Daily Republic: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2022

R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Emergency service officials are telling Solano County residents to be prepared before the worst of the next storm hits – and it hits today.

That means be prepared for possible flooding and power outages.

A high-wind watch was upgraded to a high-wind warning just after 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The warning period, issued by the National Weather Service, runs from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 4 p.m. Thursday, the Solano County Office of Emergency Services reported.

Reports put gusts up to 60 mph.

“Be prepared for power outages . . . (and) with high winds, more trees are going to come down,” said Robyn Rains, the acting OES

manager,

The flood watch issued by the National Weather Service runs from 4 a.m. on Wednesday to 10 a.m. on Friday.

Gates Canyon Road at Pleasants Valley Road is already closed, as is Sykes Road between Midway and Trefoil roads, the county reported.

The Cordelia Fire Protection District has made sandbags and sand available at Suisun Valley and Rockville roads, near the Ice House. There is also sand available at the Fairfield corporation yard at Pittman and Cordelia roads.

The bags and sand is available at other locations as well. A list is available at www.solanocounty.

Peace in the Park event set for MLK Day A3

Hamlin in critical condition after cardiac arrest B1

Kevin McCarthy falls short on first 3 votes for speaker in historic defeat

TRibune ConTenT agenCy

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy fell short of the necessary number of votes to succeed California Democrat Nancy Pelosi as speaker in the first three rounds of balloting Tuesday.

McCarthy, also of California, became the first majority party leader in a century to fail to secure the speakership on the first ballot. He failed to win any additional votes on a second ballot and lost support on the third ballot, as Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., switched his vote from McCarthy to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

someone or work out the next steps.”

The repeated failure to elect a speaker is a clear sign of the divisions in the Republican Party. It is also a potential blow to California. If McCarthy prevails, Congress will hand off power and influence from a California Democrat to a California Republican. If he doesn’t, both leaders could be relegated to the back benches – one by choice and the other by force.

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Young Kam Bell is a quiet baby – the quietest of Kayla Bell’s three children at birth.

“He will be the last one, for sure, but he is very quiet. He hardly cries at all,” Bell said.

But that was not the case when he was in the womb.

“He was pretty active in the womb, so we are looking at some sports,” said mom, who was a basketball player in her youth at Berkeley High School.

Her favorite team is the Warriors, and she said she watched a lot of basketball when she was pregnant. So maybe that will be the sport of choice for Kam as well.

Her oldest son, 18, also played basketball through high school. She also has an 8-year-old daughter. Her other children are summer babies, she said.

Bell also said young Kam looks just like his dad, Norco.

“His twin,” she said.

The family lives in Vacaville.

Kam was born at 4:42 a.m. – 6 pounds, 2 ounces and 20 inches tall. He was the second baby born at NorthBay. The first was at 12:38, but the family declined to be interviewed.

There were five babies born at NorthBay on New Year’s Day, and nine at Kaiser Permanente hospitals.

“It was very exciting,” said Bell. “It was like a race. Everyone was in here.”

Kam did his part with a quick and easy delivery, the easiest of her three births, Bell said.

The Bells received a large gift basket from the hospital. Of course, Bell added, it would have been nice to have the income

com/depts/oes/grs/flood/sandbags_ and_information.asp.

Residents need to bring their own shovels and someone to help, and are advised to fill the bags halfway for best use.

More information and storm preparation tips are available at www.solanocounty.com/depts/oes/ grs/storm_ready/default.asp.

“December recorded 15 days of rain, nearly half of the month, which is twice the number of average number of rainy days for December. That’s the good news, however, the ground is saturated and he runoff from the heavy rains is quickly filling farmers’ and growers’ ponds and lakes used for water supply and irrigation,” local meteorologist Mike Pechner said.

“The reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn’t have the votes,” Donalds tweeted after the vote concluded. “I committed my support to him publicly and for two votes on the House Floor. 218 is the number, and currently, no one is there. Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find

Nineteen Republicans voted for candidates other than McCarthy on the first and second ballots. Twenty Republicans voted for Jordan on the third ballot, leaving McCarthy 16 short of the 218 votes needed to secure the post he has long sought.

Although Tuesday’s first-round outcome wasn’t a surprise, the fact that McCarthy and his allies were not only unable to move a single vote his way in subsequent

Russia updates death toll from New Year’s Eve attack, admits mistakes were made

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MOSCOW — Following Ukrainian missile strikes on a Russian military shelter in the town of Makiyivka in eastern Ukraine, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said 89 of its soldiers were killed in the attack, updating the previous death toll given by more than 20.

The soldiers, including the deputy commander, were found in the rubble of the collapsed reinforced concrete building after the the missile strike on New Year’s Eve, Lt. Gen. Sergei Sevryukov said in Moscow late Tuesday.

Kyiv reported Monday that an attack on New Year’s Eve killed hundreds of Russian soldiers in a temporary shelter in the town of Makiyivka in the eastern Donetsk region. The Russian Defense Ministry first admitted to the deaths of 63 soldiers.

According to media reports, those killed were reservists called up during Moscow’s partial

mobilization. They are said to have gathered in the building for a New Year’s celebration.

For the first time, Sevryukov also admitted that mistakes had been made, therefore confirming media reports according to which the Ukrainian military reportedly became aware of the site because of the high activity of mobile phone data traffic.

While investigations were still ongoing, it was already clear that “this factor has enabled the enemy to determine the direction and locate the coordinates of the soldiers’ position in order to carry out the missile strike,” Sevryukov said.

Those in charge would be held accountable, he added.

It is very unusual for Moscow to confirm a high number of soldiers killed after an attack. It is the highest number of deaths in one place cited by Russia itself in the war that Russia started

Todd

warning motorists to drive carefully and avoid standing water as well. Potholes and other hazards can create their own kind of dangers.

BALTIMORE — Stroke by stroke, the brush glides over canvas, creating scenes that few could do by hand. Except that this artist, Robert Florio, paints by mouth.

The quadriplegic Glen Burnie, Maryland, resident wields a brush attached to a mouthpiece, and paints by swiveling his head and neck – about the only parts of his body that will do as he asks.

It’s painstaking work for Florio, 40, who was injured as a teenager when he dived into a friend’s 4-foot deep swimming pool and hit his head on the bottom.

“I was a wild kid who didn’t really think things through,” he said.

The plunge damaged his spinal cord and rendered his limbs useless. Twentysix years later, Florio has forged a career at his easel, painting everything from athletes to aliens.

After the accident, he said, “I felt, for six months, like I was in a cave. I thought, ‘Is there really no hope?’ I didn’t give up but it was, like, what do I do now? So I rewrote my life.”

A painter, he would be. His likeness of Babe Ruth hangs in the slugger’s museum downtown. Florio has portrayed Ravens great Ray Lewis and Orioles Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. He painted Jay Gibbons, gifting his work to the Orioles outfielder in a pregame presentation at Camden Yards in 2003. In turn, Gibbons handed Florio a bat inscribed: “Robert, Thank you for showing me the true meaning of life.”

