Daily Republic: Monday, October 31, 2022

Police mum after deadly stabbing in Fairfield

Daily Republic Staff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Police were silent Sunday on the status of the search for a person of interest in a deadly stab bing Saturday.

Authorities were searching for Milton O’Neal, 40, in connection with a stabbing reported at approximately 2:45 p.m. Saturday on the 300 block of Jeffer son Street. The victim, described only as a man, was transported to a local hospital and died as a result of his injuries.

No other information about the man, to include his name, age and city of residence, was released Saturday pending noti fication of his family, police report.

Police in a press release Saturday said they believe O’Neal and the victim knew one

another and that the inci dent was isolated, with no additional threat to the community.

O’Neal, whose city of residence was unknown, goes by the nickname “Porkchop,” police report.

A police spokes woman, in response to a request Sunday for updated information about the case, to include the age and city of res idence of the man who died and whether O’Neal had been found, indi cated that information was not yet available. A separate request Sunday for a physical descrip tion and photo of O’Neal was included in the same response.

The death is the city’s eighth reported homicide of 2022 and the first since late September.

n A fight reported shortly before 3:50 a.m.

Experts warn that political violence on rise

loS a ngeleS timeS

In San Francisco’s tony Pacific Heights neighborhood, an intruder broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home and vio lently attacked her husband. In a New York courtroom, a man pleaded guilty to threat ening to kill California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. In Wash ington, federal law enforcement warned that violent domestic extrem ism posed an elevated threat in the approaching midterm election.

All on the same day.

The targeting of the home of Speaker Pelosi, a Democrat who is second in line for the presidency, stood out on Friday for its brutality and sinis ter intent. But for many Americans, shock was tinged with a weary sense of inevitability. Far from a freak occurrence, the attack felt of a piece

with the other threats and warnings publicized that day — the latest additions to the country’s growing sense of political menace, especially from the far right.

“Unfortunately, this is a continuation of at least a two-and-a-half-yearlong established pattern of violence against elected officials and local officials, including poll workers, that has been steadily ramping up,” said Erica Chenoweth, a Harvard Kennedy School professor who studies political violence.

Politically moti vated violence has ebbed and flowed throughout U.S. history. Currently, America is going through an upsurge in right-wing violence, according to researchers who track attacks and other inci dents. They say today’s climate is comparable to that in the mid-1990s,

CDC paves the way for California to require school Covid vaccines

by elizabeth aguileR a CALMATTERS

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vacci nation advisors voted earlier this month to recommend all children get the Covid-19 vaccine, a move that does not change California’s list of vaccines required for chil dren to attend school.

The addition of the Covid-19 vaccine to the CDC’s rec ommended vaccines for kids is not a mandate for states’ school attendance requirements. Any additions to California’s list must be made by the state Legislature or the state Department of Public Health. In the last 12 months, the Newsom administration and the Legislature separately tried to mandate the Covid-19 vaccine for kids to attend school, and both failed.

People involved in those efforts

said they do not expect the Leg islature to consider a mandate for children again next year, barring a big spike in hospitaliza tions or deaths.

“Our goal should be getting the immunization rate up,” said Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician Sac ramento Democrat, whose bill last session would have mandated the vaccine for children to attend school, with only a medical exemp tion. “We have work to do on outreach, making sure people have access and educating people about the vaccine.”

Since the federal govern ment approved vaccines for children on an emergency use basis, children have received the Covid-19 vaccine at much lower rates than adults. So far, 67% of 12-to-17-year-olds have received the first series of the vaccine, 38% of children 5 to 11 have received the first series and of those under

5 years of age, 5% have received the shots, according to state data.

The state Department of Public Health refused to say whether it plans to add the vaccine to the required list. Instead the agency referred to its previous statement from April in an email: “…upon full approval by the FDA, CDPH will consider the recommenda tions of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Amer ican Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians prior to considering a school vaccine requirement.”

The role of the Centers for Disease Control

It suggests that children ages 6 months and older receive a vac cination for COVID-19 with shots approved by the U.S. Food and

Turkey, UN try to save Ukraine grain export deal as Russia quits

bloombeRg newS

Turkey, the United Nations and others looked for ways to salvage the Ukrai nian grain export initiative after Moscow said it would pull out indefinitely following an attack on its Black Sea naval fleet.

A Russian official didn’t definitely rule out a return, adding to uncertainty around the

pact, which has seen more than 9 million tons of grains and other foodstuffs shipped since August.

Russia said Saturday it was suspending the agreement after its ships off Sevastopol in annexed Crimea were hit by aerial and underwater drones it blamed on Ukraine. The extent of damage to the vessels remains unclear.

Turkey and the United Nations, which toiled

together for months to broker the safe-transit deal for grain shipments from three Ukrainian ports, went back to work on Sunday.

Turkey, in a statement posted on Twitter, said Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was speaking with counterparts, reminding them that the export ini tiative is “for the good of the entire humanity and that crises can be solved through goodwill

and dialogue.”

U.N. Secre tary General Antonio Guterres said he would postpone his departure for the Arab League summit in Algeria by a day to focus on the grain initiative. Among others, he conferred Sunday with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Russian Foreign Min ister Andrei Rudenko didn’t explicitly rule out

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic file

Axel Aguilar, 5, receives his Covid-19 vaccination shot from Brynn Thayer during a Touro University Covid-19

Mobile Clinic at Crystal Middle School in Suisun City, April 6.

My Made Up Mailbag is full of questions yet again

It is time once again for Made Up Mailbag where I pretend to answer letters from readers when actually I just make them up. In other contexts, this is called lying or bluffing. In this context, let’s just say I am exaggerating a li’l bit.

Dear Mr. Wade, I think it is sad and kind of pathetic that you don’t have actual fans who write you letters.

Sincerely, Kinda Sad in Fairfield

Dear Kinda Sad, Putting aside the naval-gaz ing irony of me pretending to write a letter about how I don't get any letters, as it happens I actually do receive real fan mail. But my wife can only write so many letters.

Hey there Tea Dub, Do you have an all-time favorite Halloween costume you once wore?

Cheers, Joe Faux

Hi Joe, Well, hmmm, over the years there have been many. The first I can remember was in kin dergarten when I was Casper the Friendly Ghost. I liked that Ben Cooper costume so much that I wore it for my pajamas. That was fine until my bladder betrayed me one night and I ruined it.

As an adult I have been Judge Judy, a cheerleader and Bubbles the Powerpuff Girl – all were fun. My all-time favorite, though, has to be in 2006 when

I dressed up as Gene Simmons of Kiss and my wife Beth was Santa Claus, and we went trick-or-treating with our daughter Kaci, dressed as Hermione Granger from “Harry Potter.” The Gene Simmons mask featured his famously long tongue sticking out and I kept singing, “I Saw Gene Simmons Kissing Santa Claus” to freak Kaci out.

Hi there Tony Wade, I know you joke about your three brothers a lot, but can you tell me something about them that recently made you proud?

Regards, Spreading Positivity

Hi there Spreading Positivity, First off, is that your actual name? Cool. Anyway, I have oodles of pride for my brothers about numerous things. I was so touched by the incredibly tender end of life care that my oldest brother OT Wade gave to their longtime pooch Tabitha, who recently passed away. This month, Kelvin celebrated his 30th year as a Daily Repub lic opinion columnist and he is the one who made the Wade brand that I followed. Scott and I belong to a Bright Line Eating Marco Polo support group for men and while my natural incli nation is to be funny, his is to be a caring, compassionate encourager and a great listener. Don’t tell my brothers I said all these nice things about them, by the way.

Hi Tony, I know you have done a number of book signings

locally – what has that been like for you?

All the best, A Fan Who Is Not Your Wife Hi Fan, It has been wonderful, but also kinda weird. I mean, I’m just some local guy so signing books still seems odd to me. My books are No. 1 North Texas Street bestsellers, not No. 1 New York Times bestsell ers. I actually had to practice my handwriting before I started to sign them because who uses cursive anymore? I will say that since my second book is now available electronically, I am looking forward to signing some Kindles.

Dear Tony, As a freelance writer, do you have any pet peeves?

Sincerely, Curious Reader

Dear Curious Reader, Absolutely! I need to preface my response with the absolute fact that editors have saved my hide many times. They correct my misspellings, fix my incorrect grammar and catch one of my most common mis takes – leaving out words or repeating repeating one (I had to expressly ask them not to fix that last sentence). They also do a fine job polishing up what I have said and clarifying muddy sentences.

Here comes the but.

But (see?) there are times when I want them to be more like the sound guy at a concert. If you notice the sound guy at a concert, it ain’t a good thing. You see the Daily Republic, like many other newspapers, uses

a certain style that has a bunch of rules about certain things. These rules include when and how things get capitalized, where to put a comma or semicolon and many more.

Now, that's all wonderful, but they sometimes irritate me. For instance, the whole Google thing. The correct thing to write, according to the rules would be: “I did a Google search for sweetand-sour air-fried porcupine recipes.” But people don’t say that. What they say is “I Googled sweet-and- sour air-fried por cupine recipes.” Whenever I submit something that says “Googled” it gets changed to “did a Google search for.”

Just for the record, I have not come across anyone who has Googled or done a Google search for sweet-and-sour airfried porcupine recipes, but I’m holding out hope.

Here’s the kicker: Some times, in the same piece where my incorrect use of Googling has been changed, I am allowed to use words that I know are not actual words like gonna, sorta and kinda. I know those are not words, but use them for context.

It reminds me of years ago when my wife heard me singing the Rolling Stones classic “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and told me the title should actually be “(I Can’t Get Any) Satisfac tion.” I told her it’s only rock ’n’ roll but I like it.

Hi Big Tony, What was your experi ence like emceeing the Solano County Walk to End Alzheim er’s on Oct. 22 in Suisun City?

Hugs,

BloomBerg News

Two weeks out from the Nov. 8 midterms, President Joe Biden sat for an interview – not with a broadcast news anchor or major newspaper, but a panel of six young activists organized by NowThis News.

As the conversation aired on the network’s YouTube channel that night, the count of live viewers hovered at about 6,000.

