Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 80

Best multicookers for fast and easy home meals

Which multicooker is best?

Multicookers are the Swiss Army knife of the kitchen. They can cook countless foods and recipes, from something as simple as plain white rice to something as complex as an all-day slow-cooked pot roast. Some are even advanced enough to include air frying to the list of gizmo-powered cooking.

The best multicooker is the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multicooker. The Instant Pot name is used interchangeably with multicooker by many people, thanks to its consistently high-caliber offerings. This model is among their best.

What to know before you buy a multicookerCapacity

Multicookers generally come in capacities between 2 and 8 quarts, with roughly 1 quart needed for each person you intend to feed. Keep in mind you can always cook small batches in large multicookers. If your budget allows it’s best to purchase one with an extra quart or two of capacity to be safe and for weekly meal prepping.

Pressure

Multicookers can be divided into two categories: those with pressure cooking and those without.

Pressure multicookers can cook a wider variety of foods. They use either high or low pressure depending on the recipe, with better slow cookers letting you choose specific pressures rather than just “high” or “low.”Nonpressure multicookers focus on slow-cooking various types of foods. They’re perfect for making a pot roast one night and rice the next, but their overall options are more limited.What to look for in a quality multicookerPrograms and presets

The best multicookers offer the most programs and presets. These are one-touch functions that automatically set the cooker’s temperature, pressure and time to perfectly cook the chosen food. The most common presets are various types of rice — including white, brown and multigrain — as well as soup, oatmeal or porridge and meats.

Countdown timer

Your multicooker should include a display that counts down the time left until your food is ready. They should also allow you to set a timer manually if your food doesn’t have a preset. Most multicookers only have timer settings in increments of five minutes, but better models let you set it to the minute.

Delayed start

Advanced multicookers have a delayed start setting. It lets you put everything inside the cooker before you leave for the day and choose a specific time for cooking to begin so you can come home to a fresh, hot and perfectly cooked meal.

This setting should be used with some caution, however. If you’re unsure that anyone will be home when the food is finished cooking, you may want to reconsider the option. Additionally, some foods such as any kind of meat shouldn’t be left out longer than an hour.

How much you can expect to spend on a multicooker

Multicookers typically cost $50-$300. Small models or those with limited features cost roughly $50-$100. Midsized models and those with average features cost roughly $100-$150. Large models and those with every feature cost roughly $150-$300.

Multicooker FAQWhat can a multicooker do?

A. Multicookers live up to the name with most having at least five functions while others can have 10 or more. Some of the most common functions include:

Slow cookingPressure cookingRice cookingSteamingSauteingWarmingAir fryingAre multicookers dangerous to use?

A. Like any kitchen appliance that uses high levels of heat, multicookers can be dangerous if used incorrectly. However, most include safety features that mitigate this risk. If your multicooker includes pressure cooking, the most important feature to have is a locking lid to prevent the accidental, unsafe release of pressure. Cheap multicookers with pressure cooking tend not to include this safety measure.

Is it safe to slow-cook foods all day while I’m at work?

A. That depends on what you’re wanting to cook and how you use your multicooker to slow-cook it. Foods that are unsafe to leave out at room temperature include dairy and meat, but if you start the multicooker when you leave and set it to “keep warm” mode after it’s done, it should be safe. However, using a delayed-start mode will not be safe.

What’s the best multicooker to buy?Top multicooker

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multicooker

What you need to know: Instant Pot is nearly synonymous with multicookers for a reason.

What you’ll love: The seven functions are rice cooking, yogurt making, pressure cooking, slow cooking, steaming, sautéing and warming. The stainless steel exterior is fingerprint-resistant and the inner pot, rack and lid are all dishwasher-safe. It’s available in 3-, 6- and 8-quart sizes.

What you should consider: Many customers spoke of a steep learning curve to getting everything out of the Instant Pot, but they were pleased with their results.

Top multicooker for the money

Aroma Housewares Rice and Grain Cooker

What you need to know: It’s a good choice if you’re on a strict budget.

What you’ll love: It’s available in 2- and 5-quart sizes. The two-quart size has automatic modes for white and brown rice, risotto, steaming, slow cooking and a timer. The five-quart size adds oatmeal, soup, cake, multigrain rice, egg and reheating functions. It includes a rice measuring cup and spatula.