Florio has done holiday scenes as well – one of two smiling snowmen in a wintry landscape, another of a lovable dachshund wearing a Santa cap.

“My energy level is higher at Christmas,” he said. “It’s a magical time.”

Redefining adversity

Florio has not lost hope of recovery. He has undergone stem cell therapies,

among other treatments, and has tried meditation in efforts to walk again. He believes in extraterrestrials, in part because he thinks they may have healing powers greater than ours.

Meanwhile, he has cobbled together a life all his own, speaking to youth groups, earning a college degree and even learning to play the guitar. Florio has tried stand-up comedy in, as he says, a sit-down position. He has performed at several local clubs with an act that trolls the dark humor of his fate.

“When you go through hard times, you try to see the lighter side of it,” Florio said. “Once, at a comedy club, the headliner said to me, ‘Rob, that nurse you brought with you is really hot. How do I get a nurse like that?’

“I looked at him, then back at myself and said, ‘You gotta do this.’ He broke up laughing.”

Such banter helps keep Florio going. Ask why his arms are covered with tattoos.

“Why not?” he said. “When I was getting [the tattoos], I didn’t feel a thing.”

Ask his thoughts on living with his parents at age 40: “Jesus was 33 when he moved back in with his dad.”

In 2010, Florio self-published an autobiography, “Life! It Must Be A Comedy.” On the dust jacket, Ripken, his boyhood hero, wrote: “Robert is an amazing young guy who redefines what it means to overcome adversity. I consider myself lucky to have met him.”

Another book is in the offing, a fantasy tale of an otherworldly Santa Claus. Florio’s protagonist is a refugee from another planet who comes to Earth in a spaceship with his “warrior-protector,” a reindeer named Red. The storyline?

“Bad kids took over Santa’s old planet, so he came here,” said Florio,

who illustrated the work. “We see the magic he can do, behind the scenes, to heal people and help them wake up and say, ‘It’s time to fix our broken planet.’”

A desire to help and to heal

There’s a curative theme to his efforts. Armed with an online degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Florio wants to create video games for the disabled.

“During rehab [at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital], I was taken to a playroom where kids were playing video games. I was told, ‘We have nothing adapted for you.’ My dream is to make a game for people who can’t use their hands. I want to help them heal.”

Art was an outlet long before calamity struck.

“It felt natural to me; I just gravitated toward it,” Florio said.

In first grade, he drew pictures of ninja turtles and sold them to classmates for 50 cents apiece.

“I felt like I’d done something great and should have been rewarded for it,” he said.

A member of Mouth & Foot Painting Artists, an

international group, Florio has sold nearly 100 paintings of landscapes, sunsets, flowers and dogs, for as much as $100. His works, in watercolors, acrylics and oils, take up to 30 hours to complete in what can be an arduous process.

“Sometimes my neck and mouth get tired and I have to stop,” he said.

Pain is a given. Florio has had two spinal surgeries since the accident to alleviate distress. Most of his neck has been fused. Still, he stays close to his easel.

“Painting helps, though sometimes I just don’t have the energy or heart to do it,” he said. “When I do, the process of creation produces a very uplifting emotion.”

Sleep brings a respite from reality.

“Always, when I dream, I’m walking, often on a

said. “Then I wake up and think, ‘Wow, that felt good.’”

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of his injury, a moment that Florio acknowledged.

“It was something that I celebrated, a milestone for me to overcome, a power push,” he said. “I look back now and think, man, I’m still alive.”

yet kicking.

“When I meditate, in an elevated state, sometimes I get tingling and shocks through my body,” he said.

“I’m not imagining it.”

Regardless of the future, Florio is certain of one thing:

“I feel like I’m still full of potential.”

SUISUN CITY —

Karina Innes, a freshman graphics design major from Suisun City, was among approximately 720 Bob Jones University students named to the Fall 2022 president's list in Greensville, South Carolina.

The president's list rec-

ognizes students who earn a 3.75 or higher grade point average for the semester.

Do you have some good news to share? Send it to Susan Hiland at shiland@ dailyrepublic.net. Be sure to include Good News in the subject line.

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun/TNS photos

Quadriplegic artist Robert Florio paints with his mouth at his Glen Burnie, Maryland home. Florio, 40, suffered from a spinal cord injury after a diving accident at 14. Nov. 22.

Painting by quadriplegic artist Robert Florio who paints with his mouth at his Glen Burnie, Maryland home.

Third annual Peace in the Park event set for MLK Day

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville People’s Forum and the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce will host the third annual Peace in the Park event to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This event will be from noon to 2 p.m. on Jan.16–MartinLutherKing Jr. Day – at the Andrews Park Upper Stage.

“The event will feature a DJ, poetry readings, live music, dancers and presentations from local elected and community leaders,” organizers said in a statement. “Local nonprofit organizations will also be there to hand out information about their products and services.”

Additionally, “youth of all ages are invited to take part in a public reading of the ‘I Have A Dream’ speech delivered by Dr. King to an audience of more than

250,000 civil rights supporters on Aug. 28, 1963, as they gathered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.”

Youth who are inter-

ested should send an email to vvpeoplesforum@gmail.com.

This event is free to attend and will be held rain or shine. The public

is encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. For more information about Peace In The Park, contact Aisha Gutierrez at 707-628-7112.

Inaugural Roller Derby Tomato Jam coming to Vallejo

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VALLEJO — The inaugural Tomato Jam all-day roller derby showcase is coming to the Solano Fairgrounds.

The Jan. 21 event is hosted by the Carquinez Quad Squad, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., in McCormack Hall at the Solano County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Drive in Vallejo.

The first whistle will start the day at noon.

Tickets are $10 to $40.

n All day VIP tickets are $40 and sold in advance only. It includes dedicated seating, beverage voucher and other perks.

n All day general admission are $20 in advance.

n Afternoon general admission are $15 in advance.

n Children 2-12 are $10 in

advance. Kids under 2 are free with adult ticket. Door sales are $25 for adults. $10 kids 2-12.

Bring a donation to help support Food is Free Bay Area with an unopened box or package of menstrual products (pads/tampons), diapers, or baby wipes to earn a free raffle ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/5639253.

In brief

Gaines reseated as Solano’s rep on Board of Equalization

FAIRFIELD — Ted Gaines on Monday returned to the Board of Equalization to represent District 1, which includes Solano County and parts or all of 33 other counties.

He was joined by incumbents Antonio Vazquez, District 3, and Mike Schaefer, District 4, and newcomer Sally J. Lieber, who represents District 2. She is a former assemblywoman and comes to the BOE having recently been serving on the Mountain View City Council.

Gaines was first elected to the BOE in November 2018. He had served 12 years in the state Assembly and Senate, and is a past two-term Placer County supervisor.

State Controller Malia M. Cohen, previously the District 2 representative, will continue to serve on the board as an ex-officio member. She was the past president of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco.