But the live coverage wasn’t the point.

The interview was intended as a back door for the White House into one of the fastestgrowing social media platforms for politics and news, one the White House can’t access directly itself: TikTok.

The rapidly expanding videosharing platform has become increasingly pivotal to reach ing young voters, particularly as legacy social media networks like Facebook and Twitter publicly falter. But TikTok’s aggressive harvesting of user

A Citizen Hi Citizen, It was a soul-affirming bless ing to see so many people from the community out to fight this horrible disease. They do a flower ceremony, which honors the many kinds of people touched by Alzheimer’s, that was incredibly touching. Rep. John Garamendi presented a plaque to the Alzheimer’s Association that had the requi site whereases and therefores. When he came to the Suisun City marina stage, he told me I had a rich, booming voice that was perfect for being an emcee, but jokingly questioned my choice of hat. Since purple is the Alzheimer’s Associa tion’s color, I augmented my purple “Plant Powered” shirt with a cheap purple top hat I got years ago from Party City. I thought I was resplendent. Anyway, cheering on people as they walked under an arch of balloons that read “End Alz” was wonderful. I know this is a humor column, but there is absolutely nothing funny about Alzheimer’s. It is not too late to contribute to my team, I Grew Up In Fairfield Too, and you can do so by clicking here https:// bit.ly/ALZIGUIFT. Thank you.

Fairfield freelance humor col umnist and accidental local historian Tony Wade writes two weekly columns: “The Last Laugh” on Mondays and “Back in the Day” on Fridays. Wade is also the author of The History Press books “Growing Up In Fairfield, California” and "Lost Restaurants of Fairfield, California.”

on TikTok, even with White House ban

media platform.

The engagement betrays a simple calculation within the West Wing: TikTok is too impor tant to ignore.

One in 10 Americans and more than a quarter of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 say they “regularly get news from TikTok” according to a recent survey from the Pew Research Center.

digital strategy. “So it’s impor tant to make sure that we’re engaging there.”

But that can be difficult when your interactions with the platform are handcuffed amid a multiyear national secu rity review.

data — and suspicions of its Chinese parent company Byte Dance — have fueled bipartisan alarm about the amount of infor mation on U.S. users that may be funneled to Beijing.

By having the president appear on NowThis, the White House could be certain that clips from the event would be posted to the channel’s millions of TikTok followers, amplify ing the appearance many times over without putting the pres ident directly on the social

More importantly, TikTok and Instagram — which has adopted some of TikTok’s most popular features — are the only two major social networks with increasing levels of news con sumption. Users of Twitter Facebook, LinkedIn and Reddit all report consuming less news through those services over the past two years.

“The reality is that there’s a significant amount of people who are getting their news there — we can’t unilaterally disarm,” said Rob Flaherty, the White House’s director of

The White House is among a slew of federal entities — including the State Department, Department of Homeland Secu rity, Department of Defense, and Transportation Security Administration — that do not allow TikTok to be installed on government-issued devices.

Biden administration offi cials are attempting to broker an agreement with TikTok that would allow the video-shar ing site to keep operating in the U.S. by enacting additional restrictions on how U.S. user data is stored, according to people familiar with the discus sions who requested not to be identified discussing a national security matter. But the effort

has stalled over concerns the app would still remain a threat, and Congress is weighing leg islation that would officially ban TikTok from all govern ment phones.

Spokespeople for TikTok didn’t respond to a request for comment.

For now, there’s no offi cial White House account on the social media network, and Biden’s digital strategy team has no relationship with the content team at TikTok in the way it does with other leading social media sites. To monitor emerging trends on the plat form, Flaherty occasionally uses an old, personal iPod Touch device that can access the service without putting White House data at risk.

Instead of generating its own TikTok content, the White House has targeted creators on the platform who then post their own videos.

Poll: Inflation, economy concern voters

BloomBerg News

Inflation and the economy are top-of-mind for voters heading into the midterm elections, with a majority of registered Republi cans prioritizing economic issues, according to an ABC News/ Ipsos poll.

The numbers, which are in line with similar surveys in recent weeks, “may be welcome news for Republicans as we close in on the midterms,” Ipsos said in a summary of the poll. President Joe Biden’s Democrats are defending an evenly

split U.S. Senate and a tight edge in the House in the Nov. 8 election.

A combined 50% of registered voters listed economic issues as their single most important issue, with 28% citing the economy and 22% naming inflation – with 73% of Republicans naming one of the two as their top concern.

Among registered Democrats, however, abortion rights led the list with 29%, essentially tied with the 28% who said the economy or inflation.

Half of independent voters also cited the economy or inflation as

Caribbean tropical depression is likely

TriBuNe CoNTeNT AgeNCy

ORLANDO, Fla. —

The National Hurricane Center is keeping its eye on a system in the Carib bean with high chances to become the season’s next tropical depression.

As of 2 p.m. Sunday, the NHC said the broad area of low pressure was producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms in the eastern Caribbean, and will produce heavy rain fall over the weekend over portions of the

Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The NHC gives the system a 90% chance to form in the next two days, and 90% chance of forma tion in the next five days.

The NHC is also track ing a low pressure area about 100 miles westnorthwest of Bermuda producing some shower and thunderstorm activ ity, but it’s merging with a nearby frontal zone as upper-level winds increase and forecaster no longer anticipate a tropi cal development.

their most important issue, accord ing to Ipsos. The Oct. 28-29 poll of 621 registered voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 per centage points.

Republicans are blaming Biden and the Democrats for inflation that has reached four-decade highs this year as well as elevated gasoline prices and crime.

Biden’s administration is cam paigning on a resilient labor market, economic growth that revived in the third quarter and defending abor tion rights.

Tony Wade The Last Laugh

Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/TNS

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy in the South Court Auditorium at the White House, Wednesday

Saturday Club ready for Holiday Sip and Shop Craft and Gift Fair

r epubliC STAff

VACAVILLE — The Satur day Club of Vacaville will host a Holiday Sip and Shop Craft and Gift Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 125 W. Kendal St.

The fair is the second in the Sip and Shop series and is a fun draiser for the Saturday Club. It will feature 30 local vendors selling handmade and custom items inside and outside the clubhouse. The first 200 guests who are 21 or older can receive a complimentary cranberry mimosa at the door (must show ID). Additional mimosas will be available for purchase.

There will also be an hourly drawing featuring items from the vendors at the event.

Admission to the Holiday Sip and Shop is free. Wellbehaved dogs on leashes are welcome in the outside portion of the event. Street parking will be available on the blocks sur rounding the event. A free public parking lot is located two blocks away on the corner of Main and Cernon streets, in front of Maximum Fitness.

For more information about selling at the Saturday Club’s Holiday Sip and Shop, visit www. saturdayclubvacaville.com, send an email to president@satur dayclubvacaville.com or call the club at 707-761-7108.

Forum set on Solano planning, zoning, local food

FAIRFIELD — Catherine Brinkley, an associate professor in human ecology, community and regional development at the University of California, Davis, will be the keynote speaker at a Planning, Zoning and Local Food online event from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday hosted by the Solano Local Food System Alliance.

Solano Land Trust and county-level and city-level plan ners will also join the panel to address how planning and zoning can affect rural and urban land use and support the local and regional food systems, organizers said in a state ment. The panel will be ready to discuss questions, such as whether there are restrictions on what can be built on agricultural land, or what needs to happen to increase food production in urban areas.

Registration is required and may be made at www.eventbrite. com/e/rural-urban-land-useplanning-zoning-the-local-foodsystem-tickets-428822990107. Anyone with questions may submit them in advance at https://forms.

gle/46vuohWxvvUHTnE49.

The Solano Local Food System Alliance includes a number of members with the mission to create “an envi ronmentally sustainable, economically viable, socially just and equitable local food system in Solano County.” The group is supported by a grant from Solano County Public Health in partnership with the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.

US Coast Guard schedules boater safety class

SUISUN CITY — The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, North Solano Flotilla, will host a full-day boating safety class Sat urday at the Solano Yacht Club in Suisun City.

Effective Jan. 1, Califor nia requires all boat operators, 50 or younger, to take a certified boating class and carry a Cal ifornia Boater Card to operate a motorboat. The regulation has only required those 40 or younger to receive certification.

The course covers an intro duction to boating, boating law, safety equipment, safe boating, navigation, boating problems, trailering, storing and protecting your boat, hunting and fishing, water skiing and river boating.

The cost is $55. The class runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A closed book test will follow. Lunch will be served. Advance registra tion is required. Call Margie

Balch, class coordinator, at 925768-1608 to register.

The club is located at 703 Civic Center Blvd.

For more informa tion about the auxiliary, visit www.cgaux.org.

Cemetery records focus of Vallejo-Benicia genealogy forum

VALLEJO — The Geneal ogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia will host a virtual meeting at 1:30 p.m. Thursday on research ing with cemetery records.

Glenda Gardner Lloyd is the scheduled speaker.

Lloyd is a fourth-genera tion Californian. She helped organize and served as the first president of Root Cellar, Sac ramento Genealogical Society. She has taught genealogy classes through San Juan Adult Educa tion for the past 25 years. She participates in local seminars for the California State Archives, the Regional Family History Center and the Sacramento City Library, and does workshops for many local societies. She has lec tured for the Salt Lake Institute.

All active members will receive a Zoom link. If you would like to attend as a nonmember guest, send an email to gsvb zoom@gmail.com no later than 4 p.m. Wednesday to request a Zoom invitation.

More information on the event can be found on the Gene alogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia’s website at www.gsvb.org.

Solano Genealogy talk focuses on colonial servitude

VACAVILLE — Peggy Lauritzen will present “Appren tices, Indentured Servants and Redemptioners: White Servitude in America” at the next meeting of the Solano County Genealogi cal Society.

The virtual presentation begins 11 a.m. Saturday.

Do you have ancestors you can trace to the American colonies, but whose origins stub bornly remain “fuzzy”? Perhaps they came as indentured ser vants, redemptioners or apprentices. Indentured servi tude was an important source of labor in the British colonies and during the early years of the United States. Some estimate that half of all early European immigrants may have come to America bound to some form of contractual servitude.