What you should consider: It has limited functionality compared to most multicookers. Some purchasers reported it having less capacity than advertised. Others had issues with the timer.

Worth checking out

Ninja Combi All-in-One Multicooker

What you need to know: It’s a high-quality, versatile multicooker, though it’s expensive.

What you’ll love: It has 14 different functions, including air frying, baking, steaming, defrosting and more. It’s easy to clean, and the outside of the cooker doesn’t get too hot to touch. It has a 6-cup capacity and features both a cooking bowl and a basket, so you can prepare two dishes simultaneously.

What you should consider: Some people have reported issues with the exterior damaging easily and the controls becoming buggy after extensive use.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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The newest way to influence Trump: Nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

WASHINGTON (AP) — World leaders, lawmakers and even one Native American tribe are deploying a novel strategy for remaining on good terms with Presidential Donald Trump: Praise his peacemaking efforts and nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.

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The announcements of nominations are piling up for the mercurial Republican president, who has long coveted the prestigious award. The honor, according to Albert Nobel’s wishes, is given to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

Peace prize nominations for Trump date to his first term, but he’s talking more in his second about how he’s helping to end conflicts, how he wants to be known as a peacemaker and how much he wants to be awarded a prize.

Fellow leaders, politicians and others have taken notice. Critics say Trump policies that have sown division in the U.S. and around the world make him unfit for a peace prize and he’s being manipulated with the nominations.

On Monday, as Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington to talk to Trump about Iran and the war in Gaza, the Israeli leader had something else to share with the president as they sat across from each other at a table set for their dinner meeting in the White House Blue Room.

“I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It’s nominating you for the peace prize, which is well deserved, and you should get it,” Netanyahu told Trump as he rose from his seat to hand over a copy of the letter.

Trump thanked him. “Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,” the president said.

A group of African leaders had their turn with Trump a few days after Netanyahu.

The leaders referenced the U.S. role in mediating a recent agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to bring peace after decades of bloody conflict that has killed millions. Representatives from both countries signed the deal in the Oval Office in front of Trump.

“And so he is now bringing peace back to a region where that was never possible so I believe that he does deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. That is my opinion,” said Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Thursday, “President Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to his proven record of securing peace around the world.” She added, “Thanks to this President’s leadership, America is respected again, making the entire world safer and more prosperous.”

The Nobel prizes are determined in secret. Nominations can come from a select group of people and organizations, including heads of state or politicians serving at a national level, university professors, directors of foreign policy institutes, past Nobel Prize recipients and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee itself.

Past recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize include former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, both Democrats.

Last month, as Trump announced the Rwanda-Congo deal, he complained that he’d never get a Nobel Peace Prize despite everything he’s done, ranging from the Abraham Accords of his first term, in which Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates normalized relations with Israel, to recently easing renewed tensions between India and Pakistan, among others.

Pakistan nominated Trump for the peace prize last month but then turned around and condemned him a day later after he bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump later worked with Israel and Iran to end their short war.

As a candidate, Trump promised he would end the Russia-Ukraine war on his first day in office before saying later as president that he was joking. But solving that conflict, as well as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, has so far eluded Trump.

His supporters, including lawmakers in Congress, are trying to help make Trump’s dream come true.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has called on the Senate to nominate Trump, while Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asked her social media followers to share her post if they agree with her that he deserves it.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., recently wrote on X that she has now nominated Trump twice and will continue to do so until he is awarded the prize.

“He has done more for world peace than any modern leader,” she wrote.

At least one Native American tribe said it intends to nominate Trump, too.

“No world leader has dedicated more time and effort to promoting global peace than President Donald Trump,” Marshall Pierite, chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, said in a statement.

Head Start will be cut off for immigrants without legal status, Trump administration says

BY ANNIE MA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration will restrict immigrants in the country illegally from enrolling in Head Start, a federally funded preschool program, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. The move is part of a broad effort to limit access to federal benefits for immigrants who lack legal status.

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People in the country illegally are largely ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans and financial aid for higher education. But for decades they have been able to access some community-level programs such as Head Start and community health centers.

HHS said it will reclassify those programs as federal public benefits, excluding immigrants in the country illegally from accessing them. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the changes were part of a larger effort to protect American citizens’ interests.