Additional information on the board can be found at https://boe.ca.gov/ members/board.htm.

-DR staff

Agence France Presse/Central Press/Getty Images/TNS file Black American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968) addresses crowds during the March On Washington at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., where he gave his “I Have A Dream” speech.

Clifford (Bubba) E. Meyerhoffer

Clifford (Bubba) Meyerhoffer age 67, peacefully entered eternal rest in his sleep on December 7, 2022. Cliff was and Army Vete ran who served his country proudly Cliff loved riding his Harley and spending time with his family. Cliff is survived by his wife of 32 yrs Nancy Meyerhoffer, 4 children, 16 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, parents and 2 sisters and 1 sister preceded in death.

Ser vices will be held at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA. January 19, 2022 at 2:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to a charity of your choice in his name.

Sharon Lee Domler

On Dec. 16, 2022 heaven gained a new angel. Sharon passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family. Sharon was born Feb. 2, 1946 in Fairfield, California to MJ and Lorene Hudson. She graduated from Armijo High School then onto Heald Business College. She made her career working for the family business, Cement Hill Ready Mix in Fairfield, California. She loved reading, napping, taking trips to the casino and being Nana to her grandchildren.

She is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, Carlton; daughter, Kelly Siscel; son, Matthew (Jamie) Domler, son, Michael (Jin-Ying) Domler; grandchildren, Garrett, Elizabeth, Mason, Jordan and Ashton; great-grandchildren, Austin, Avary and Asher; brother, Gary (Helga) Hudson; sister, Lora (Evert) Wilkerson; and sister-in-law, Linda Padykula.

The family would like to thank all the staff at David Grant USAF Medical Center and Anchor Health for the compassionate care and going above and beyond taking care of their sweet Nana.

Family and friends are invited to a celebration of Sharon’s life, from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 21, 2023, at Pietros #2, 679 Merchant St Vacaville, California.

Leon Lakin

Leon K. Lakin, 57 of Fairfield passed away at home on Thursday, December 22, 2022.

Leon was born on Monday, April 19,1965 in Fairfield, CA. He attended Anna Kyle, Sullivan and Armijo schools. He lived his entire life in Fairfield.

In March 1984 Leon started working in a metal shop in Vallejo, CA and retired in October 2020 after 36 years. He was just starting to enjoy his retirement years.

Leon was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Charles and Evelyn Lakin of Illinois, maternal grandparents Jessie and Virginia Swearengin of Fairfield. Father, Harry L. Lakin of Illinois. He also lost his beloved pets Ice and Reno. He is survived by his mother, Janice Lakin of Vacaville, brother Dion Lakin (Lisa) of Vacaville, sister Cheryl Soucie (Tim) of Vacaville, nieces Jessie Lakin and Jennifer Lakin of Dixon, nephews, Derek Soucie (Chrissy) of Dixon, Jared Soucie of Vacaville. Great-niece Maci Soucie of Dixon, maternal aunt Glenda Vollet of Fairfield along with numerous cousins. Services will be held on Thursday January 12, 2023 at Fairfield Funeral Home. Viewing will be held from 11:00 am-12:00 pm, funeral at 12:00 pm and burial at the Suisun Fairfield Cemetary at 1:00 pm.

Hubert Edwin Pannell

Hubert Edwin “Ed” Pannell was born in Fort Worth, Texas to Hub and Susie Pannell. Ed was preceded in death by his parents, wife Josefa Pannell, daughter Jeanette Pannell, son Bill Mendiola, siblings Lorene Ill, Richard Pannell, Shirley Logans, Patricia Harris, Tommy Pannell and Linda Shultz.

Left to cherish his memory are; Brothers Danny Pannell and Benny Pannell; son; Michael Pannell, daughters and sons in-law Wanda and Mark Qualls, MaryAnn and Edwin Lanuza, Betty and Earnest Freddie, Cynthia and Jonathan Albert, Rose Richardson, Theresa Mendiola. 28 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren and 4 great-great grandchildren.

Viewing and service will be held 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, January 9 at Fairfield Funeral Home, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave, Fairfield, CA. Interment will be at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11 at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, 5810 Midway Rd, Dixon, CA.

Clement Michael Dagenais

Clement Michael Dagenais, 80, of The Villages Florida, passed away on December 2nd, 2022 from a spinal infection.

Clement, aka Mike, was born on September 3rd, 1942, in Marquette, Michigan. After getting into a little trouble during his teenage years, a judge told him, “Military or Jail, you choose.” He picked the Military, little did he know he’d end up in jail anyway, but in the best way possible.

While serving his first tour in Vietnam with the Marines, he saw how much nicer the Air Force bases were and decided to continue his Military career with the USAF in the field of communications. He served a second tour in Vietnam, where his claim to fame was knowing Frank Sinatra’s home phone number, as he would connect calls to the Sinatra family home on a nightly basis, and yes, Mike remembered the number even in his old age, but we are sure it’s no longer in service.

Mike went on to serve over 20 years between the USMC and the USAF, during which time he stationed in various places around the United States and England. While stationed at RAF Fairford, England, he became known as the local ‘used-car salesman’. He would keep a fleet of vehicles on hand to sell to those stationed there. Mike went out of his way to teach

them how to drive and navigate the countryside, help them tag the vehicles, and when they left, he would buy the vehicle back for what they had originally paid him for it.

In 1982 Mike was sent to Texas, but upon arriving there, with his family in tow, he was told to report to Travis AFB in Fairfield, California. He completed his military career in 1985 while stationed at Travis AFB and upon retiring he went to work for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office as a Correctional Officer. He promoted to Sergeant in 3 short years and worked in a variety of assignments. He was known for being the man that never sat still and kept both the Officers that worked with him and the inmates they supervised on their toes, but always with a smile on his face.

Mike retired from the Sheriff’s Office in 1997, sold all his property and packed up his motorhome, with the goal of golfing in every state while searching for a new place to call home. He ultimately settled in Lady Lakes, Florida which is part of the retirement community commonly known as ‘The Villages’. Living there offered him 3 of the things he loved most, sun, golf and plenty of single ladies to keep him company.

Mike is survived by his brothers Larry and Pat, his only son Michael, his twin daughters Robin and Lori, his youngest daughter Toni and numerous grandchildren.

Services will be held at Mountain Home National Cemetery in Johnson City, Tennessee on January 24th at 1PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The National Breast Cancer Foundation or Wounded Warriors, organizations that Mike felt strongly about.

Boating safety course scheduled

BENICIA – The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 53 of North Solano County, is offering a boating safety class on Saturday at the Benicia Yacht Club, 400 E. Second St.

“The class will satisfy the new law, effective Jan. 1, that requires all boat operators 50 years of age or younger to take a certified safe boating class and carry the California Boater Card to operate a motorboat,” the Coast Guard Auxiliary said in a statement.

The class runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A closed book exam follows. Registration is required.

