Trump to put tariffs of over 10% on smaller nations, including those in Africa and the Caribbean

By JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that he plans to place tariffs of over 10% on smaller countries, including nations in Africa and the Caribbean.

“We’ll probably set one tariff for all of them,” Trump said, adding that it could be “a little over 10% tariff” on goods from at least 100 nations.

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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick interjected that the nations with goods being taxed at these rates would be in Africa and the Caribbean, places that generally do relatively modest levels of trade with the U.S. and would be relatively insignificant for addressing Trump’s goals of reducing trade imbalances with the rest of the world.

The president had this month been posting letters to roughly two dozen countries and the European Union that simply levied a tariff rate to be charged starting Aug. 1.

Those countries generally faced tax rates on the goods close to the April 2 rates announced by the U.S. president, whose rollout of historically high import taxes for the U.S. caused financial markets to panic and led to Trump setting a 90-day negotiating period that expired July 9.

Trump also said he would “probably” announce tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs at the “end of the month.”

The president said he would start out at a lower tariff rate and give companies a year to build domestic factories before they faced higher import tax rates. Trump said computer chips would face a similar style of tariffs.

ICE flexes authority to sharply expand detention without bond hearing

SAN DIEGO (AP) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has moved to detain far more people than before by tapping a legal authority to jail anyone who entered the country illegally without allowing them a bond hearing.

Todd Lyons, ICE’s acting director, wrote employees on July 8 that the agency was revisiting its “extraordinarily broad and equally complex” authority to detain people and that, effective immediately, people would be ineligible for a bond hearing before an immigration judge. Instead, they cannot be released unless the Homeland Security Department makes an exception.

The directive, first reported by The Washington Post, signals wider use of a 1996 law to detain people who had previously been allowed to remain free while their cases wind through immigration court.

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Asked Tuesday to comment on the memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “The Biden administration dangerously unleashed millions of unvetted illegal aliens into the country — and they used many loopholes to do so. President (Donald) Trump and Secretary (Kristi) Noem are now enforcing this law as it was actually written to keep America safe.”

McLaughlin said ICE will have “plenty of bed space” after Trump signed a law that spends about $170 billion on border and immigration enforcement. It puts ICE on the cusp of staggering growth, infusing it with $76.5 billion over five years, or nearly 10 times its current annual budget. That includes $45 billion for detention.

Greg Chen, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, began hearing from lawyers across the country last week that clients were being taken into custody in immigration court under the new directive. One person who was detained lived in the United States for 25 years.

While it won’t affect people who came legally and overstayed their visas, the initiative would apply to anyone who crossed the border illegally, Chen said.

The Trump administration “has acted with lightning speed to ramp up massive detention policy to detain as many people as possible now without any individualized review done by a judge. This is going to turn the United States into a nation that imprisons people as a matter of course,” Chen said.

Matt Adams, legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, said the administration is “adopting a draconian interpretation of the statute” to jail people who may have lived in the U.S. for decades, have no criminal history and have U.S. citizen spouses, children and grandchildren. His organization sued the administration in March over what it said was a growing practice among immigration judges in Tacoma, Washington, to jail people for prolonged, mandatory periods.

Lyons wrote in his memo that detention was entirely within ICE’s discretion, but he acknowledged a legal challenge was likely. For that reason, he told ICE attorneys to continue gathering evidence to argue for detention before an immigration judge, including potential danger to the community and flight risk.

ICE held about 56,000 people at the end of June, near an all-time high and above its budgeted capacity of about 41,000. Homeland Security said new funding will allow for an average daily population of 100,000 people.

In January, Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, named for a slain Georgia nursing student, which required detention for people in the country illegally who are arrested or charged with relatively minor crimes, including burglary, theft and shoplifting, in addition to violent crimes.

Pentagon ends deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles

By AMY TAXIN, DAVID KLEPPER and DAMIAN DOVARGANES, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Pentagon said Tuesday it is ending the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles, accounting for nearly half of the soldiers sent to the city to deal with protests over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines have been in the city since early June. It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted the 60-day deployment to end suddenly, nor was it immediately clear how long the rest of the troops would stay in the region.