“For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Today’s action changes that — it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.”

A spokesperson for the Administration for Children and Families, which administers Head Start, said that eligibility will be determined based on the child’s immigration status.

Requiring proof of immigration status would likely create fear and confusion among families seeking to enroll their children, said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association.

“This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future,” Vinci said.

FILE – Easterseals Head Start program teaching assistant Tania Ortiz helps a student practice writing his name, Jan. 29, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

The changes are part of a multi-agency announcement rescinding an interpretation of federal law dating to former President Bill Clinton’s administration, which had allowed immigrants in the country illegally to access some programs. The Education Department, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor announced similar changes affecting a range of workforce development and adult education programs.

The changes will affect community health centers that immigrants rely on for a wide range of services, said Shelby Gonzales, vice president of immigration policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

“People depend on those services to get cancer treatment, to get ongoing maintenance for a variety of different health needs,” she said.

Students in the country illegally will no longer be eligible to participate in postsecondary career and technical education programs or adult education programs, the Education Department announced. The department also issued a notice to grant recipients to ensure programs receiving federal money do not provide services to immigrants without legal status.

Education advocates said the decision would harm young people who have grown up in this country. EdTrust Vice President Augustus Mays said the intention appears to be creating fear among immigrant communities.

“Policies like this don’t exist in a vacuum,” Mays said. “They are rooted in a political agenda that scapegoats immigrants and uses fear to strip rights and resources from the most vulnerable among us.”

Head Start was started six decades ago as part of Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. It operates in all 50 states, providing preschool, developmental therapy and child care for families who are homeless or are in poverty.

Associated Press writer Cheyanne Mumphrey in Phoenix contributed to this report.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Warriors Summer League preview: Draft picks, NorCal native among those looking to impress

LAS VEGAS – With walls adorned by glossy images of current Warriors and logos of both the NBA team and its WNBA counterpart Valkyries, it was as if the Chase Center had been transposed onto the Las Vegas Basketball Center on Thursday morning. 

Golden State had rented out all four courts of a facility located 15 miles north of the Thomas & Mack Center, where the team will play its first Las Vegas Summer League game on Friday. 

The Warriors will play the Trail Blazers in the nightcap at 8 p.m. PT. 

Headlined by second-round rookies Will Richard and Alex Toohey, along with Santa Cruz veterans such as Jackson Rowe, Taran Armstrong and Blake Hinson, the Warriors’ Summer League squad is coming off a 1-2 record at the California Classic showcase at Chase Center. 

Coach Lainn Wilson saw the team’s first practice in Nevada as a way to correct a few of the bad habits shown in the Bay Area. 

“We were just cleaning up some stuff from the California Classic, and then making sure the guys are sharp in their execution and ready to go for tomorrow,” Wilson said.  

Players to watch

Golden State Warriors’ Alex Toohey (22) passes the ball against Miami Heat’s Keshad Johnson (16) in the third quarter of their California Classic Summer League game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Richard showcased scoring talents in the final two games of the California Classic. The Florida product scored 16 points in his debut, making all eight of his free throws, and then put up 12 in the finale against Miami. 

Toohey was only able to play in the last game, scoring six and grabbing six rebounds but making just 1 of 5 shots. The Australian forward later said that he will need to acclimate to the NBA’s faster pace and great athleticism. 

While Vallejo’s Chance McMillian is still rehabbing from left ankle surgery, there is another NorCal native on the roster.

Rookie forward Coleman Hawkins impressed Wilson with his hustle and passing ability at Chase Center, and the Sacramento native wants to continue his strong run of play in Vegas. 

“I’m going to be team-oriented and do whatever they need me to do,” Hawkins told the Bay Area News Group. “I’ll show that I belong.”

Aside from the rookies, the Summer League Warriors are chock-full of professional scorers. Houston’s LJ Cryer, Utah’s Gabe Madsen and G League veteran Isaiah Mobley have all shown they can create their own shot. 

Veterans work out too

Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, who are each healing from injuries to their shooting hands, were seen going through shooting drills. Moody, who is recovering from right thumb surgery, took all of his shots left-handed. 

Former Warrior Nemanja Bjelica, a member of the 2022 championship team and now an executive for Turkish side Bahçeşehir Koleji, also watched practice. 