For more information, contact Margie Balch, coordinator, at (925) 768-1608 or go to www.cgaux.org.

Treasure Island Scavenger Hunt coming to Western Railway Museum

SuSan Hiland SHILAND@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY —

The Western Railway Museum will embark on a Treasure Island Scavenger Hunt adventure that will reveal the truth about the Treasure Island Museum.

Visitors will search for clues on the historic railway cars to unlock the history of the museum.

The hunt will end with a special display by the Treasure Island Museum from which visitors can learn more about

the history and how the island connects to railroads and transportation.

The hunt begins in the visitor center, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Jan. 14.

The Western Railway Museum is located at 5848 Highway 12, east of Suisun City.

The Treasure Island Museum will also be conducting a costume contest via its Instagram, so be sure to come dressed in your pirate best.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.wrm.org.

STA offering college internship positions

SUISUN CITY — The Solano Transportation Authority is accepting applications for college internships fpr the the Solano Sustainable Transportation Equity Project in Vallejo.

The deadline to submit an application is Jan. 27.

“The intern will spend six months to 1 year supporting STA as (it partners) with the city of Vallejo, SolTrans and other communitybased organizations as

(it works) to systemically embed transportation equity programs and projects within the city,” STA said in a statement.

“The Programs intern will be a key stakeholder as part of the SolSTEP internal team providing research, data analysis and general support to STA staff. The intern will also assist in community outreach, marketing and public relations support through various media channels to help promote and create awareness of the SolSTEP project.”

The employment period will be through June.

To apply, go to https:// sta.ca.gov/apply/.

ARMY VETERAN

NAVY VETERAN

MARINE

Daily Republic file (2011)

The Western Railway Museum is seen in 2011.

State’s snowpack at decade high, reservoirs still down; what about the drought?

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Amid a brief pause in the onslaught of winter storms slamming into California, state water officials trudged through fresh snow at Echo Summit, south of Lake Tahoe, on Tuesday to confirm what more than a hundred sensors across the Sierra already show: the California Sierra snowpack is at a decade high for this time of year.

“Our snowpack is off to one of its best starts in the past 40 years,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of the California Department of Water Resources’ monthly snow surveys, at news conference on Echo Summit.

And the bounty will continue to grow as several feet of snow is expected to hit parts of the mountain range in the coming days, a welcome start to winter as California struggles through a third year of drought. The Golden State relies on melting snowpack each spring for about a third of its water supply.

On Tuesday across the Sierra, California’s snowpack was at a staggering 175% above normal for this time of year. At Echo Summit, the snowpack measurement came in a shade higher, at 177% of average. But sky-high early snowpack does not guarantee that the Golden State will escape the drought. Last year and in 2013, above average snowpack at the start of the New Year did not translate into end of season highs.

In both years California’s snowpack ended in a significant deficit, prolonging drought conditions.

And although those gathering on the 7,000 foothigh summit were elated about the record-break-

ing snow haul, reservoirs at lower elevations tell a different story. Many of California’s biggest reservoirs are significantly below average for this time of year, despite last week’s storm.

A Bay Area News Group analysis of the state’s biggest reservoirs found that water storage levels yesterday were 27% lower than the 20-year average for that date. And that analysis includes 11 years of drought.

The deficit is being fueled by water shortages at some of Northern California’s biggest reservoirs. The Shasta Reservoir is at 34% total capacity, which is only 57% of the historical average. The Oroville Reservoir is faring slightly better, at 38% of total capacity which is still only 72% of the historical average.

“Frankly, I’m more interested in the precipi-

tation than the snowpack because the reservoirs are so empty down below,” said Jay Lund, professor of Civil and Environmen tal Engineering at UC Davis. “Last year at this time, we’d had more precipitation.”

That’s right, even after last week’s down pour, there has been less precipitation statewide this year compared to last year. And last year the state ended the rainy season with a major water deficit despite an earlyseason deluge.

If the Golden State gets enough precipitation to lessen drought conditions, it can lead to another problem, which we are seeing this week — floods.

“Really worst case scenario is that this pattern just keeps going… where it just becomes an unrelenting series of storms hammering, and then that’s where we really

start worrying about how much water is sitting in the landscape,” said Michael Anderson, state climatologist with California Department of Water Resources, at a press conference Tuesday. “Watch that weather forecast because it’s going to be key to how things play out next.”

Court order puts temporary hold on State’s fast food bill

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

A Sacramento Superior Court judge has placed a temporary hold on a bill aimed at boosting wages and protections for California’s fast-food workers, which had been set to go into effect Jan. 1.

The Dec. 30 order prevents the law from being implemented until the court has a chance to hear the case and decide whether to grant a preliminary injunction. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13.

The move comes in response to a Dec. 29 lawsuit filed by Save Local Restaurants, which seeks to prevent the state Department of Industrial Relations from implementing the law while signatures are being verified for a referendum that would put it on hold until November 2024 when voters can decide the outcome.

The coalition of restaurant and business trade groups is adamantly opposed to Assembly Bill 257, also known as the FAST Recovery Act. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the legislation, authored by Assemblymember Chris Holden, D- Pasadena, on Sept. 5, 2022.

“Over 1 million Californians have made clear they want their say on this flawed measure, which would raise food prices and cost their communities needed jobs,” the group said recently.

The coalition says it has gathered more than 1 million signatures opposing the implementation of AB 257. It needed 623,000 signatures by Sunday, Dec. 4. The state has until Jan. 25 to verify the signatures.

If the court decides on Jan. 13 that the law

can move forward, AB 257 could potentially take effect. But California Secretary of State Shirley Weber will also determine whether or not there are enough signatures to halt it until the November 2024 referendum.

In a Dec. 27 declaration, Katie Hagen, director of the Department of Industrial Relations, said her agency was ready to enact AB 257.

“If and when the referendum challenging AB 257 qualifies for the ballot, the law will be put on hold,” Hagen wrote. “But in the absence of clear authority providing that AB 257 is suspended merely upon submission of unverified signatures, DIR has an obligation to proceed with implementing the duly enacted statute.”

AB 257 opponents have argued that, as the referendum process is well underway, it renders

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Estate Planning

Kenneth James/California Department of Water Resources/TNS photos

Second from the right, Sean de Guzman Chief of the California Department of Water Resources Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Section, Andy Reising, right, and Anthony Burdock left, both California Department of Water Resources Engineers in the Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit, work the measurement phase of the first media snow survey of the 2023 season, as California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth watches the survey at the Phillips Station site in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Jan. 3.

Anthony Burdock, left, and Sean de Guzman right, work the measurement phase of the first media snow survey of the 2023 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Jan. 3.

California hospitals still stressed as flu, RSV, Covid remain at high levels

Los A ngeLes Times

LOS ANGELES — The start of the year is bringing with it a mild reprieve in the so-called “tripledemic,” but some Southern California hospitals remain stressed by the still-high circulation of flu, Covid-19 and RSV.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is still so busy that it cannot always accommodate transfers of patients from other hospitals, according to Dr. James Stein, the facility’s chief medical officer, in a statement.