In late June, the top military commander in charge of troops deployed to LA had asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for 200 of them to be returned to wildfire fighting duty amid warnings from Newsom that the Guard was understaffed as California entered peak wildfire season.

The end of the deployment comes a week after federal authorities and National Guard troops arrived at MacArthur Park with guns and horses in an operation that ended abruptly. Although the U.S. Department of Homeland Security wouldn’t explain the purpose of the operation or whether anyone had been arrested, local officials said it seemed designed to sow fear.

“Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement in announcing the decision.

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On June 8, thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to Trump’s deployment of the Guard, blocking off a major freeway as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd. Photos captured several Waymo robotaxis set on fire.

A day later, police officers used flash bangs and shot projectiles as they pushed protesters through Little Tokyo, where bystanders and restaurant workers rushed to get out of their way.

Mayor Karen Bass set a curfew in place for about a week that she said had successfully protected businesses and helped restore order. Demonstrations in the city and the region in recent weeks have been largely small impromptu protests around arrests.

The Marines are primarily assigned to protect federal buildings while hundreds of the National Guard troops have been accompanying agents on immigration operations.

President Donald Trump ordered the deployment against the wishes of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sued to stop it.

Newsom sued to block Trump’s command of the California National Guard, arguing that Trump violated the law when he deployed the troops despite his opposition. He also argued that the National Guard troops were likely violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits troops from conducting civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil.

Newsom won an early victory in the case after a federal judge ruled the Guard deployment was illegal and exceeded Trump’s authority. But an appeals court tossed that order, and control of the troops remained with the federal government. The federal court is set to hear arguments next month on whether the troops are violating the Posse Comitatus Act.

The deployment of National Guard troops was for 60 days, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had the discretion to shorten or extend it “to flexibly respond to the evolving situation on the ground,” the Trump administration’s lawyers wrote in a June 23 filing in the legal case.

Following the Pentagon’s decision Tuesday, Newsom said in a statement that the National Guard’s deployment to Los Angeles County has pulled troops away from their families and civilian work “to serve as political pawns for the President.”

He added that the remaining troops “continue without a mission, without direction and without any hopes of returning to help their communities.”

“We call on Trump and the Department of Defense to end this theater and send everyone home now,” he said.

Klepper reported from Washington and Taxin from Santa Ana, California. Sophie Austin in Sacramento, Julie Watson in San Diego and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

Here’s how to cook quinoa without making it bland and limp

By Cathy Thomas | SCNG

Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-wah, is often hailed as the protein-rich grain of the future. Most sources lump it in with grains although it is technically classified as a pseudo-cereal grain, along with amaranth and buckwheat. That said, happily it can be delicious.

Many recipes cook it in way too much liquid, waterlogging it into a bland, somewhat limp concoction. I like to toast it in a dry saucepan before cooking it, pilaf-style, a process that creates an appealing nutty taste and a delicate crunch.

Toasted Quinoa with Feta and HerbsYield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups white quinoa; see cook’s notes

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 large brown onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups water

3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, mint or chives (I like a combination of at least two)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook’s notes: I haven’t encountered unwashed quinoa in many years. Older recipes say to rinse and drain quinoa before cooking to remove bitterness. But as it has grown in popularity, packaged store-bought quinoa has been pre-rinsed.

DIRECTIONS

1. Add quinoa to a large saucepan and place on medium-high heat. Toast quinoa, stirring frequently, until nicely brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Note that not all will be browned, some will remain white, but don’t worry about it. Empty it into a bowl. Allow the pan to cool for a couple of minutes.

2. Return pan to medium heat and melt butter. Add onion and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and starts to brown. Add water and quinoa; increase to high heat. Bring to simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low; gently simmer until tender and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Set aside off heat, still covered, for 8 minutes. Add herbs, juice, salt and pepper. Toss and cover for 2 more minutes off heat. Add feta and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.