San Jose State alum earns Spanish contract

San Antonio Spurs’ Omari Moore (29) goes up for a dunk against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter of their California Classic Summer League game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, July 6, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

The greatest player in recent San Jose State history turned a short stint with the Spurs Summer League team into a contract with Spanish team Valencia. 

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Omari Moore was the 2023 Mountain West Conference player of the year and led the Spartans to their winningest season (21 victories) in over 40 years. He was undrafted and spent last season in Turkey. Moore scored 13 points for San Antonio against the Warriors at Chase Center on Sunday, and agreed to a contract on Wednesday. 

SJSU coach Tim Miles was thrilled to see his former player get another shot at high-level pro hoops.

“When we inherited him, he was trying to gain confidence, and trying to be a productive player at the Mountain West level,” Miles told this news organization over the phone. “By the time he was done, he was the player of the year and led us to Mountain West victories and postseason wins in the CBI. You don’t do that without a guy with the character and the drive and the talent of Omari Moore.”

Steph Curry in wait-and-see mode on Tahoe golf reign — and Warriors tenure

STATELINE, Nev. – Steph Curry stepped onto the No. 7 tee box, spread his arms wide, and mimicked his hole-in-one celebration here two years ago.

Curry looks as comfortable and confident as ever. It’s not the first time he has tried repeating a championship effort, of course. He has won four NBA titles for the Warriors, after all.

After taking a year’s sabbatical from the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament to win Olympic gold in Paris, Curry is happy to be back in the title hunt.

“The energy out here is ridiculous. I missed it last year,” Curry said Thursday. “I’m happy to be back with a lot of great players that we all now.

“I’m coming tomorrow to enjoy the experience,” Curry added. “The course is great. I don’t know about my game, but we’ll find out, compete and keep it moving.”

How much longer will Curry, 37, compete on the basketball court? He’s 16 years into a revolutionary, unparalleled career with the Warriors, and his contract runs through the 2026-27 season, for which he signed a $62.6 million extension last summer.

“I’m just taking it two years at a time. That’s all I have on my contract,” Curry said. “I hope to be in a position where physically I have the choice and it’s not made for me. I’m doing everything I can to stay limber, stay active and do what I do at a high level. I’m just trying to stay in the moment and see what happens in two years.”

Curry is the co-favorite here with 2024 winner Mardy Fish, who is downplaying any rivalry between the two. “It’s pretty soft, to be honest. He’s too nice,” Fish said. “I’ve been trying to push the pressure on him, that he’s the defending champ.”

Introduced at Thursday’s press conference as “co-defending champion,” Curry claimed that Fish badgered him with FaceTime calls “every other day the last six weeks.”

Two months ago, a hamstring injury sidelined Curry as the upset-minded Warriors bowed out in the Western Conference semifinals against Minnesota.

Curry is a decade removed from his first NBA championship.

The Warriors’ offseason has gone relatively quiet, aside from losing Kevon Looney to New Orleans, debating Jonathan Kuminga’s uncertain future, making low-key draft picks, and sifting through rumors about trades and free agency.

Asked about the Warriors’ reported pursuit of free agent center Al Horford, Curry responded: “He’s a champion, a great player. If and when all that stuff happens, I’ll talk about it.”

Curry said he spoke last week with LeBron James – after James’ initial foray into golfing led to Curry’s “rookie hazing” on social media.

“He got his first few swings. I talked to him last week and he told me how much fun he had,” Curry said. “There’s something to work with that swing. That’s what I was going for. He’s got good bones and good foundation. If he spends a little time and gets a little coaching, he’s got potential, for sure.”

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Asked if James could someday play in this Tahoe tournament, Curry quipped: “Out here? I mean Charles (Barkley) plays, so probably.”

Curry has six top-10 finishes in 13 appearances since 2010. On top of that is the family rivalry he’ll renew this weekend with his father Dell and brother Seth in the 90-player field.

“You have to have some fireworks going,” Steph Curry said. “You can’t get too down on a bad hole. You have to be aggressive.”

Such as with an ace on No. 7 in 2023?

“The hole-in-one was crazy. It was an unreal moment running down the seventh hole. Thankfully I didn’t hurt myself,” Curry recalled. “Eagles, birdies, you have to go low, you have to attack some flags, you have to make some puts. It’s the best version of golf, because you’re always aggressive and in it. That’s the fun part.”