And hospitals in Orange County, California’s third most populous, have been facing higher staff shortages over the prior week, with so many employees calling out sick, Orange County health officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong wrote in an email Thursday.

However, despite some continued strains, there are signs that conditions are improving. Statewide flu activity is still considered “very high,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but has notably improved from the start of December.

“After a quick severe start to this year’s flu season, it is a relief to see lower levels of flu activity,” said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. “Nonetheless, it’s important to remain aware that the current level of flu activity, based on what we’re seeing from our surveillance lab, is still really high. So this year’s flu season (is) not yet over.”

Wastewater data from

the L.A. County Department of Public Health suggests flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, have peaked and are beginning to decline.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is also reporting similar trends. The RSV positivity rate there is 10.6%, down from this season’s peak of 35.3% for the week of Oct. 23. The flu positivity rate at the pediatric hospital is 10%, down from the season’s peak of 18.6% for the week of Nov. 20, according to Dr. Michael Smit, the facility’s hospital epidemiologist and medical director of infection prevention and control.

However, it’s not a given that recent trends will continue through the early part of winter. Because L.A. County is “likely to continue to see high levels of flu activity,” Ferrer said Thursday, “we should be prepared for another peak later this winter after schools resume session.”

One of the best ways to thwart the flu is to get vaccinated, officials and experts say, and Ferrer noted that this year’s offering “is a good match for currently circulating strains, and it will provide important protection.”

In L.A. County, at least 23% of residents age 6 months and older have received their seasonal flu shot, according to data reported in the government immunization registry. The figure is an underestimate, since reporting flu vaccine data to authorities is not mandatory; other estimates suggest the figure is probably closer to 40%, Ferrer said.

“It’s not too late to get

the seasonal flu vaccine if you haven’t already done so,” she added.

The same goes for the coronavirus, which also remains at a heightened level despite recent declines. L.A. County reported 2,359 coronavirus cases a day for the seven-day period that ended Friday, down 9% from the prior week. That’s still more than double the rate from the first week of November, but significantly less than the autumn peak of 3,929 cases a day, recorded during the first week of December.

On a per capita basis, L.A. County’s latest coronavirus case rate is 163 cases a week for every 100,000 residents. A rate of 100 or more is considered high.

Like with flu, officials say it’s possible there could be a second peak of Covid-19 after the New Year as workers and students return from winter break.

The L.A. County Department of Public Health is urging workers and students to wear masks for at least 10 days in indoor public settings following their return to work and school, in hopes of blunting a possible second wave.

Given that winter holiday travel and celebrations could lead to increased transmission, similar to what we experienced after the Thanksgiving holiday, we do continue to ask residents to layer in protections over the next few weeks – including masking, testing, frequent handwashing and staying home when sick,” Ferrer said.

What California can learn from wave of storms

California, particularly Northern California, was walloped by a major winter rain and snowstorm last week and meteorologists expect that high levels of precipitation will continue for at least another week.

Despite some damage and at least one death from local flooding and tree-toppling high winds, the storm and the predictions of more to come are welcome relief from what had appeared to be a prolonged drought.

There are lessons to be learned from this watery wave, if Californians and the politicians they have elected pay attention, to wit:

n Despite great advances in technology and data collection, weather forecasting is still an imperfect science. Until the storm hit, meteorologists had expected that a phenomenon known as La Niña would continue to block Pacific fronts from reaching the state and thus continue the drought.

That said, there’s no guarantee that the 2022-23 season will be a wet one. A year ago we had a similar spurt of precipitation, but it did not continue into the spring.

n Erratic precipitation makes it very difficult for reservoir managers to decide how much water to release and how much to retain for future use. For example, Folsom Lake near Sacramento was scarcely a third full when the storm hit, but the Bureau of Reclamation tripled releases to 24,000 cubic feet a second, worried about the reservoir’s ability to absorb runoff in the American River’s Sierra watershed.

n Folsom’s increased releases are another indication that California lacks enough water storage to cope with precipitation cycles that are becoming less predictable due to climate change. If we had built the additional storage that water managers had long proposed – Auburn Dam upstream from Folsom, for example –it would have meant less guesswork when opportunities arose to capture water from heavy storms.

Preliminary construction had begun on Auburn Dam when, during the 1970s, it was abruptly halted. Other storage projects have been on the drawing board for decades, such as Sites Reservoir on the west side of the Sacramento Valley. Were Sites a reality today, it would be absorbing excess flow from the Sacramento River, banking water for when it would be needed in the future.

n The “atmospheric river” now watering California underscores the state’s vulnerability to catastrophic flooding.

Last year, a massive study was released, suggesting that climate change creates an ever-increasing risk of megafloods that would cause untold death and destruction.

It is the latest update to studies that originated from the historic flooding that struck California during the winter of 186162, when California had been a state for scarcely a decade.

As the study noted: “This event, which was characterized by weeks-long sequences of winter storms, produced widespread catastrophic flooding across virtually all of California’s lowlands – transforming the interior Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys into a temporary but vast inland sea nearly 300 miles in length and inundating much of the now densely populated coastal plain in present-day Los Angeles and Orange counties.”

If such a prolonged deluge occurred again, researchers Xingying Huang and Daniel Swain, wrote, it “would likely produce widespread, catastrophic flooding and subsequently lead to the displacement of millions of people, the long-term closure of critical transportation corridors and ultimately to nearly $1 trillion in overall economic losses.”

Again, the American River’s situation illustrates the threat. Officials say that Folsom Lake’s capacity, nearly 1 million acre-feet, is too small to protect Sacramento from such a disaster. One rationale for Auburn Dam had been to provide another layer of flood protection.

Will politicians heed the lessons from the current period of prolonged precipitation or continue disengaged business as usual?

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

THE OTHER SIDE

A calming change for 2023

Happy new year! No, I’m not making any huge resolutions. Unlike my brothers, I’m not going to be plant-powered like Tony or have mani-pedis like Orvis or get in fights at my daughter’s basketball games like my younger brother Scott.

(I’m kidding. He didn’t get into a fight. It’s a long story.)

I’m an easygoing guy, but I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older, my inner get-off-my-lawn curmudgeon is starting to rear his head. So I’m going to try to be more Zen. Let things go.

For instance, my Raiders decided to scapegoat quarterback Derek Carr and get rid of him as if their perennially horrible defense, coaching carousel and shoddy playcalling are all on him. I was hot. But it’s a business. And the play of backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham and the sheer terror the silver and black struck in the hearts of 49ers fans this past week made it easier to let it all go.

But the horrific, traumatic collapse of Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin this past Monday night really put it all in perspective. Football is just entertainment. Let it go.