This presentation will discuss the voluntary and involuntary ways in which some Europeans secured their passage, describe the different forms of servi tude and indentureship in early America, and describe what some of these immigrants’ lives were like.

Guests are welcome to attend this free event. If interested, send an email the society at scgs@scgsca.org no later than 4 p.m. Friday and request an invitation. More information on society activities can be found on the society’s webpage at scgsca. org and on its Facebook page.

Final season run set for River Dolphin

VALLEJO — The River Dolphin will take its final run of the season up the Napa River on Saturday.

The Mare Island Heritage Trust boat trip will include his torian Allan Gandy to provide insight to the journey.

“We are delighted that both our historian . . . and our musi cians have agreed to join us,” Myrna Hayes, president of the Mare Island Heritage Trust, said in a statement. She serves as the primary guide.

The two-and-half-hour boat trips depart from the Vallejo Marina, continue north on the Napa River under both the Mare Island Causeway, a lift bridge and the Napa River Bridge into the wide open stretches of the Napa River adjacent to

tens of thousands of acres of restored “living river” marshes and wetlands beginning to team with migratory shorebirds and waterfowl, Hayes said in the statement.

The trip includes other natural wonders and an infusion of local history.

Reservations may be made at www.dolphincharters.com or by calling 510-527-9622 or 1-800472-9942. For more information, call Hayes at 707-249-9633.

Gospel rapper to entertain at Fairfield church Harvest Festival

FAIRFIELD — Mount Calvary Baptist Church invites the community Monday to Harvest Fest 22.

The event is billed as a com munity event for the entire family. It will feature carnival food, a costume contest, game truck and lots of candy for chil dren on Halloween.

Gospel rapper Qheem Redeemed is the featured performer. His hits include “SonShine,” “Jesus or Nah” and “Do Dat At.” A rap writing session for youth is also planned.

Times are 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the church’s campus in Fair field at 1735 Enterprise Drive, Building 3.

Vacaville church schedules Christmas Craft Fair

VACAVILLE — Bethany Lutheran Church will host its annual Christmas Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Bethany Lutheran School.

The outdoor event features craft vendors, a bake sale, free elf photos, letters to Santa, holiday music and prize draw ings throughout the day.

Prizes include an acrylic painting by award-win ning Vacaville artist Randy Pauley, themed gift baskets and an Easter egg tree decorated with handmade Scan dinavian ornaments.

The school is located at 1011 Ulatis Drive. Refresh ments will be sold. Plenty of free parking is available.

For more information, call 707-365-3726.

Solano cities, county, college schedule meetings

FAIRFIELD — This week will see several government meetings that are all open to the public. Check each agency’s website for attendance options and requirements. They include:

n Solano County Board of Supervisors, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Government Center, 675 Texas St., Fairfield. Info: www.solano county.com/depts/bos/meetings/ videos.asp.

n Fairfield City Council, 6 p.m. Tuesday, City Council chamber, 1000 Webster St. Info: www.fairfield.ca.gov/govern ment/city-council/city-councilmeetings.

n Rio Vista City Council, 6 p.m. Tuesday, City Council chamber, City Hall, 1 Main St. Info: www.riovistacity.com/city council.

n Vacaville Planning Com mission, 6 p.m. Tuesday, City Hall council chamber, 650 Mer chant St. Info: www.ci.vacaville. ca.us.

n Vacaville Parks and Recre ation Commission, 6 p.m. Wednesday, City Hall council chamber, 650 Merchant St. Info: www.ci.vacaville.ca.us/govern ment/city-commissions.

n Solano Community College Governing Board, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Administration Building, Denis Honeychurch Board Room 626, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, rural Fairfield. Info: www.solano.edu/govern ing_board/meetings.php.

n Solano County Planning Commission, 7 p.m. Thursday,Government Center, 675 Texas St., Fairfield. Info: sol anocounty.com/depts/rm/board scommissionssolano_county_ planning_commission/agendas. asp.

Sanibel’s historic lighthouse kept standing in storm

by HowArD CoHen MIAMI HERALD

MIAMI — It took 51 years of pleading – “We need a navigational aid” – to get a lighthouse built on Sanibel.

That was 138 years ago.

But in 1884, a 104-foothigh iron lighthouse rose above the waters on the Gulf Coast, and 90 years later, in 1974, the lighthouse and its quarters made it into the National Register of His toric Places.

Then came Sept. 28, 2022.

How long will it take until the damage from Hurricane Ian can be repaired so that the lighthouse stands on all its legs again?

That could take awhile, experts say.

The lighthouse survived the storm surge and winds, The Weather Channel and others have reported. But its keeper quarters, along with one of its four legs and the foundation that served as a bed to to its ground-level stairs, were swept away — one of many Sanibel landmarks that now need mending.

One piece has returned: the missing leg.

The broken leg was recov ered in three pieces, Celina Kersh, president of the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village, told Gulf Shore Business.

Sanibel Mayor Holly Smith told the Miami Herald the leg and additional parts were found on the lighthouse site under about three feet of sand. “I actually saw those parts today along with the original survey marker which was also unearthed,” Smith said on Thursday in an email.

“The Coast Guard was there a couple of days ago as it’s their part to get the light going again,” Smith said, also noting that an engineer had been out to look at the struc tural integrity of the standing lighthouse.

Sanibel officials have hired a structural engineer to assess the damages and the process to repair the leg and surrounding portions of the lighthouse are a priority, Gulf Shore Business said.

The work will entail a fleet of engineers, experts in lighthouse restoration and the aid of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard manages the 250-watt light, and that could be restored soon, Gulf Shore reports.

The leg?

That will take longer, as well as restoration work to shore up the damaged lighthouse. The housing quarters have not even been located, so mighty was this storm surge. But the light house itself should one day stand firm.

Musk posts unfounded conspiracy about Paul Pelosi attack on Twitter

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Elon Musk continues to cook up controversy as Twit ter’s new owner.

The billionaire pointed to an unfounded conspiracy theory Sunday in reference to the attack last week on the husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Musk tweeted a link to a Santa Monica Observer article claiming Paul Pelosi was involved with a male sex worker, according to the Daily Beast.

“There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye,” Musk wrote.

His tweet came in response to a statement by Hilary Clinton, who posted, “The Republican Party and its mouthpieces now regularly spread hate and deranged conspiracy the ories. It is shocking, but not surprising, that violence is the result.”

The Santa Monica Observer story appeared to be taken down Sunday. The outlet has a reputa tion for sharing fake news, according to the Los Angeles Times, which says the Santa Monica Observer once claimed Clinton died and was replaced by a body double.

Paul Pelosi suffered a cracked skull, among other injuries, after an intruder entered his San Francisco home early Friday and allegedly asked, “Where is Nancy?” The 82-year-old Paul Pelosi underwent surgery after the intruder beat him with a hammer, officials

say, and is expected to fully recover.

Police arrested David DePape, 42, in connection with the attack.

Musk completed his $44 billion purchase of Twitter last week – a move he celebrated Friday by tweeting, “the bird is freed.” He later vowed the social media platform is creat ing a “content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.”

Other controversies involving Musk’s Twitter deal include the billionaire reportedly stating plans to lay off 75% of the platform’s staff before refuting those intentions.

He also disagreed this year with Twitter’s deci sion to ban former President Donald Trump.

Hip-hop star Kanye West’s locked Twitter account appeared to be back Friday, though it’s unclear if Musk’s purchase played a role in his return. West’s account was suspended following a tweet in which he threat ened to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”

Joe Raedle/Getty Images/TNS file

In this aerial view, the lighthouse continues to stand after Hurricane Ian passed through the area, Sept. 29, in Sanibel, Florida. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge, and rain to the area causing severe damage.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue/TNS file Elon Musk attends the Met Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, May 2, in New York.

I’m tormented by my wife’s admission to having a secret ex

Dear Annie: Please help me. I have been married to my wife for 23 years. We have had the best mar riage anyone could ever imagine.

She got sick in 2020, so I took her to the hos pital. Due to Covid-19, I was not allowed to stay with her. So, I dropped her off, and she was going to text me when she was done. When I got to the hospital to pick her up, I noticed that she was talking to another man. This was very strange to see her talking to him.

When we first got together, we talked for days about each other’s lives. She asked me about my ex-wife and why we divorced. I told her the truth about everything in my life. I asked her about why she did not have a relationship before me. She told me she just wasn’t interested in guys.

Back to the man she was talking to, it turned out he was

an ex-boyfriend of hers. Of course, I was very upset and wanted to know everything about him. She then admit ted that she had sex with him, after she had told me that I was the only guy she had ever been with.

This event occurred more than two years ago, and every day I can’t stop crying and thinking about them being together. I have gone from 170 pounds down to 120. I can’t sleep, and I can’t eat. All I do is sit around and cry. I need help. I have turned this over to God, but I’m still suf fering so much. Can you give me any ideas on how I can move forward? I’m starting to fear for my life. I don’t want to end my life, but I can’t go on feeling this way.

I’m dying slowly, day by day. — Hurting Dear Hurting: Please seek professional help immediately. The suffering and pain you are

Horoscopes

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

Trick: People who know how to push your buttons may feel inclined to do so. Treat: You’re the game master, one step ahead, moving everything around just the way you want it for your fantastic desired effect.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20).

Trick: Someone’s attention brings an adrenaline rush sweeter than candy. This could get addictive. Treat: The attrac tion is mutual, and therefore the supply will be ample.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Trick: You’ll be popular – sought after by people with various intentions. The social options are some thing to sort through! Treat: There are gems in this group, and you’ve a good sense for the best and brightest.

CANCER (June 22-July 22).

Trick: Someone isn’t fooled by your costume. They only see the real you. Treat: They fall in love with what they experience when they are with you. Your heart is a beacon, your pres ence a delight.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).