Years later, Trump administration targets key figures in Russia investigation

By ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel pledged at his confirmation hearing that the bureau would not look backward, but the Trump administration’s fresh scrutiny of the Russia investigation has brought back into focus a years-old inquiry that continues to infuriate the Republican president.

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The Justice Department appeared to acknowledge in an unusual statement this week the existence of investigations into two central players from that saga, former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, amid a new report revisiting a 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian election interference.

That the Russia investigation, which shadowed President Donald Trump through his first term, would resurface is hardly surprising given Trump’s lingering ire over the inquiry and because longtime allies, including Patel and current CIA Director John Ratcliffe, now lead the same agencies whose actions they once lambasted. Whether anything new will be found is unclear in light of the numerous prior reviews on the subject, but Trump has long called for investigations into Comey and Brennan, and Patel — in his memoir — placed them on a list of “members of the Executive Branch Deep State” deserving of derision.

“The conduct at issue or alleged conduct at issue has been the subject of numerous other investigations — IG investigations, special counsel investigations, other internal investigations, congressional investigations. And none of those past investigations turned up any evidence that led to criminal charges against any senior officials,” said Greg Brower, a former FBI senior executive and ex-U. S. attorney in Nevada.

Word of the inquiry came as FBI and Justice Department leaders scramble to turn the page from mounting criticism from prominent conservatives for failing to release much-hyped files from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. And as federal investigators have taken steps to examine the actions of other perceived adversaries of the administration, fueling concerns that the administration is weaponizing the criminal justice system for partisan purposes.

At issue now is a newly declassified CIA report, ordered by Ratcliffe, that faults Brennan’s oversight of a 2017 intelligence community assessment that found that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election because Russian President Vladimir Putin aspired to see Trump beat Democratic opponent Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The report does not challenge that conclusion but chides Brennan for the fact that a classified version of the intelligence assessment included a two-page summary of the so-called “Steele dossier,” a compilation of opposition research from a former British spy that included salacious and uncorroborated rumors about Trump’s ties to Russia.

Brennan testified to Congress, and also wrote in his memoir, that he was opposed to citing the dossier in the intelligence assessment since neither its substance nor sources had been validated. He has said it was included at the FBI’s urging.

But the new report casts Brennan’s views in a different light, asserting that he “showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness” and brushed aside concerns over the dossier because of its “conformity with existing theories.” It quotes him, without context, as having written that “my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report.”

Fox News reported Tuesday evening that the FBI had begun investigating Brennan for potentially making false statements to Congress as well as Comey, though the basis for that inquiry is unclear. A person familiar with the matter confirmed to The Associated Press that Ratcliffe, a staunch Trump defender and vocal critic of the Russia investigation, had referred Brennan to the FBI for possible investigation.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a referral that has not been made public.

A Justice Department spokesperson issued a statement Wednesday referencing, without elaboration, the “criminal investigations” of Brennan and Comey, saying the department did not comment on “ongoing investigations.” It was not clear if the statement also referred to the continued scrutiny of Comey over the Instagram post. The FBI declined to comment.

Representatives for the men declined to comment this week, though Brennan said in an MSNBC interview on Wednesday that he had not been contacted by the FBI and knew nothing about an inquiry. He said he remained proud of the work intelligence agencies did to examine Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“I think this is unfortunately a very sad and tragic example of the continued politicization of the intelligence community, of the national security process,” Brennan said. “And quite frankly, I’m really shocked that individuals who are willing to sacrifice their reputations, their credibility, their decency to continue to do Donald Trump’s bidding on something that is clearly just politically based.”

A lengthy investigation by former special counsel John Durham that reviewed the intelligence community assessment as well as the broader Russia investigation did not find fault with Brennan.

FILE – Former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey speaks at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics’ JFK Jr. Forum in Cambridge, Mass., Feb. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Comey has separately been interviewed by the Secret Service after a social media post that Republicans insisted was a call for violence against Trump. Comey has said he did not mean the Instagram post as a threat and removed it as soon as he realized it was being interpreted that way.

The Justice Department has taken steps in recent months to scrutinize other people out of favor with Trump opening inquiries into whether former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo lied to Congress about his state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and into whether New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has sued Trump and his company, engaged in mortgage fraud. Both have vigorously denied wrongdoing. In other instances, the Justice Department has been directed by Trump to examine the actions of ex-government officials who have criticized him.