If I needed more reasons to take a deep breath and embrace the Zen in 2023, during the big New Year’s Eve storm, a huge pine tree crashed down inches from my truck. People were calling saying, “Did you see how close that came to your truck?” But

COMMENTARY

my truck is an insured possession. It’s a thing. I’m not one of those overcompensating truck owners who view their massive trucks as an extension of their manhood. It just gets me from A to B and tows my RV. That’s it.

Tony has gifted me and my brothers with Cameos the past three Christmases. For those unfamiliar with Cameo, you can buy a short video message from a celebrity. Do you want a shoutout from Dionne Warwick? $230. A birthday greeting from Billy Dee Williams? $350. Survivor 43 winner Mike Gabler? $55.

For Tony’s birthday Jan. 2, I wanted to gift him a hard rock Cameo like Living Colour lead singer Corey Glover. But since Tony is a big Ronnie James Dio fan, I chose Dio’s drummer Vinny Appice. Dio himself passed away from cancer in 2010 so I figured this was the next best thing. Appice also played drums for Black Sabbath and was the last drummer to perform with John Lennon before his death.

Days later I received a message that the video was ready and I played it back. There’s Vinny Appice dressed all in black like a heavy metal drumming god. Awesome. Then he starts talking, “Hey, this video is for Kevin. . .” What? No, it isn’t. It’s for TONY. I told you that. And by the way, my name is KELVIN, not Kevin. I stopped the video without watching the rest and contemplated dropping my phone

in the toilet.

I was fuming, thinking, “I should’ve picked Corey Glover!” How could Vinny Appice screw this up? I’d read about this happening to other people and some contacted the talent and got them to record a new video. But I was out of time. Cameo itself doesn’t make it easy to correct these kinds of miscues.

How did he botch this? In filling out the Cameo form it asks who the video is for and who it’s from. Plus, they even let you upload a 20-second video to give them more information, which I did. I made it clear this was for Tony.

Hours later, I watched the rest of the video. Appice talked about Dio’s first performance at the Concert Barn in Antioch in 1983, which Tony attended. He mentioned a few other things, including Tony’s two recent books. Toward the end of the video, he recognizes his mistake. “This isn’t for Kevin. This is for Tony. Tony! Kevin’s the brother.” OK, my name still isn’t Kevin but I thought it was cool that he caught his mistake and found it hilarious that he didn’t do the video over. I knew then that Tony would get a kick out of that.

I just had to chill and let it go. That’s my 2023 mantra. What’s yours? Peace.

Kelvin Wade, a writer and former Fairfield resident, lives in Sacramento. Reach him at kelvinjwade@ outlook.com.

Millennials follow boomers to the South

Americans picked up and moved south in droves during the pandemic, pre sumably motivated by remote work and a desire for cheaper housing and more wide-open spaces. So why, two years after the Covid crisis began, did the number of people moving to the South keep setting records in 2022?

While remote work trends have persisted, recent data released by the U.S. Census Bureau showed that more people were going back to the office in 2022 than in 2021 – yet the great southern migration hasn’t slowed. So we need to think bigger.

The pandemic has clouded two other major factors in domestic migration that boil down to an aging population and regional housing prices.

Key metro areas in the U.S. Northeast and West are finally surpassing the stratospheric home-price levels from the mid-2000s. Meanwhile, millennials and baby boomers now find themselves in a different phase of life, with different needs and wants, than in the 2010s when migrating to the South wasn’t as popular.

Those needs and wants are part of what determines which cities and regions appeal to which population groups. New York City and San Francisco are great places to live for a certain kind of ambitious young person who doesn’t need much space to live in. The suburbs of Atlanta and Charlotte are great for 30- and 40-somethings with kids who value having a lot of living space over nightlife. And Florida’s balmy weather is an attractive destination for many retirees from colder climes.

And while these placebased dynamics may not have changed much over the past decade, the phases of life of America’s two biggest generational cohorts has. In 2010 the U.S. had a lot of 20-somethings and not many 30-somethings or 60-somethings. That was good news for cities, but less so for traditional suburban and retirement destinations.

In 2022, that’s no longer the case. Yesterday’s 20-somethings have become today’s 30-somethings, making suburban living more desirable. That’s friendlier turf for the South to compete on than when the biggest bulge of young millennials were looking for apartments to start their careers. There’s a tool from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University that lets you visualize this by state and age cohort. The shift from the under-26 age bucket to 35 to 44 shows a pronounced tilt away from New York, Illinois and California toward Texas, Florida and other states in the Southeast.

For members of the baby boomer generation, the biggest change over the past few years isn’t just aging, it’s that many homeowners are finally “in the money” on homes they bought at the height of the housing bubble in the mid-2000s. While home prices in many affluent parts of the country have soared over the past decade (even before the pandemic) to well above mid-2000s levels, a lot of places were still behind.

According to the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index, for instance, values in the New York City metro area didn’t eclipse their 2006 peak until November 2020. Even in Los Angeles – which

has a lot of divergences in its metro area between the coast and some of the harder-hit inland communities – prices were only 7% above 2006 peak levels in February 2020.

So for millions of homeowners all over the country, particularly older owners, the huge increase in home values during the pandemic finally gave them the home-equity cushion to make an interstate move that they might have been wanting to make for years. It’s a kind of pent-up migration demand that the pandemic finally unlocked.

The housing market adjustment that we’re going through right now brought about by higher mortgage rates might slow this down for a bit. But a retiree in New York or California looking to move to Florida or Texas will see the impact on the market from higher mortgage rates as a nuisance more than a reason to cancel their plans, and retirees don’t need to worry about a potential downturn in the labor market.

Even if 2023 turns out to have a pullback in migration due to the slump in overall housing market activity, we should still expect migration flows from the Northeast and West to the South to be greater in the 2020s than they were in the 2010s, when most millennials were starting their careers and boomers had a lot less equity in their homes.

The big question now is whether the South can build enough housing to keep up with the demand.

Conor Sen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is founder of Peachtree Creek Investments and may have a stake in the areas he writes about.

Dan Walters

Kelvin Wade

Conor Sen

(707) 427-1386

De Armas, Porter, Tarantino among Golden Globes presenters

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Ana de Armas, Billy Porter and Quentin Tarantino are set to add some star power to next week’s Golden Globes.

They’ll be among the big-name presenters at the Jan. 10 awards show at The Beverly Hilton in Southern California, organizers announced Tuesday.

Tracy Morgan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Colman Domingo, Ana Gasteyer, Natasha Lyonne, Niecy Nash-Betts and Nicole Byer will also present awards at the ceremony honoring the year’s best in film and television.

The Golden Globes return to NBC this year after the network dropped coverage of the 2022 show due to con-

troversies surrounding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the event. The HPFA didn’t have a single Black member, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2021, and has since added 103 voters from different backgrounds for the 2023 show.

De Armas is a twotime Golden Globes nominee, including this year for best actress in a drama film for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in “Blonde.”

Porter is a three-time nominee for the series “Pose.” Tarantino is a three-time winner in the best screenplay category for “Pulp Fiction,” “Django Unchained” and “Once Upon a Time. . . in Hollywood,” which also won best musical or comedy in 2020.