Trick: Feelings find their expression whether people want them to or not. Treat: Honesty is more fun than decorum, and it can open the way for exciting conversation and real connection.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

Trick: The situation is like a corn maze in that every turn looks the same and it’s hard to figure which way is out. Treat: You’re challenged to use other senses and to rely on team

by Holiday Mathis

Today’s birthday

You sing in a voice all your own, and you’ll be recognized and paid well for this when you put confidence behind your work, standing distinct from the others. You’ll make a change inside of a system you’ve been a part of for years. More highlights: a mysterious journey, family business and a romance filled with fanciful tales. Cancer and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 18, 3, 33, 28 and 42.

work and problem-solving for the win.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

Trick: Unpredictable elements keep you guessing, like a new location, different sidekicks, odd timing... Treat: This keeps things fresh and maybe even thrilling. You got “it,” so flaunt “it.” It’s fun when other people see “it,” too!

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

Trick: Making improvements can be a struggle, and awkward phases are to be expected.

Treat: Efforts are starting to pay off, though, and the first signs of evidence are to be believed. Let them be a source of pride and keep going.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). Trick: A past action catches up with you; what comes around goes around.

Treat: Luckily, what you did back there was a promotion of

feeling right now is temporary and will pass, but you need a professional therapist to help you work through your pain. Your wife made a mistake by lying, but there is no evidence that she does not love you. All I see is that she is human and imperfect. I would also call the suicide prevention hotline number, 988. Best of luck.

Dear Readers: I wanted to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Halloween. Below are some tips to keep you and your loved ones safe.

n Always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.

n Only go to homes with a porch light on and, ideally, a well-lit pathway.

n Never enter a home or car for a treat.

n Please keep all cats inside on Halloween.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

goodwill that will feel wonder ful to be on the receiving end of. Life is sweet indeed!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Trick: A wrench gets thrown into works; things get jittery. Treat: Because you are so creative, you’ll see the art in everything and turn the stops, starts and missteps into a new dance.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Trick: You feel you’re being shaped and moved along by the fates. Treat: You also get the deeply satisfying feeling of being snuggly fitted into a grand purpose, and you love the other people involved. This is a good team.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Trick: What you thought would be a straightforward task will require different skills than anticipated. Treat: This turns into an opportunity to get back to the basics that matter, like working together. There will be smiles all around.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Academy Award-winning film maker Peter Jackson recently brought a new documentary of The Beatles to the world, fea turing footage shot in 1969. The auteur was born on Hal loween under an entertaining Leo moon. In keeping with his Scorpio sun, Jackson started his career with alien splatter comedies and grew to interna tional acclaim with films such as “King Kong” and “The Lord of the Rings” franchise.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

PLAYING BRIDGE WITH GREEN FINGERS

There are some plants and flowers that survive despite our best efforts to kill them. Others, though, fold up almost immediately unless they are treated with tender, green-fingered care.

Bridge partners are like that. Some will find the best defensive plays

by Phillip Alder

despite our attempts to mislead them. Others, though, must be guided around the poison ivy. East’s play on today’s deal might be determined by whether West is in the first species or the second.

After two clubs strong and two diamonds weak, the bidding was natural.

As soon as he saw two spades in the dummy, East knew that his partner was void. So, if West had led from king-fifth of clubs, there were four defensive tricks available: two clubs and two spade ruffs.

The careful defender, who likes to treat his partner kindly, plays the club queen at trick one. When it wins, he switches to a spade. West ruffs and returns a club to East’s ace. This allows the lethal second spade ruff to be administered.

An East who is playing with an expert, though, can afford to win trick one with the club ace – as long as he returns the spade two at trick two (not the normal top-of-trash nine). West will read this lowest card as a suitpreference signal for clubs. Knowing East doesn’t have the club king, West will read it as showing the queen (or an unlikely singleton). He will lead another low club (not cash the king) to get the second ruff.

Treat your partner kindly.

COPYRIGHT: 2022, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

to 10/29/22:

PLAYING BRIDGE WITH GREEN FINGERS

in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repeats. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at

There are some plants and flowers that survive despite our best efforts to kill them. Others, though, fold up almost immediately unless they are treated with tender, green-fingered

Annie Lane Dear Annie

West’s Twitter account restored

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Kanye West’s Twitter page is up and running again.

The 45-year-old rap per’s account appeared to be back Friday, nearly three weeks after Twitter and Instagram restricted his pages amid his repeated antisemitic rants and controversial behavior.

West’s return to Twitter came a day after billionaire Elon Musk took control of the social media platform.

Ye, as West is now known, last tweeted on Oct. 9 to say that “the world needs to support … and honor” the “courage” of Iranian youth.

That tweet followed West writing he would go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” earlier this month.

“The funny thing is

I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also,” West wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

West’s antisemitic rhetoric extended into interviews, and he also claimed on Revolt TV’s “Drink Champs” that George Floyd died from the drug fentanyl.

The talent agency CAA dropped West as a client, while Adidas ended its “Yeezy” collaboration of shoes and clothing, costing the rapper his bil lionaire status.

West, whom CNN reports wanted to name a 2018 album after Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, on Thursday said he lost $2 billion in a single day after Adidas and other partners cut ties.

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú

Sept. 25 on the 1000 block of Eisenhower Drive ended in gunfire and a man being shot. The man died after being trans ported to a local hospital, police report. His name, age and city of residence were not released. No arrests have been reported in connection with the case, which remains under investiga tion.

n A male was killed and another male was injured in a shooting that happened at approxi mately 11:15 p.m. July 22 on the 1700 block of Enter prise Drive. Officers who arrived there found several people who were participating in the making of a music video, along with the two people who were shot. Their names, ages and cities of residence were not released. No arrests have been reported in connec tion with the case, which remains under investiga tion.

n Sao Loa, 56, of Fair field, was pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in the after math of a neighborhood altercation that occurred just before 11 a.m. May 31

Grain

From Page

a return to the grain deal when questioned by journalists in Moscow on Sunday, and said Russia expected to be in contact with the U.N. and Turkey soon.

But the next steps could only be determined after a full investiga tion into Saturday’s drone attack, Rudenko said. It wasn’t clear from his com ments who should conduct such a probe.

Russia’s defense min istry concluded earlier that Ukraine had launched the attack from the Odesa region, epicenter of the grain export initiative, and potentially used at least one civilian grain vessel –claims Kyiv denied.

Senior Russian offi cials have spent weeks criticizing the export deal ahead of a Nov. 19 renewal deadline. Ukraine in turn has accused Moscow of delaying progress through the safe-passage corri dor between Odesa and Turkey to create a growing backlog of ships.

If the corridor remains closed, it could again send shocks through global crop markets, exacerbat ing hunger, especially in the world’s poorest countries, and adding to food inflation.

Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest wheat, corn and vegetable oil providers, and the bulk of its exports go by sea. Even before Rus sia’s latest move, many food importing nations have been struggling to pay for purchases because of the soaring dollar and strained budgets.

“The initiative pro vided needed grains and oilseeds to a hungry world,” said Joseph Glauber, a former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agricul ture who now serves as a senior fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.

The grain corridor

on the 1200 block of Willet Court. Criminal proceed ings are continuing in con nection with the case.

n Charles David Parsons, 56, of Fairfield, was stabbed during an altercation reported just before 1 p.m. May 16 in front of a business on the 1300 block of West Texas Street. Criminal proceed ings are underway in con nection with the case.

n Anthony Fuimano, 56, of Fairfield, was shot at approximately 11:25 p.m. April 21 on the 300 block of Manzanita Avenue. Police report he died from his injuries at a local hos pital at approximately 2 a.m. April 22. Criminal proceedings in the case are pending.

n A 44-year-old Fair field person was shot and killed and two men from Suisun City were injured in a shooting shortly after 5:15 a.m. March 13 near a convenience store on the 200 block of East Tabor Avenue. One of the Suisun City men died two days later after being taken off life support. Their names were not released. Crimi nal proceedings are con tinuing in the case.

Anyone with informa tion about the stabbing Saturday or about O’Neal’s whereabouts is asked to call police investigators at 707-428-7600.

has had an key impact on world supplies since opening three months ago – Ukraine has shipped about 9.3 million tons of goods, and prices for corn and wheat have retreated from the highs seen earlier in the year. But exporters and officials have warned for weeks about the rising – and costly – backlog of ships waiting for inspection to proceed.

Millions of tons of crops are waiting at sea and ports. Over 200 vessels that are part of initiative are now essentially frozen in place, Ukraine’s infra structure ministry said on Facebook.

Under the terms of the deal, all vessels need to be inspected before entering or leaving Ukrainian ports.

Outbound vessels that have already reached Istanbul are being inspected Sunday and Monday, but no new grain ships will sail from Ukraine for now, Turkey’s defense department said.

Earlier, Ukraine said a 40,000-ton cargo of wheat purchased under the U.N.’s World Food Program and bound for Ethiopia had been loaded but couldn’t leave port on Sunday.

Russia’s announcement that it will withdraw from the deal drew widespread criticism. President Joe Biden said it will increase starvation, describing the move as “outrageous.”

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, called Russia’s claims of drones launched from Odesa “invented.” The grain exporting hub is more than 300 kilome ters (186 miles) from Sevastopol.

“Since the deal took effect, Russia hinted many times that it was ready to disrupt it,” he told Bloom berg News. “It is the usual Russian tactic – to break its promises, to violate agreements, to blackmail and threaten.”

Vaccines

Drug Administration or approved for emergency use.

“It’s a step in the right direction for protecting the public’s health but I understand there is a lot of anxiety about vaccines in general and the Covid-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Alice Kuo, professor and chief of the Pediatrics/Preventative Med icine Division at UCLA. “It’s one step at a time.”

Dr. Naomi Bardach, a pro fessor of pediatrics at the UCSF School of Medicine, said the CDC recommendation is a sign that COVID-19 is here to stay. She said the addition of the vaccine to the childhood schedule also normalizes the vaccine because pediatricians’ offices that already use the CDC’s list as guidance will fold the Covid-19 vaccine into patient care.

Under state law, children must receive a series of shots for 10 dis eases to attend child care centers, family child care homes, pre school and kindergarten through 12th grade. If children are not vaccinated or are behind based on the state’s schedule, they can be barred from school until they receive their shots.

Infants are given their first vaccine before they are an hour old and the shots continue through adolescence. Most of the vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control are required by California to attend school. They are: diphtheria, hepatitis B, haemophilus influ enza type b, measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), polio myelitis, rubella, tetanus and varicella (chicken pox).