At the same time, the department refrained from opening an investigation into administration officials who disclosed sensitive military plans on a Signal chat that mistakenly included a journalist.

“Donald Trump is not interested in justice — he’s interested in settling scores and he views the vast prosecutorial powers of the Department of Justice as a way to do that,” said Liz Oyer, who was fired in March as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney after she says she refused to endorse restoring the gun rights of actor Mel Gibson.

Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

Monterey hosts academy to learn about city procedures

MONTEREY – The City of Monterey is inviting residents to apply for the inaugural First City Academy, a free eight-week program aimed at building a deeper understanding of local government and fostering community involvement.

Slated to be held weekly on Thursdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m., the Academy will run from Aug. 28 through Oct. 23. Participants ages 16 and older can attend interactive sessions exploring the city’s history, government operations, budgeting, public works and public safety, culminating in a graduation celebration.

City staff came up with the idea last year when exploring opportunities to reach out to members of the community who are less engaged with the city.

“A similar program existed in Monterey many years ago back in 1998-1999,” said City Manager Hans Uslar. “It stopped because we couldn’t find anyone to do it anymore.”

Each week, the program will spotlight different departments and city functions, beginning with an overview of city governance and concluding with a celebration of civic involvement. Participants will hear directly from city staff and leadership, tour city facilities and explore key topics, such as sustainability, budgeting and public safety.

“There will be a mix of every department from city manager to public works and other city presenters who are subject matter experts in their fields,” Uslar said.

There will be hand outs and light refreshments, but Uslar said the program will be at little to no cost to the city.

“I see this as another engagement tool with residents who haven’t gotten a chance to participate in city government,” Uslar said. “My vision is in five to six years to have about 200 people who have graduated from this program and have them participating with the city or sharing their ideas for how to improve.”

Program Schedule Highlights:

• Aug. 28: City Governance and Leadership

• Sept. 4: Monterey History and Field Tour

• Sept. 11: Budgeting, HR, and Technology

• Sept. 18: Community Development and Housing

• Sept. 25: Public Works and Infrastructure

• Oct. 2: Parks, Recreation, Library & Museums

• Oct. 9: Fire and Emergency Services

• Oct. 16: Police Department

• Oct. 23: Graduation and Community Celebration

The First City Academy is free to attend, and space may be limited. Applications are now open and available at monterey.gov/firstcityacademy.

For more information, contact the City Manager’s Office at (831) 646-3760 or email suggest@monterey.gov.

George Mason University faces investigation in Trump administration’s anti-DEI crackdown

By COLLIN BINKLEY

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday opened a civil rights investigation into the hiring practices at George Mason University, expanding a national campaign against diversity policies to Virginia’s largest public university.

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The Education Department said it is responding to a complaint from multiple professors at George Mason who accuse the university of favoring those from underrepresented groups. The complaint takes aim at the university’s president, Gregory Washington, saying he issued guidance that favors faculty candidates based on diversity considerations rather than their credentials, according to the department.

It marks an expansion of the Trump administrations campaign to reshape higher education, which until recently focused on elite private institutions like Harvard and Columbia universities. George Mason is the second big public university to face scrutiny in recent weeks, following a Justice Department investigation at the University of Virginia that prompted the school’s president, James Ryan, to resign.

A statement from George Mason denied any allegations of discrimination and said the university “affirms its commitment to comply with all federal and state mandates.”

The Trump administration has used civil rights law to fight DEI, saying diversity preferences amount to illegal discrimination against white and Asian American people. On his second day in office, Trump signed an action demanding an end to DEI at all universities that receive federal money.

George Mason responded to federal orders by renaming its DEI office in March, but it concluded that its policies were already in line with federal law.

The complaint to the Education Department said the school did nothing to change campus hiring and promotion policies that favored those from minority groups, the department said. The complaint said George Mason had a policy to include an “equity adviser” in every academic department to help recruit faculty. The university also created an “anti-racism” task force whose work included “diversity cluster hire initiatives,” according to the agency.

It also accuses Washington of issuing guidance allowing faculty and staff to be hired based partially on their diversity “even if that candidate may not have better credentials than the other candidate.”

Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, said “it appears” that George Mason’s hiring and promotion policies “not only allow but champion illegal racial preferencing.”

George Mason has built a reputation as a conservative powerhouse, especially in law and economics. But it has also been the subject of conservative criticism over its DEI initiatives. A 2023 report by the Heritage Foundation found that George Mason was “bloated” with high numbers of DEI officials and had “radical content” on its websites. Washington disputed the report and its methodology.

The University of Virginia was also called out in the report, and its president more recently faced criticism from conservative groups that said he was too slow to end DEI initiatives on the Charlottesville campus. Among those leveling complaints were America First Legal, a conservative group founded by Trump aide Stephen Miller.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Renamed TPC Monterey at Pasadera now part of PGA Tour’s TPC Network

MONTEREY – The only Jack Nicklaus signature course on the Monterey Peninsula will see a name change and induction into a network of premier golf courses offering new experiences for its members while providing reciprocal privileges at other clubs.

Opening 25 years ago as Pasadera Golf and Country Club, and acquired by Concert Golf Partners in 2023 for $9.75 million, the Club at Pasadera – off Monterey-Salinas Highway 68 – will be renamed TPC Monterey at Pasadera, honoring its quarter-century anniversary.

The name change was jointly announced this week by the PGA Tour’s TPC (Tournament Players Club) Network and Concert Golf Partners, reflecting the golf club becoming one of 30 licensed properties in the TPC network of golf facilities.

“TPC Monterey at Pasadera is a uniquely special place,” said golf legend and course designer Jack Nicklaus in a press release. “I know the members will take great pride in knowing that their club is considered among the country’s premier facilities.”

TPC Monterey at Pasadera golf course and country club, formerly The Club at Pasadera, is the centerpiece of the 565-acre, 250-home Pasadera Community. (Concert Golf Partners)

TPC Monterey at Pasadera will remain as one of the 39 premier private clubs in the Concert Golf Partners portfolio and is Concert Golf’s second TPC-licensed property, joining TPC Jasna Polana in Princeton, New Jersey, according to Concert Golf Partners the Orlando-based boutique club hospitality company that owns and operates upscale private golf and country clubs across the United States.

“The PGA Tour is thrilled to welcome this exceptional club into our licensed portfolio, as we bring our premier TPC brand to the stunning Monterey Peninsula,” said Vic Aliprando, senior vice president of TPC Network Operations, in the release. “We look forward to working closely with Concert Golf Partners to support their goals, enhance the member experience at TPC Monterey at Pasadera, and elevate the club to new heights.”

Becoming the second TPC licensed property in California, alongside TPC Harding Park (San Francisco), TPC Monterey at Pasadera members can now connect with the TPC Passport program. The TPC Passport program offers exclusive access to premier golf experiences across the TPC Network, with reciprocal privileges at participating clubs, such as TPC Sawgrass and TPC Scottsdale, says Concert Golf Partners.

“I have always had a strong attachment to the Monterey Peninsula, beginning with my affinity for Pebble Beach that started well over 60 years ago,” said Nicklaus in the release. “When we designed and then opened Pasadera 25 years ago – and within days of my last U.S. Open appearance at Pebble Beach – I was proud to have this course added to the wonderful golf in what is a storied area.”

TPC Monterey at Pasadera’s unique layout features tee boxes perched on opposing mountaintops, creating dramatic elevation changes throughout the course, according to Concert Golf Partners. Strategic bunkers and firm, fast greens challenge players of all skill levels to think carefully about each shot.

Beyond the golf course, the club offers an array of amenities designed for both recreation and relaxation. Members can enjoy access to a world-class tennis club, a fully equipped gym, a lap pool and a comprehensive wellness and training center offering personalized programs.

TPC Monterey at Pasadera offers sweeping vistas of the Pacific coastline and the rolling hills that surround the property. (Concert Golf Partners)

Set against the backdrop of the Monterey Peninsula and framed by the Santa Lucia Mountains, the club ranks among the area’s top wedding destinations, says Concert Golf Partners. Its dining room accommodates up to 150 guests and opens onto a covered patio, offering spectacular views of both the golf course and the Santa Lucia Mountains.