Flavor-packed pork burgers are inspired by Indian street food

By Christopher Kimball | Milk Street

These flavor-packed burgers are a spin on a spiced pork sausage from Goa in southern India, based on the garlicky, European-style chouriço introduced by Portuguese settlers. To combat the humidity of the region and prolong the shelf life of the sausage, the meat is heavily salted and flavored with a mixture of spices and tangy vinegar.

Goan sausage is ubiquitous in southern India, where you can find it sold at street food carts and high-end restaurants alike, sometimes baked into a bun or minced and stuffed between layers of fried naan.

In this recipe from our cookbook ” Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we take inspiration from those burger-like sandwiches, using a combination of grated garlic, garam masala, cumin, paprika and cayenne to give the all-pork patties deep, complex flavor and a rusty hue. Grating the garlic ensures it melts into the meat without any distracting bits. Instead of naan, we use classic hamburger buns.

Egg and panko bread crumbs help the patties keep their shape. Don’t undermix the pork mixture; be sure to combine it well so the breadcrumbs and seasonings are evenly distributed.

These burgers are especially delicious topped with yogurt, torn fresh mint leaves and thin slices of cucumber or tomato.

Indian-Spiced Pork Burgers

Start to finish: 35 minutesServings: 4

Ingredients:

⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt, plus more to serve5 teaspoons garam masala5 teaspoons sweet paprika1 tablespoon ground cumin½ teaspoon cayenne pepper2 large egg yolks2 medium garlic cloves, finely gratedKosher salt and ground black pepper1 pound ground pork2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil4 hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the panko, yogurt, garam masala, paprika, cumin, cayenne, egg yolks, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ cup water. Using a fork, mash the mixture into a smooth paste. Add the pork and mix with your hands until evenly combined. Form into 4 patties, each about 4 inches in diameter, place on a large plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add the burgers and cook until well browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Flip, reduce to medium-low and continue to cook until the patties are well browned on the second sides and the centers reach 160°F, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve on the buns with additional yogurt on the side.

For more recipes, go to Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street at 177milkstreet.com/ap

How Logan Webb’s three-fastball mix helped land SF Giants’ ace at second All-Star Game

SAN FRANCISCO — Logan Webb has long joked that he’s not a strikeout pitcher. In the past, the San Francisco Giants ace’s reticence was warranted. The numbers, though, are hard to deny.

Webb was selected to his second straight All-Star team and is expected to pitch an inning Tuesday night in Atlanta after finishing the first half with a National League-leading 125 2/3 innings and a 2.94 ERA. He’s providing his usual volume but he’s drastically increasing his strikeout rate, currently on pace to eclipse 200 strikeouts in a single season for the first time in his career. In a year where the league-wide strikeout rate has slightly dipped, Webb ranks fourth in baseball.

Webb’s strikeout spike isn’t just the product of a tweaked changeup and a slight shift on the rubber, but the right-hander’s willingness to use three different fastballs. One is his bread and butter. One is performing better compared to previous seasons. One is, by most metrics, an awful offering that he calls his “MVP pitch.”

Together, they’ve allowed Webb, 28, to further evolve in his seventh season in the majors.

“In ‘21, he was listening to a lot of his teammates tell him how good he was, but a lot of times, you have to have the success to start to believe that,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said of Webb’s first full season in the majors. “He had success that year and it just continued to build and get better and better. From the pitching standpoint, he can pitch all four quadrants now. There’s not a lot of guys that can do that. Now, you add that he’s got elite movement on his pitches, it’s a recipe for success.”

Giants lefty Robbie Ray, a fellow All-Star selection who won’t pitch in the game, said, It’s really fun to watch. He’s definitely taken his game to the next level.”

The sinker has long been Webb’s foundational fastball. He throws the two-seamer more than any other pitch and it has been his most valuable offering over the last two seasons. Webb gets six more inches of vertical drop on his sinker compared to similarly thrown pitches, and the product is the eighth-highest groundball rate of baseball.

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If Webb’s sinker and changeup are the stars of the show, then Webb’s four-seam fastball and cutter are the supporting actors. Neither are prominent parts of his repertoire, but each has a narrow and necessary role.