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú

FTX founder Sam

Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty in criminal crypto case

The WashingTon PosT

NEW YORK — FTX

founder and fallen cryptocurrency guru Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty through his attorney at his arraignment Tuesday on charges he misappropriated billions of dollars, defrauding customers and investors in companies he controlled while allegedly concealing his illegal handling of funds. A trial date was also scheduled for later this year.

It was the second courtroom appearance in Manhattan for Bankman-Fried, 30, who was extradited from the Bahamas last month and has been under a house arrest order on a $250 million bond for

nearly two weeks. Bankman-Fried is wearing an ankle monitor and is required to remain at his parents’ home in Palo Alto, Calif., except for court appearances and exercise sessions.

He arrived at the courthouse more than an hour before his case was called, surrounded by a pack of photographers as he climbed out of a black SUV.

At the proceeding, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is now overseeing the case, granted anonymity to two parties who are slated to join Bankman-Fried’s parents in endorsing his bond. Bankman-Fried was previously ordered to have two more guarantors for his bond by Jan. 5, including at least one nonrelative.

ballots but ultimately lost ground was shocking –and potentially fatal to his diminishing path to the speakership.

The House speaker election hasn’t required multiple ballots on a floor vote since 1923, when then-Rep. Frederick Gillett, R-Mass., was elected on the ninth ballot.

Rep. Steve Scalise’s, R-La., nomination did nothing to improve McCarthy’s vote totals in the third round. Nor did Jordan‘s nomination in the second round, despite the respect he’s earned from the party’s conservative wing as a co-founder of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.

changes. That figure ballooned to 20 by the third roll call. How the weekslong stalemate between the majority of the House Republican Conference and the growing pocket of conservative antagonists will be resolved remains unclear after three rounds of votes.

later nominated Biggs for speaker, to muted applause in the chamber.

for speaker in November against Biggs, by 188-31. The full GOP leadership slate elected in November included Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana as majority leader, Tom Emmer of Minnesota as majority whip, Stefanik as conference chair and Richard Hudson of North Carolina as chair of House Republicans’ campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee.

From Page One

While the storm coming in Wednesday and Thursday is significant, Pechner said there is even more to come.

“The longer range models are of great concern

because they are mostly in sync showing rain on and off at least until midmonth and maybe beyond. This is likely to exacerbate flooding problems here and throughout Northern California and Central California,” he said.

He said the area should be prepared for flooding, mudslides and other problems.

“I think Kevin McCarthy’s the right guy to lead us. I really do, or I wouldn’t be standing up here giving this speech,” Jordan pleaded to colleagues in his nominating remarks. “Kevin told me the toughest times in life are when you get knocked down. The question is can you come back. And I’ve always seen him be able to do that.”

At noon, when the 118th Congress formally convened, officials were seen removing the metal detectors that Pelosi had installed outside the floor in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. But by the time the second roll call completed shortly after 3 p.m., the chamber still lacked new leadership.

On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., celebrated a historic feat of his own, delivering floor remarks to commemorate his new record as the longest-serving leader in the upper chamber.

Only the speaker’s post requires a full vote of the House, during which the winning candidate must receive a majority of all members present and voting. If McCarthy can’t secure enough votes, it’s not clear who could win enough support for speaker, though some Republican members have floated the possibility of working with Democrats to elect a moderate speaker.

From Page One

tax deduction for 2022, too.

The first baby born in the Bay Area was to a Pleasant Hill couple, at a Kaiser Permanente center in Walnut Creek, at 12:06.

Ezekiel Laviolette is the first born to Eric and Allison Laviolette. He weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces.

The first baby at a Kaiser hospital in Solano County arrived at 1:43 a.m. in Vacaville. Sean Edgar Maddox Chatman is born to Sean and Alexis

Chatman, and is named after his grandfather and great-grandfather, the hospital reported. He weighed 8 pounds and was 20 inches. He was the first of six New Year’s babies at the Vacaville hospital.

The first baby at Kaiser Vallejo arrived at 2:52 a.m., the first of three babies at that hospital. No other information was available.

Sutter Health does not currently offer labor and delivery services in its Solano facility. David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base expects to resume services on Jan. 9.

It’s not clear, however, that McCarthy can come back from three failed roll call votes – particularly without moving the needle even a single degree in his direction. Shortly after Jordan nominated McCarthy, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., sitting just steps away from McCarthy, rose to nominate Jordan instead. Conservative Republicans who had voted for alternatives in the first round of balloting voted in unison the second time around for Jordan and picked up slightly more support for him in the third round.

A small number of conservative Republicans had for weeks vowed to oppose McCarthy on the floor when the new Congress convened, even as he continued to negotiate with members and make concessions on rules

The House’s failure to elect a speaker on the first ballot would throw into chaos the beginning of a divided government in Washington, delaying the swearing-in of members of the House as well as votes on the rules that will govern the new Congress.

The splits within the GOP were evident even before the roll was called. Gaetz, Reps. Bob Good of Virginia and Andy Biggs of Arizona remained seated as most Republicans stood and applauded New York Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nominating speech for McCarthy.

Democrats, in contrast, were in complete unity as Rep. Pete Aguilar of California stood up to nominate Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who has little chance of becoming speaker in a House Republican majority. Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona

Crime logs

FairField

From Page One

in February.

Kyiv had spoken of 400 killed and 300 injured in the Makiyivka attack. It is impossible to independently verify information from either side.

According to Sevryukov, the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher used by Ukraine in the attack had been located and destroyed.

The general staff said that Russian units in the village of Fedorivka were also hit on Jan. 1. The number of casualties is still unclear.

Fedorivka and Chulakivka are both located on the southeastern side of the Dnieper River in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson region.

On Tuesday, a funeral service held in the Russian city of Samara for the soldiers killed in the attack was used as a pro-war rally by pro-Kremlin groups.

“We are crushing the enemy,” said one of the

speakers, the wife of a general, in comments to local media. Some 500 people gathered at the event, the report said.

Images show the artillery strike destroyed the building.

There was criticism on Russian social networks of the country’s own military leadership, which accommodated the soldiers in a very confined space that was close to where weapons and ammunition were being stored.

Meanwhile, British military experts say it is unlikely that Russia will achieve a major breakthrough near the embattled Ukrainian town of Bakhmut in the coming weeks.

The Ukrainian troops had strengthened their positions, the Defense Ministry wrote in a daily intelligence update on Tuesday.

According to the update, Russian attacks have recently eased – after reaching a temporary peak in mid-December. “Both sides have suffered high casualties,” the report said.