“As we launch a brand-new era as TPC Monterey at Pasadera, we’re proud to deliver a gateway for our Pasadera members to enjoy the TPC Network at 30 premier clubs across America,” said Aaron Straub, Concert Golf Partners senior vice president of operations, in the release. “This is part of Concert Golf’s commitment to elevating the membership experience at the club, as they gain special access to world-class golf destinations.”

TPC Monterey at Pasadera golf course and country club is the centerpiece of the 565-acre, 250-home Pasadera Community. It opened in 2000 at a cost of $42 million, and was bought 10 years later by HNA Group, a Chinese conglomerate, for about $7.5 million after the original owners, Pasadera Country Club, LLC., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It had been in discussions with the Trump Organization about a possible sale, although the deal fell through in December 2008 over loan conditions and the threat of lawsuits.

In late 2018, a group of local investors purchased Nicklaus Club Monterey for about $3.2 million and renamed it The Club at Pasadera. It was later acquired by Concert Golf Partners in 2023.

Horoscopes July 9, 2025: Tom Hanks, keep moving forward

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Georgie Henley, 30; Jack White, 50; Tom Hanks, 69; Jimmy Smits, 70.

Happy Birthday: Keep moving forward. Distance yourself from those holding you back or taking advantage of you. It’s time to follow your heart; use your skills, strength and courage to map out a destination that offers contentment. Change begins with you. Stop waiting for someone to make the first move. You’ll gain respect and recognition if you do what you do best to please yourself and fulfill your dreams. Your numbers are 5, 13, 24, 29, 34, 42, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You’ll be prone to overreacting. Focus more on yourself than others, and spend time developing something you want to do or use to help you advance. You can learn a lot by observing others and implementing what you learn into your plans. Explore possibilities and turn your plans into something concrete. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Offer hands-on help, not lectures. Take the high road and look at the positives in any situation. You have more to gain if you are supportive, create a safe atmosphere and offer sound advice. How you handle situations will determine your ability to lead and what you receive in return. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Changing your environment will help you analyze situations and find alternatives that encourage your desired results. Refuse to let what others do or say get in your way or deter you from following your heart. Start slow; build a solid base that will stand the test of time, and you won’t have regrets. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Be open to suggestions, but do what you feel is right and best for you. Let your emotions and insight carry you toward your goal. Put your energy into fine-tuning your lifestyle and surroundings. Happiness is your responsibility. Take charge, explore your options and decide to pursue your goals instead of making excuses. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Participation will change how you feel about the people you encounter. Learn from experience, and it will prepare you for future events. Emotions will be prominent, but it’s best to keep your feelings a secret. Monitor situations and relationships as they unfold, and you’ll know exactly what to do. Romance is favored. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Organize and host events that encourage connecting with people who offer services you need to bring about the changes you want. Emotions and money matters will meet in conflict. Don’t spend more than you can afford or let anyone talk you into paying for something you don’t need. Home improvement is favored. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Engage in physical activity, travel or skill-based tests. Opportunity comes from challenging yourself and expanding your mind. Strive to be your best, and sidestep anyone who displays negativity. Refuse to put up with a toxic situation or allow anyone to bully you. It’s your life; choose what makes you happy. 2 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A financial opportunity looks promising. Consider all the pros and cons, and fact-check information you receive. Don’t feel pressed to take the first offer. Time is on your side, and opportunities will continue to come your way. It’s up to you to be astute and only choose what holds your confidence. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Chill, observe and let your intuition lead the way. Make positive changes at home that give you an innovative space to brainstorm and plan your life. Serious talks with someone who emotionally impacts you will help clear any misconceptions about your direction. Romance is in the stars. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sit tight, let situations unfold and gauge your next move, and you’ll control the outcome. Participating in events or activities that challenge you to use your mental and physical abilities will ease stress and alleviate the temptation to jump into something too quickly. Enjoy downtime and live in the moment. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep your feelings to yourself. Take care of your responsibilities and set your sights on positive change that updates your appearance or skills to suit trends. Your confidence will get the boost it needs if you negotiate personal or professional deals with key people you want to impress and stand alongside. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Open doors can lead to opportunities. Market what you can offer, and give demonstrations to grab some interest. Change is heading your way; the more you put into what you want to achieve, the better you’ll do. Take the initiative and leave nothing undone. Strive for perfection and shoot for the stars. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, protective and hesitant. You are productive and understanding.

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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