Prior to 2016 parents were able to opt out of vaccines for their chil dren through a personal belief exemption. Sen. Pan authored the controversial law that eliminated the personal belief exemption for vaccines on the state’s list and left only medical exemptions that must be signed off by a physician. At that time, about 3% of new kin dergartners entered school with a personal belief exemption for some or all vaccines.

The law applied only to the vaccines already on the list for chil dren. Any new vaccines added to the list in the future by the state Department of Public Health would offer personal belief and medical exemption options. If the Legislature votes to add a vaccine to the list legislators would choose which exemptions to offer.

Vaccine rates for these child hood diseases have slipped during the pandemic. In August, the Department of Public Health said 1 in 8 children were not up to date on their vaccinations, due to skipping routine doctor visits during the last couple of years.

Failed efforts

In October 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom said his admin istration would require the Covid-19 vaccine for school atten dance for students 12 and older as soon as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approved the vaccines for children. At the time,

Violence

Page

when a similar wave of right-wing vio lence culminated in the 1995 bombing of the federal office building in Oklahoma City, which killed 168 people.

Incidents now range from the unprecedented –the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol by sup porters of President Donald Trump who were trying to overturn his loss in the 2020 presi dential election – to the more quotidian malice of telephone and email death threats.

There were 9,625 threats against members of Congress and their families last year, according to the Capitol Police – more than twice as many as in 2017. A joint project by the Anti-Defamation League and Princeton University tracked 400 incidents of harassment against locallevel election, health and education officials in 43 states from January 2020 until mid-Septem ber this year.

The Nov. 8 midterm election is rife with potential targets for vio lence. In several parts of the country, right-

the mandate was to go into effect in July of 2022. Since the Department of Public Health would have imple mented the plan, the requirement would have allowed parents to opt out of the vaccine for their children through personal belief or medical exemptions.

In January 2022, Pan authored a Covid-19 vaccine bill to go further, eliminating the option for a per sonal belief exemption.

In April, lacking the votes needed to pass the bill, Pan pulled it and said the vaccine needed to be more accessi ble to families and vaccination rates needed to be higher before a mandate could be successful. The same day, the Department of Public Health postponed to July 2023 its plan to require stu dents get the Covid-19 vaccine.

On Monday, Pan said he does not expect the Legislature to respond any differently than it did last year to the idea of a mandate. Pan won’t be leading the effort if there is one, as he is termed out in November.

Pan said if the state considers adding the vaccine to the list it has to take into account all the recent developments about the vaccine and boosters, like how many times it’s going to be needed. If it is required multiple times like the flu vaccine, which is not required for school attendance, it could be a burden for schools to track. Pan said the Legislature has focused on vaccines that children receive as a series and then don’t have to take again, like measles and chickenpox.

“It will depend on how it devel ops and what the overall burden is,” Pan said.

Last year, Pan founded a legislative Vaccine Working Group that proposed numer ous bills regarding Covid-19 and vaccines. Most of them failed, including proposed mandates for all employees and children to be vaccinated to work or attend school as well as a bill to allow teenagers to get the vaccine without parental consent.

“It was a rough year for vaccine legislation in the Legislature,” said Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, who authored the teen vaccination bill and is a member of the working group. “I don’t know if that dynamic will change before next year but it is some thing to consider because it should

be part of the regular schedule for schoolchildren.”

Another member of the Vaccine Working Group, San Diego Dem ocratic Assemblymember Akilah Weber, said she is not consider ing legislation that would mandate the vaccine.

“At this time, I’m not involved in any legislation that would mandate vaccinations, but I’m actively involved in education and outreach to encourage and provide com munity access for more parents to have their children vaccinated,” Weber said in an email.

In the past, proposed vaccinerelated legislation has attracted protesters to the capitol en masse. They have disrupted hearings, yelled at legislators and even assaulted them. During one mem orable protest, what looked like a menstrual cup full of blood was tossed over the gallery railing onto the Senate floor below.

If the administration, or the Legislature, pursues a vaccine requirement again critics are already planning to push back. They argue that this should be a family decision and that it raises questions about the number of breakthrough cases — when a vac cinated person tests positive for the coronavirus – efficacy and safety for children.

“The anti-vaxxers are very organized and very loud even though they do not represent the majority view,” Sen. Wiener said. “But that is a dynamic we have to contend with and that is true with a lot of political issues and policy issues.”

At the local level

Vaccination rates across Solano County did not change late last week, with the county reporting 72% of residents 5 or older having been fully vaccinated as of Thurs day and 81% having received at least one shot. There were 243 more booster shots adminis tered since Oct. 20, taking the total to 182,236.

The county reports 35.6% of children ages 5 to 11 have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The percentage of school-age children who are vaccinated rises with age: 60.4% of children and teens ages 12 to 15 have been vaccinated, and 70.5% of teens ages 16 to 17 have been vaccinated.

we detect the signals amid the noise.”

Over the last decade, politically motivated extremists, a majority of them right-wing, have killed over 400 people in the U.S., according to the Anti-Defamation League, which has tracked domes tic political violence for 15 years. In 2021, polit ical violence resulted in 29 deaths, accord ing to the ADL’s most recent report.

wing organizations have mobilized poll watchers, who in some cases have confronted early voters. Members of one Ari zona-based group, some in tactical gear, took photos of voters’ license plates at ballot drop boxes in the Phoenix area; a federal judge on Friday rejected a request to ban the observers’ activ ities, saying the First Amendment protected their right to assemble in public areas.

The cumulative effect of these incidents is a bleaker national mood, polls show. In a YouGov poll in August, a strong majority of respondents said they believed polit ical violence would increase in the coming years, and over half thought America would

be less of a democracy a generation from now.

Over 40% of Amer icans think civil war is at least somewhat likely within the next decade, another YouGov poll that month indicated. One in five people who identified as strong Republicans said they believe civil war is very likely – more than any other political group.

The unsettled atmo sphere “tends to influence what I call the signals among the noise – the very few individuals who are not just talking, but are going to take action and are going to be polit ically violent,” said Reid Meloy, a forensic psy chologist who has worked as a consultant to the FBI’s Behavioral Analy sis Unit. “Our work has been to focus on how do

The Center for Stra tegic and International Studies, which also tracks extremist violence, found that 2020 and 2021 had the most attacks since it began tracking inci dents in 1994.

There was “a histor ically high level of both far-right and far-left ter rorist attacks in 2021,” the bipartisan think tank’s researchers said, adding that “violent far-. Robert Pape, a University of Chicago political scien tist, likened the nation to a landscape full of flam mable hazards during wildfire season.

“That combustible material doesn’t go off spontaneously – you need a lightning strike or cigar butt to trigger it,” Pape said.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic file Adrian Gonzalez, 11, receives his Covid-19 vaccination shot from Brynn Thayer during a Touro University Covid-19 Mobile Clinic at Crystal Middle School in Suisun City, April .

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/TNS

Friday’s attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband at their San Francisco home has only added to the nation’s growing sense of political menace.

4 area football teams make section playoffs

M att Miller MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The season continues for four area high school foot ball teams after receiving berths Sunday afternoon in the upcoming Sac-Joa quin Section playoffs.

Vacaville is the No. 8 seed in Division II and will host No. 9 Lodi on Friday night. Will C. Wood made the playoffs in Divi sion IV by grabbing the No. 10 seed. And despite being the lower seed, the Wildcats will play No. 7 Capital Christian at home because the Cougars

were hit with sanctions for violating previous section Covid-19 rules.

Vanden grabbed the No. 1 seed in Division IV and will have a first-round bye. The defending state champions will go straight to the quarterfinals the next week to face the winner of No. 8 Los Banos and No. 9 Buhach Colony.

Rodriguez was shut out of a playoff party despite going 6-4 overall and 3-2 in Monticello Empire League games. The Mus tangs lost to Vanden by only a 7-6 score and pre viously had three straight shutout victories, includ

ing one over Wood.

Rio Vista was given the No. 8 seed in Division VII. The Rams will tangle with top-seed Ripon Christian on Friday. Rio Vista fin ished the regular season second in the Sierra Delta League with a 4-1 record and finished 6-4 overall.

Vacaville carries a 7-3 record into the play offs and owns a sixth straight MEL title with a 5-0 mark. Strength of the MEL likely hurt the Bull dogs as they only received the last of the home games at No. 8 despite being a league champion.

“That falls on our body

of work,” Vacaville head coach Mike Papadopou los said. “We figured we would be somewhere in that window. We’re gath ering as much information as we can about the Lodi Flames and are happy to have a home game.”

Wood gets in at a lower division with a 5-5 overall record and a 2-3 league mark. The sanction to Capital Christian was also a nice bonus. The Wild cats will try to rebound after closing the season with back-to-back losses to playoff-bound Vanden and Vacaville.

“This isn’t like the

Oscars where you’re just happy to get nomi nated,” Wood head coach Jacob Wright said. “We want to win. We were pretty confident we were going to get in. We just didn’t know who we were going to play.”

Vanden followed up its state champion ship season with a solid 9-1 overall mark. The only blemish was a 28-13 loss to Vacaville that left them in second place again at 4-1 in league.

Vanden head coach Sean Murphy has a dif ferent set of problems this week than his league

counterparts. He must find a way to keep his team in top form for a week of practices before dialing up the energy the next week for a game against a team that will have played the week before.

“The good thing is you get to rest up and get healthy,” Murphy said, “but you also have to manage the week properly.

“We have to look for ways to change things up a little bit and keep our student-athletes excited about practice.”

Curry stays hot, Warriors are not after loss in Detroit

By M adeline K enney BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

DETROIT — Stephen Curry continued his red-hot start for the Warriors and Jordan Poole scored a sea son-high 30 points Sunday night but Golden State’s attempted rally was unsuccessful as it fell to the Detroit Pistons 128-114.

McCaffrey has TD pass to Aiyuk and more as 49ers defeat Rams

caM inM an BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

INGLEWOOD — Christian McCaffrey was the touchdown maker the 49ers des perately needed Sunday, first by pass, then by catch, and, finally, by run.