Webb threw a couple cutters in ‘20 and ‘21, abandoned the pitch in ‘22 and ‘23, then re-introduced it in ‘24. The right-hander’s cutter accounted for 2.6 percent of his total pitches last year and he’s upped his usage to 9.3 percent. What’s odd about Webb’s increased reliance on his cutter is that the pitch rates out very poorly.

This season, opponents have a .436 batting average and .615 slugging percentage against Webb’s cutter. In his final start of the first half, Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani sent a cutter from Webb into McCovey Cove. Compared to similarly thrown cutters, Webb is getting 3.3 fewer inches of movement.

Despite the results, Webb throws the pitch because it gives him something to throw that moves inside to left-handed hitters. He refers to the cutter as his “MVP pitch” not as a boast, but because it’s literally designed for former MVPs such as Ohtani and Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, as well as left-handed hitters generally. Of the 182 cutters that Webb has thrown, 147 of them have been against left-handed hitters.

“It’s just a different look,” Webb said. “If you were probably going to look metric-wise, it’s probably not the greatest pitch but it works because I throw a sinker.”

“One analogy I’ve used in the past is if your pitches are stocks, you really want to invest in the earners more,” said pitching coach J.P. Martinez. “For Webby, the cutter doesn’t grade out very well, but it moves towards the hitter and not away from the hitter.”

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For Martinez, an emphasis on the cutter was an idea he got from a certain team down south.

“On the cutter, that’s actually something I stole from the Dodgers’ playbook,” Martinez said. “All their sinker-slider guys, they started adding cutters to keep lefties honest. I watched it play out in real time against all our lefties, whether (Brandon) Crawford or LaMonte (Wade Jr.) or Brandon Belt. I thought it was something we could pick up and use ourselves to neutralize left-handed hitters.”

Rounding out Webb’s three-fastball mix along with his sinker and cutter is the four-seam fastball, a pitch that’s become invaluable to his repertoire thanks to a slight tweak.

Webb threw his four-seamer 43.5 percent of the time as a rookie in 2019 but the pitch got absolutely hammered. Opposing hitters had a .339 batting average with a .581 slugging percentage against the four-seamer that year, prompting Webb to gradually phase the pitch out of the mix. By 2022, the four-seamer accounted for less than four percent of his pitches.

This season, Webb is throwing his four-seamer 7.2 percent of the time. It’s the least-utilized pitch in his mix, but similar to his cutter, Webb’s four-seamer has a narrow focus: strikeouts.

Webb will often throw elevated four-seamers if he gets into two-strike counts that contrast his diving sinker and changeup. The result is the four-seam fastball accounting for 18.8 percent of his strikeouts. Of the 141 four-seam fastballs that Webb has thrown this season, 118 have been in two-strike counts.

“When he’s in position, whether it’s 0-2 or 1-2, the analogy we use is having an offensive mindset to being a pitcher,” Martinez said. “The analogy that works with Webb, because he’s a football guy — he throws a football before the game and he played quarterback — is when you’re in the red zone, you don’t run a triple reverse. You just punch it in.

“Now, not only is he executing those pitches, but he knows which pitches are the best play. He knows when there’s guys that have significantly high four-seam whiff rates with two strikes, he’ll go there.”

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Webb’s four-seam fastball is generating nearly two more inches of vertical movement compared to last year. The pitch is also grading out far better this year compared to the first six seasons of his career. Those improved metrics are a product of Webb changing how he throws the pitch.

“The biggest thing I’ve tried to preach is not raising his arm to try to throw it in game for (vertical movement),” Martinez said. “It’s actually throwing it from the exact same spot as other pitches, no matter what the vert is, because it just aids in the deception,” Martinez said.

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With a three-fastball mix to complement his changeup and sweeper, Webb has parlayed that deceptiveness into a second straight trip to the Midsummer Classic.

This millennium, there have only been three Giants to total 200-plus innings and 200-plus strikeouts with sub-three ERA: Jason Schmidt (2003), Tim Lincecum (‘08, ‘09, ‘11) and Madison Bumgarner (‘14, ‘15, ‘16). By season’s end, Webb could very well join that list.