He delivered the NFL’s fourth such hat trick since 1970, and he showcased the versatility that prompted the 49ers’ trade for him Oct. 20 from Carolina.

McCaffrey’s theatrics, from those three scores to other sen sational plays, keyed a 31-14, come-from-behind win over the host Los Angeles Rams.

“Everyone knows how good of a player he is. I just like how consis tent and under control he is,” 49ers

coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s a very smart player.”

The 49ers (4-4) snapped a twogame losing streak, and, in the process, they posted their eighth straight regular-season win over the Rams (3-4). The 49ers have their bye next weekend, then host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night, Nov. 13.

Complemented by the 49ers’ defense ability to reverse its thirddown woes, the 49ers offense worked best with McCaffrey as its new centerpiece, all while former catalyst Deebo Samuel missed his first game of the season because of a hamstring injury.

“It’s not an easy thing to grasp,” Jimmy Garoppolo said of McCaf frey’s instant adjustment to the

49ers’ offense. “He had no ques tions in the huddle this game, and that’s incredible, the mental capac ity to pick that up.”

Restricted to 22 snaps in last Sunday’s 49ers debut against the Chiefs, here are how McCaffrey’s scoring plays unfolded in his first full-throttle action:

Touchdown No. 1: The 49ers pulled even at 7 on his second career touchdown pass. After taking Jimmy Garoppolo’s back ward pass to the right flat, McCaffrey did well not to over throw an open Brandon Aiyuk for a 34-yard touchdown catch.

McCaffrey’s scoring strike was reminiscent of the 49ers’ Week 18 win here last season,

Key to Kings’ first win of season was pretty obvious: Keep it simple

By chriS BiderM an THE SACRAMENTO BEE

SACRAMENTO —

There was a sense of angst for the Sacramento Kings heading into Sat urday’s afternoon tip against the Miami Heat. They stood with the Lakers as the NBA’s only winless teams through the first week-plus of the regular season. They were ushering in a new coaching staff and new-look roster under Mike Brown.

They were hosting a team renowned for its toughness and dis cipline. The Heat have trips to the Eastern Con ference Finals and NBA

Finals in two of their last three seasons – and are often a foil to the league’s younger, untested teams. They expect to make the

playoffs every year.

But Miami’s had a rough go early in the new campaign. The Heat entered Saturday 2-4 in

the midst of a three-game West Coast swing. The Kings took advantage of their malaise early, jumping out to a 22-point halftime lead thanks to a hot shooting start and some bad Miami offense. But there were signs the Heat would come back before the Kings made enough plays down the stretch to hold and cele brate their first victory under Brown, 119-113.

The Kings had their best shooting perfor mance of the season, knocking down 55% of their shots including 14 of 31 from the 3-point line (45%). They led wire to wire, something they

One day after six Warriors players fin ished in double figures scoring, only three players reached 10 or more points. Curry has recorded 30-plus points in six of the War riors’ first seven games and led all scorers Sunday night with 32 points. Poole fin ished with his 12th career 30-point game, going 10-for-21 from the field. Andrew Wiggins added 10 points.

The Dubs haven’t been able to get the job done in the first two games of this fivecity road trip out east. After falling to the

shorthanded Charlotte Hornets in overtime Sat urday, the Warriors lost their second consecu tive game for the first time this season, digging themselves a hole in the second quarter that was difficult to climb out of.

The Warriors led by 10 points early in the second before the Pistons closed out the half on a 34-16 run to take an eight point lead into the break.

Detroit came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders, jumping out to a 17-point lead with an 11-2 run.

But that’s when Poole kicked it up a notch. The 23-year-old guard, start ing for the first time this season in place of a resting Klay Thompson (injury management), scored 15 straight points for the Warriors and finished with 18 in the third, his second-most scored in a quarter.

The Warriors (3-4) Tuesday when they play the Heat in Miami.

Big bats key for Phillies in World Series

By Scott lauBer THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

PHILADELPHIA —

All along, the Phillies liked their chances in any postseason series, against any team, pro vided they were able to start Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola in the first two games. It’s what makes them danger ous. It’s probably the biggest reason they won the pennant.

But it isn’t how they were built.

It’s also not how they will win this World Series.

The Phillies have a club-record $237 million payroll and a luxury-tax bill coming due at the end of the year because owner John Middle ton collects sluggers like other billionaires do Picassos and Van Goghs. Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellano swere his shiny new

pieces this season at a cost of $179 million. And before they were prom inently displayed in the batting order along side Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Rhys Hoskins, the fearsome fivesome was brought together for a photo shoot in spring training.

Remember the homerun projections that were spawned by those pictures? Remember the potential nicknames?

Broad Street Bashers. Macho Row 2.0. Sultans on the Schuylkill.

The Phillies were assembled to outslug everyone and every thing, including a porous defense and shallow pitching depth. That’s how president of base ball operations Dave Dombrowski pitched it to Middleton. That was the plan.

Xavier Mascarenas/Sacramento Bee/TNS

Kings center Domantas Sabonis (10) has a put-back slam dunk in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Saturday.

David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG/TNS

49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk beats Rams defensive back Nick Scott and catches a touchdown pass from running back Christian McCaffrey in the first quarter at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Sunday.

What’s next for sports wagering in California?

In the main, those who promote California ballot measures identify some problem –real or imagined – and attempt to per suade voters their proposals would solve it.

Propositions 26 and 27, however, sharply diverge from that pattern. Instead, they want California voters to create new ways to waste their money by wagering on sports events.

There’s no grassroots clamor for such opportunities. If there’s any enthusiastic constituency for betting on sports it’s probably young men, who are the chief patrons of online fantasy sports games.

The weak demand for sports gambling, plus the uber-confusing saturation ads for and against the two measures, explains why both are almost certain to be rejected in the Nov. 8 election.

Last week, the Public Policy Institute of California released a new statewide poll that found just 34% of likely voters favor Propo sition 26 while even fewer, 26%, would vote for Proposition 27.

The polling confirmed that if there is any constituency for sports wagering, it is young adults – but they are also among the demo graphic subgroups least likely to cast ballots.

Sensing it had no chance of passage, the online betting corporations that sponsor Proposition 27 began scaling back their cam paign several weeks ago. Taking no chances, the casino-owning Indian tribes that placed Proposition 26 on the ballot are still running anti-Proposition 27 spots, but the lack of an effective pro-Proposition 26 campaign appears to doom it as well.

So, assuming both are rejected after more than a half-billion dollars having been spent on losing campaigns, what happens next?

A brief review of what happened before this year’s high-dollar campaigns might be instructive.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 invali dated laws that prohibited sports wagering and since then 35 states have legalized it in some form. Naturally, the corporations that promoted it in other states cast their eye on California, the nation’s most populous state and therefore its largest potential market.

Some efforts were made in the Legislature, but the casino-owning tribes, which now have a near-monopoly on legal gambling in the state, adamantly opposed having anyone else gain access to gamblers’ wallets.

With legislative efforts going nowhere, the tribes proposed an initiative that eventually became Proposition 26, requiring sports bets to be made personally in their casinos or at four designated horse racing tracks.

The online wagering corporations, led by FanDuel and DraftKings, then sponsored a rival measure which became Proposition 27, allowing bets to be placed via computer or cellphone.

Some tribes briefly floated a third measure that would allow online betting they con trolled, but that was dropped in favor of concentrating resources on defeating Proposition 27.

Rejection of the two measures would return the situation back to where it was several years ago. The legislative route may be reactivated, but it’s difficult to see a pathway to success as long as casino tribes insist on maintaining their monopoly.

However, the issue will not simply go away because sports wagering in California is potentially a multibillion-dollar business, so it’s entirely possible, and even likely, new measures will be proposed for the 2024 ballot.

The tribes would probably dump the inperson wagering concept of Proposition 26 and seek a monopoly on online betting, similar to this year’s short-lived measure. It’s also likely the casino tribes would seek some accommodation with rural tribes that don’t have casinos and would have benefited from Proposition 27.

Given the potential California market, any tribal measure would probably gener ate another corporate effort as well. In other words, we may be subjected to competing campaigns all over again.

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Califor nia’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.

Trump’s triumphs in foreign policy

Please believe me when I say I’d like to stop writing about Donald Trump. But the astonishing damage he did to our foreign policy seems to be completely unknown to our conservatives.

So today let me review the wreckage he inflicted on us beyond our shores.

Let’s start with three incidents that struck at Ameri ca’s credibility in the world. First, his scotching of the Iran deal. Iran was only months away from gaining enough enriched uranium to make a bomb. Israel was close to starting a war. Someone had to act.

So the Obama administration acted. In power in Iran at the time were relative moderates. (Relative.) They wanted to end the revolutionary aspect of their Islamic state and return to normalcy.

So Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went to China and asked them to stop importing Iranian oil. Iran dropped into a recession. She went to Russia and got Vladimir Putin’s approval. Germany and the UK agreed to the plan, too.

We said, in effect, “If you drop your A-bomb program, we’ll let you trade with the rest of the world and raise your standard of living. But you must stop being a nuclear threat to everyone.”

Iran also agreed to remove their enriched uranium and to an extremely rigorous monitoring program. It was a brilliant move. Some monitoring would end in 10 years and some in 15. We gambled that most Iranians were

tired of revolutionary fervor.

All five signatory countries agreed it was a good deal.

But conservatives and Israel hollered – “Ten years isn’t enough, and what about those missiles?” Liberals explained you can only get so much when you bargain. You can’t get it all. To do that, you’d have to invade and conquer the place like we did to Germany and Japan a while back.

But Trump ended it. He hated Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Now Iran is again about a month away from enough uranium to make a bomb. Israel publicly admits it was wrong.

The worst thing is, who would enter an agreement with the Americans again if the next president can end it? It was a severe blow that remains unappreciated within the U.S.

Next, Trump withdrew from the TransPacific Partnership, another Obama move that was to allow the nations close to China to trade with us on favorable terms. They wanted to keep some distance from the colossus next door. They turned to us.

But these allies were left swinging in the wind by Trump. Will an Asian nation ever make a deal with the U.S. again?

Finally, the ISIS problem in Syria. Horrible people – real killers. So Obama began a program with the Kurds. We would support them and they would fight ISIS.

We were winning when one day Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Trump and asked that he with draw support for the Kurds, whom he

hated. Next day, we did. Secretary of Defense James Mattis quit.

Another betrayal of trust.

Then the president decided to declare a trade war on China. No one was happy about China’s trade behav ior, but Trump didn’t want allies in the war – the U.S. would take down China alone. He thought.

We put import tariffs on stuff from China (much of which was Ameri can). They retaliated on American imports. But there was a problem.

We were buying lots of cool stuff like, well, everything – stuff that only China could make.

We sold them pork, wheat, soy beans and wine. They promptly switched to Argentine wheat and soybeans, Australian wine and so on. Catastrophe. Our farmers lost their buyers so your tax dollars bailed them out.

The whole world noticed who “won.”

Trump wasn’t done with tariffs. He put tariffs on Canadian, Mexican and European imports. They were friends! Of course, they retaliated with their tariffs. Who needs friends anyway? Go it alone!

Did I mention Trump dearly wanted to take us out of NATO?

Fact is, he loves Putin. Trump’s foreign policy was so damaging that I think Putin gave him his ideas.

No matter, Republicans and con servatives want him back.

Jack Batson is a former member of the Fairfield City Council. Reach him by email at jsbatson@prodigy.net.

The rise and fall of the republic: Part 3

The departure report from America’s orig inal principles that were based on human nature and personal respon sibility is continuing.

Contrary to political pro paganda, national collapse is neither unlikely nor unavoid able. History provides the guide to recovery. The Jamestown colony initially lived by socialistic democracy that was soon rejected after half the colony perished within two years. With new leadership of Capt. John Smith, who enforced personal responsibility principles (no work, no eat), the colony survived.

Does today’s generation have the leadership capability of Captain Smith and the principles of Ameri ca’s Founders?

Health care. The effects of the Medicare Act on consumer costs, private insurance competitiveness, research, and pharmacy availability and pricing are debatable but beyond the scope of this essay.

Life longevity worldwide has improved tremendously since 1800 when the world average was 29 years, and all countries were below 40 years. By 1950 the world average was 46 years, Europe was 62 years and America with 68 years led the world. The 2015 comparison is 71, 78, and 79 years, respectively. Major health-related issues for America are homelessness (highest world rate) and mental health.

Mass-shootings are frequently related to mental health. America rarely experienced a mass-shoot ing before 1966. From 1966 to 2019,

America has led the world with 163 mass-shootings and is now averaging five to 10 annually, using the FBI definition of four or more deaths and random targeting. Many factors undoubtedly factor into the cause. Sadly, but logically, for every mental health case there are presumably hundreds of mentally deficient individuals where they and their family are coping with life issues needing treatment.

A result of the Supreme Court error overlooking constitutional enumer ated limits of federal powers is that federal social/welfare programs now collectively consume two-thirds of our federal budgets annually and threaten America’s financial future. Sadly, there are two additional serious con stitutional violations – delegation of legislative authority and direct disre gard of law.

Administrative state. Article 1, Section 1 of the Constitution states, “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a congress . . .” That is contemptuously disregarded. Congress frequently only outlines leg islation and delegates to the executive branch to write the enforcement reg ulations and sometimes determine judgment. Are the Founders spinning in their graves? They defined combin ing legislative, enforcement or judicial functions as tyranny. This administra tive state is neither a democracy nor a republic.

To whom does a citizen appeal a regulation written unconstitutionally by the executive branch? With written guidance from the IRS several years ago, I filed a significant expense item

that was later ruled unauthorized. The research found the information I applied was printed in an IRS booklet but the IRS regulation for the generic tax law omitted that authorization. The IRS adjudicator agreed my case was injustice, but my “legislative” congressman, Rep. John Garamendi, refused to assist. This citizen lost.

The rule of law was America’s reputation. Shocking is the blatant disregard of their oaths of office by President Joe Biden and many federal and state officials. These officials, some have been elected on campaigns to not enforce existing laws, have no shame but are guilty of impeachable offenses. FBI Director James Comey lied when he failed to prosecute Hillary Clinton for security viola tions by excusing her for lack of intent (the law requires compliance; intent is not relevant as thousands of citi zens know), the Democrat governors who violated constitutional law in the 2020 election, and mayors of riot-torn cities in 2021 who failed to prose cute rioters who killed and burned $2 billion of property, all remain unpunished for their crimes.

“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” – President John F. Kennedy.

Diversity, equity and socialism threaten our republic. History, with your vote, will restore it.

Earl Heal is a retired Air Force officer, Vacaville resident and member of The Right Stuff committee formerly of the Solano County Republican Central Committee. Reach him at healearl niki2@gmail.com.

Dan Walters

Earl Heal

Jack Batson

‘The White Lotus’ returns for Season 2 with sex on its mind

Travis M. a ndrews THE WASHINGTON POST

Michael Corleone’s retreat to Sicily in 1972’s “The Godfather” starts out pleas ant enough – he meets and marries a local woman named Apollonia.

But by the end of his stay, a car bomb kills her and shatters him. Arguably, her death serves as little more than a plot device and character motivation for her grieving husband.

At one point in Season 2 of HBO’s “The White Lotus” – which replaces the lush Hawaiian setting from the Emmy-winning first season with a White Lotus resort in Sicily, the place that eroded Michael’s soul – a small group visits the house where that very scene was filmed. In the driveway is a replica of the car.

Inside it, a replica of Apollonia.

“She blows up, like blows up? That’s a little, taste less, maybe?” says one young woman, nodding at the car.

A young Stanford gradu ate, interested in her, quickly bemoans the movie: “Men love the ‘The Godfather’ because they feel emasculated by modern society. It’s a fantasy about a time when they could go out and solve all their problems with violence and sleep with every woman and come home to their wife who doesn’t ask them any questions and makes them pasta.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” an older character interjects. “It’s a normal male fantasy.”

It doesn’t feel like mere coincidence that Simonetta Stefanelli, the actress who played Apollonia and appeared topless in the film, was only 16 years old at the time, which has become a blemish on the movie’s legacy. On writer/ director Mike White’s mind in the new season, which pre mieres Sunday, are the power dynamics of sexual politics: Who has said power, how it’s abused, who is exploited and who is exploiting, and in the most dire of situations, who is the hunter and who is the hunted.

Much like the first season, “The White Lotus” kicks off with an unidentified dead body and quickly seems to forget about it, making a time jump to a week prior. It even includes this tantalizing exchange between the hotel manager and another employee: “How many dead guests are there?” “I don’t know. A few.”

Once again, the joke is on the modern viewer obsessed with binge-watching stream ing, mystery-box shows, ones that always need a death to get things going. Yeah, someone died, the show seems to say, but you’re simpleminded – or maybe just shallow – for thinking that’s what’s important here.

The show’s true focus, again, is on a cast of wealthy Ameri

cans attempting to escape the rigors of daily life back home, only to realize they can’t. The big difference, which is enough to recommend the new season for fans of the show, is this time they unwittingly find them selves stuck in something resembling an erotic satire.

The only returning charac ters are Tanya McQuoid-Hunt (Jennifer Coolidge) the impossibly dimwitted and breathtakingly insecure heiress, and her now-husband, Greg Hunt (Jon Gries), the nolonger-terminally-ill man she met in the first season, who seems exasperated with his new bride. With them is a new face, her beleaguered, depressed assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson), who yearns for a little bedroom fun with a hot Italian man but is ordered by Tanya to remain in her room at all times.

Also on the boat headed for the resort are three generations of Di Grasso men who hope to explore their Sicilian heritage but spend most of the trip focus ing on their issues with women. There’s the grandfather Bert Di Grasso (F. Murray Abraham), who thinks his life of (what he erroneously believes to be dis creet) affairs is the norm; his sex-addicted, Hollywood pro ducer son Dominic (Michael Imperioli) struggling to change; and his grandson Albie (Adam DiMarco) who, armed with pro gressive talking points, assures himself that he’s nothing like the men he’s traveling with.

Rounding out the crew are two married couples: Cameron (Theo James) and Daphne Sul livan (Meghann Fahy), whose constant PDA and boasts about how they never fight draw the suspicions of the cynical Harper Spiller (Aubrey Plaza) and, increasingly, her husband and Cameron’s college room mate Ethan (Will Sharpe), who recently joined the ranks of the wealthy after selling his company.

This time around, though, rather than juxtapose the guests with the hotel’s staff – with whom this installment spends little time – it’s two young, local burgeoning prostitutes, Lucia (Simona Tabasco) and

Mia (Beatrice Grannò) insti gating most of the conflict after Dominic gives them week-long access to the hotel.

Soon enough, as, erm, every one’s relations overlap and become more complicated, it feels like an anaconda is wrapped around the entire resort, slowly tightening, tight ening, tightening.

Some vacation.

“The White Lotus” began as a covid-era creation when HBO needed a series that could be filmed relatively easily while adhering to strict safety pro tocols. The result was genius: what at first glance felt like an escape to gorgeous Hawaii when none of us could travel turned out to be the wealthy vacationers’ worst nightmare. What could be more claus trophobic than realizing you can’t escape yourself, even as you escape to the world’s most beautiful locales?

This seven-episode season still retains that central motif –our characters quickly realize how claustrophobic being stuck with themselves can be, even in a breathtaking Italian resort –but thanks to the lifting of said restrictions, more of the show is able to spill out onto the streets of Sicily and its surrounding towns. The ability to escape the escape, which naturally only invites more misery, only serves to reinforce the theme.

For some viewers, this all might feel like a slight rehash, idiosyncratic as it might be. But though these new episodes (of which five were made available to critics) meander at times, Season 2 is more tightly plotted and there are enough new ideas, with even the most staid insights heightened by White’s razor-sharp writing, for it to feel fresh.

Let’s just hope that, despite our franchise-centric enter tainment culture, White will be able to stop when he runs out of compelling ideas. The new season works, but the idea of spending a third vacation at a White Lotus resort (with yet another red herring of a dead body) already feels a bit tiring. As any good bellhop knows, it’s important not to overstay your welcome.

MAKE LIFE EASY FOR YOUR PARTNER

As we saw yesterday, when defending, not only is it important to watch all of the spot-cards like a hawk, but also it pays to make your partner’s life easy. Here is a second deal with the same look-after-partner theme but a different defensive technique. How can the defenders defeat six

by Phillip Alder

spades after West leads the heart king?

South’s weak two-bid showed a six-card spade suit and some 6-10 high-card points. North’s jump to five spades asked his partner to bid six with good trumps. South was happy to do business.

At first glance, the slam looks easy. South wins the heart lead in the dummy, cashes the three top clubs (discarding his two heart losers) and plays a trump to the king and ace, losing one spade trick. However, a closer examination shows that there is a mosquito in the moistener.

When the deal was originally played, West carelessly led the club jack after winning with the trump ace. East, seeing no reason to do anything else, discarded a diamond. Declarer ruffed, drew trumps and claimed.

True, East made a mistake. Ruffing with the spade nine can’t hurt the defense, but it definitely hurts South. He has to overruff with the spade jack, but now West’s spade ten is promoted as the setting trick.

However, a watchful West retains not the club jack and 10 but the jack and three. Then, when in with the spade ace, he leads not the club jack but the club three. As dummy’s six is winning the trick, East ruffs to keep declarer from obtaining another discard. This effects the uppercut.

COPYRIGHT: 2022, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

MAKE LIFE EASY FOR YOUR PARTNER

is repeated in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at

we saw yesterday, when defending, not only is it important to watch all of the spot-cards like a hawk, but also it pays to make your partner’s life easy. Here is a second deal with the

Fabio Lovino/HBO

F. Murray Abraham plays family patriarch Bert Di Grasso in HBO’s “The White Lotus” Season 2.

Rock singer reveals true self on stage in latest animé film

FAIRFIELD — Showing in local theaters this week is “One Piece Film: Red,” the story of a rock singer who has hidden her identity until now and decides to reveal herself in an epic concert.

Opening nationwide are: “One Piece Film: Red,” a Japanese animé film about Uta, the most beloved singer in the world whose voice has been described as “oth erworldly,” who reveals herself to the world at a live concert. With the Navy watching closely, the venue fills with Uta’s fans – including excited pirates and the Straw Hats led by Luffy, who simply came to enjoy her sonorous performance –all eagerly awaiting the voice the whole world has been waiting for to sound. The film is rated PG-13.

Opening in limited release are: “Close,” in which two 13-year-old best friends’ seemingly unbreakable bond is suddenly, tragi cally torn apart. The film is rated PG-13.

“Next Exit,” a film that follows a research scientist (Karen Gillan) who makes national news proving she can track people into the after life. Two strangers, both harboring dark secrets, race to join the doctor’s controversial study and leave this life behind. The film is not rated.

“On the Line,” in which a provocative and edgy overnight radio host (Mel Gibson) must play a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a mys terious caller who has kidnapped his family and is threatening to kill them and blow up the whole station – live on air. The film is rated R.

“Something in the Dirt,” in which two new neighbors witness what seems to be a super natural event in one of their apartments. They realize that filming it might bring them fame and fortune. The film is rated R.

“The Estate,” in which two sisters attempt to win over their terminally ill, difficultto-please aunt in hopes of becoming the bene ficiaries of her wealthy estate, only to find the rest of their greedy family members have the same idea. The film is rated R.

For information on Edwards Cinemas in Fairfield, visit www.reg movies.com/theatres/ regal-edwards-fairfieldimax. For Vacaville showtimes, visit www. brendentheatres.com.

For Vallejo showtimes, check www.cinemark. com/theatres/ca-vallejo. More information about upcoming films is avail able at www.movie insider.com.

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby

Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Elliot Brasseaux/Signature Entertainment

From left, Toni Collette, Kathleen Turner and Anna Faris star in “The Estate.”

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Nashville

Phillies

From Page

“We’re a hitting-heavy team,” Middleton recalled Dombrowski telling him in March. “We’ve got top-end pitching that’s really good. We’ve got back-end bullpen that’s really good. We’re not great fielders, so we’re going to have to slug.’”

That was true then and it’s just as true now. After splitting the first two games of the World Series in Houston – with Nola and Wheeler running on fumes and not sched uled to face the Astros again until Games 5 and 6, respectively – the Phillies must be monster mashers in Game 3 on Halloween night in Philadelphia – and really from here on out.

They will say they’ve been here before, and technically, that’s true. The Phillies split the first two games of the divi sional round in Atlanta and the first two of the

NL Championship Series in San Diego. But when they got home for Game 3 against the Braves, they had Ranger Suárez on the mound. Nola started the third game against the Padres.

In this Game 3, it will be Noah Syndergaard and a fleet of relievers against the Astros. The high-leverage trio of José Alvarado, Seranthony Domínguez, and Zach Eflin will be rested and available, but the Phillies won’t have Nola, Wheeler,

or even Swiss Army knife Suárez available out of the bullpen. Suárez, who threw 11 pitches in relief in Game 1, is sched uled to start Game 4 on Tuesday night, followed by Nola in Game 5. If the Phillies are still standing after that, Wheeler would take what ever he has left in the tank to the mound in Houston on Friday night.

Nola and Wheeler carried the Phillies this far, to their first pennant in 13 years, by dominating

the three-round National League playoffs. But they allowed a total of 10 runs in 9⅔ innings in the first two games against the Astros, the innings toll of a long season and deep playoff run having seem ingly caught up with them.

So, yeah, the Phillies had better hit the rest of the way. A lot. Just like in Game 4 against the Padres. That was the last time that Nola, Wheeler, and Suárez were all unavailable. Lefthander Bailey Falter didn’t survive the first inning and dropped the Phillies down a 4-0 hole. But Schwarber, Hoskins, Realmuto, Harper, and Castellanos combined to go 9-for-18 with three doubles, four homers, and nine RBIs in a 10-6 victory to take command of the series. The Padres never recovered.

“We knew our offense was probably going to have to show up tonight to the best of its ability,” Harper said after that game. “We were able to do that.”

p.m.

BASKETBALL

EASTERN

N.Y.

at L.A.

L.A.

Phoenix, (N)

(N)

49ers

when Deebo Samuel found Jauan Jennings for a 24-yard touchdown to pull the 49ers even at 17-17 in an even tual 27-24 overtime win. McCaffrey’s other touchdown throw was a 50-yarder in 2018 with Carolina, and that exact play triggered Shanahan to install it for this game.

Shanahan, while com piling red-zone schemes, asked his coaches Thurs day night: “Anyone know if Christian can throw?”

Tight ends coach Brian Fleury then texted a video of McCaffrey’s 50-yard touchdown strike for Car olina, to which Shanahan said Sunday: “When I saw that, I felt he could throw.” The only running back to have more touch down passes over 30 yards since 1970: Walter Payton

(three), according to the NFL.

Touchdown No. 2: McCaffrey gave the 49ers their first lead when, with 1:51 left until the fourth quarter, he broke loose down the right sideline and soared in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown catch, nabbing Jimmy third-and-3 lob.

“A little bit of back yard football,” McCaffrey said. “That play wasn’t designed to go to me, but one thing I learned about Jimmy is he’s a foot ball player, through and through. He showed that all week in practice. We didn’t rep that in practice but that’s just a guy going out there playing ball, and sometimes that is the best way to go.”

Garoppolo echoed that, saying he went through his whole progression on the play before seeing McCaffrey turn up field. “That’s what we’ve been emphasizing on offense: Be a football player

and be in the moment,” Garoppolo said.

It capped an 11-play, 88-yard, 7-minute drive that featured a barrage of chunk plays: Brandon AIyuk’s catches for 11, 11 and 8 yards; Jeff Wilson Jr.’s 12-yard gains on a run and a catch; and, of course, some by McCaf frey, who had a 14-yard catch to midfield before scoring his first official touchdown as a 49er.

Among those admiring from the sideline was Nick Bosa, who said: “I don’t think it was supposed to go to him because there wew two guys in the area, but it was nice.” McCaffrey said afterward he wasn’t aware that George Kittle was in the vicinity.

Touchdown No. 3: Ater serving as a backfield decoy on Wilson’s thirddown conversion run, McCaffrey raced 24 yards to the Rams’ 1-yard line, where he then plunged up the middle on the next snap for a 24-14 lead, with

12:07 to go

That pass-catchrun touchdown trifecta has been accomplished by only three others since 1970: Payton (1979), David Patton (2001) and LaDainian Tomlinson (2005), accord ing to ESPN.

McCaffrey’s stat line: 94 rushing yards (18 carries), 55 receiv ing yards (eight catches on nine targets), and, the 34-yard touchdown pass.

“He puts so much time in a week, you appreciate that, because you can tell how great he wants to be,” said George Kittle,.

The 49ers tacked on an insurance touchdown courtesy of their tight ends: Ross Dwelley got free for a 56-yard catch to the Rams’ 14, and, after two McCaffrey runs, Kittle made a 7-yard touchdown catch. Garop polo rolled left, waited, waited, then lobbed a pass to the perfect spot for Kittle with 6:41 to go.

From Page B1

didn’t accomplish once throughout last year.

That sense of angst stemming from Sacra mento’s winless start was felt inside Golden 1 Center during the third quarter, when the Kings had nine of their seasonworst 21 turnovers. Their 22-point lead was cut down to 8, and that inev itable feeling was setting in. The Heat were going to make it a game.

“My thing with our guys, we just gotta keep hitting singles,” Brown said. “Because Miami,

they’re an aggressive team, and they’re an experienced, champion ship-level team that’s well coached.”

Brown’s modern offense emphasizes pace and space. With it comes a propensity at turning the ball over because of all the movement, cutting and screening. The Kings were out of control at times, with Miami taking charges on aggressive drives, and the Heat had seven steals to just one for Sacramento.

The Heat got back into the game largely because the Kings let them back in. The Heat missed some timely shots down the stretch down.

Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber prepares to bat against the Houston Astros during Game 1 of the World Series.