FRIDAY, DEC. 30

7:43 a.m. — Grand theft, 400 block of VIOLET COURT 9:10 a.m. — Hit—and—run property damage, 1700 block of ENTERPRISE DRIVE 9:11 a.m. — Battery, 1500 block of OLIVER ROAD 9:22 a.m. — Reckless driver, EASTBOUND INTERSTATE 80 9:35 a.m. — Battery, 4900 block of BRITTANY DRIVE

9:50 a.m. — Grand theft, 800 block of EAST TRAVIS BOULEVARD 10:56 a.m. — Vandalism, 2100 block of TILDEN PLACE 12:28 p.m. — Vandalism, 200 block of EAST ALASKA AVENUE

12:56 p.m. — Hit—and—run property damage, 5000 block of BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE

2:08 p.m. — Vandalism, 1200 block of TABOR AVENUE

2:11 p.m. — Hit—and—run property damage, 1700 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 2:36 p.m. — Trespassing, 3300 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

3:26 p.m. — Grand theft, 1300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 3:49 p.m. — Forgery, 300 block of HOPKINS DRIVE

6:11 p.m. — Indecent exposure, 1200 block of OLIVER ROAD

6:40 p.m. Battery, 1500 block of OLIVER ROAD 7:10 p.m. — Reckless driver, SECOND STREET

7:28 p.m. — Reckless driver, 100 block of DEL SUR COURT 9:24 p.m. — Trespassing, 1900 block of BRISTOL LANE 10:25 p.m. — Drunken driving, UNION AVENUE

10:40 p.m. — Fight with a weapon, 3700 block of LYON ROAD

SATURDAY, DEC. 31

10:54 a.m. — Grand theft, 2500 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

11:17 a.m. — Vandalism, 400 block of PITTMAN ROAD 11:24 a.m. — Commercial burglary, 1100 block of WESTERN STREET 11:28 a.m. — Vehicle theft,

5000 block of FULTON DRIVE 12:01 p.m. — Reckless driver, BLOSSOM AVENUE 12:51 p.m. — Battery, 100 block of DEL SUR COURT 1:15 p.m. — Battery, 100 block of DEL SUR COURT 2:09 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 1400 block of WEST TEXAS STREET 2:27 p.m. — Forgery, 1200 block of QUAIL DRIVE 4:28 p.m. — Hit—and—run property damage, 2700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 4:43 p.m. — Commercial burglary, 2500 block of HILBORN ROAD 4:57 p.m. — Battery, 2700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 6:12 p.m. — Grand theft, 2500 block of HILBORN ROAD 6:21 p.m. — Shots fired, 200 block of HAMILTON DRIVE 6:44 p.m. — Grand theft, 2100 block of RASMUSSEN COURT 7:12 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 500 block of YARROW COURT 7:39 p.m. — Battery, 900 block of OHIO STREET 8:43 p.m. — Shots fired, NORTH RIDGEFIELD WAY 8:46 p.m. — Hit—and—run with injury, PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE 11:23 p.m. — Assault with a deadly weapon, NEITZEL ROAD

SUNDAY, JAN. 1 12:20 a.m. — Shots fired, 200 block of ALASKA AVENUE 12:33 a.m. — Battery, 4300 block of CENTRAL PLACE 1:39 a.m. — Reckless driver, FALCON DRIVE

2:43 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, EAST PACIFIC AVENUE 6:37 a.m. — Commercial burglary, LINK ROAD 8:08 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 2900 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 8:55 a.m. — Hit—and—run property damage, 2700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 10:50 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 1300 block of OLIVER ROAD 11:58 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 1100 block of QUAIL DRIVE 12:32 p.m. — Forgery, 1300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 1:11 p.m. — Trespassing, 2000 block of CADENASSO DRIVE 1:27 p.m. — Brandishing a weapon, 900 block of DANIEL

Although Republicans lost the White House in 2020, the Senate in 2021 and a Senate seat in the 2022 midterms, McCarthy has guided House Republicans to gains in the previous two cycles. He has traveled the country raising huge sums of money and tying himself closely to former President Donald Trump, who himself has been unable to persuade conservative members of the House to back McCarthy for speaker, a powerful post that would put him second in line to the presidency behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

House GOP candidates fell far short of expectations last cycle, leaving the party with a razor-thin 222-212 majority over Democrats until the late Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va., is replaced in a special election later this year, likely by the Democratic nominee. And Democratic leaders are already bullish on their prospects for taking back control of the chamber in 2024.

McCarthy handily won an internal House Republican Conference vote

STREET 2:28 p.m. — Trespassing, GULF DRIVE 2:43 p.m. — Battery, 1500 block of UNION AVENUE 3:34 p.m. — Shooting into a dwelling, 1100 block of ALASKA AVENUE 3:35 p.m. — Commercial burglary, 200 block of PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE 4:30 p.m. — Hit—and—run property damage, 1900 block of AMELIA LANE 4:47 p.m. — Shots fired, WATERMAN BOULEVARD 8:34 p.m. — Drunken driving, 1300 block of CROWLEY LANE 9:23 p.m. — Forgery, 500 block of EAST TRAVIS BOULEVARD 10:10 p.m. — Reckless driver, WESTBOUND INTERSTATE 80 10:26 p.m. — Hit—and—run property damage, 1300 block of CROWLEY LANE 10:33 p.m. — Shots fired, 700 block of SEQUOIA DRIVE 11 p.m. — Indecent exposure, 1500 block of PHOENIX DRIVE MONDAY, JAN. 2 2:20 a.m. — Drunk and disorderly, 1400 block of WEST TEXAS STREET 2:23 a.m. — Residential burglary, 300 block of AUBURN COURT 8:09 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 2000 block of CARDINAL WAY 10:36 a.m. — Grand theft, 2000 block of SAN SALVADOR STREET 11:07 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 1400 block of HOLIDAY LANE 11:49 a.m. — Grand theft, 4900 block of VANDEN ROAD 11:55 a.m. — Commercial burglary, 800 block of EAST TRAVIS BOULEVARD 2:00 p.m. — Robbery, 1900 block of WEST TEXAS STREET 2:49 p.m. — Reckless driver, EASTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY 2:58 p.m. — Trespassing, 2500 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET 3:44 p.m. — Battery, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD 4:46 p.m. — Indecent exposure, 1300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 4:51 p.m. — Forgery, 800 block of EAST TRAVIS BOULEVARD 5:30 p.m. — Trespassing, 2000

The chaos on the House floor only feeds into Democrats’ narrative that House Republicans are incapable of governing.

After the House chaplain’s prayer – and before the roll call votes for speaker commenced –reporters seated above the House floor in the gallery heard Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., say, “Let the show begin.” And during his vote, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., cast his vote for the “current vote leader,” Jeffries.

“The 118th Congress has yet to begin and Americans are already seeing how dysfunctional and disastrous GOP control of the House is going to be,” Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, chair of the the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee – House Democrats’ campaign arm – said in a statement.

“While House Republicans fight one another in unprecedented ways, and Kevin McCarthy gives into the most extreme flanks of the Republican party in desperate plays for their support, Democrats are clear minded, unified and eager to get to work for the American people.”

block of CADENASSO DRIVE 6:31 p.m. — Battery, 900 block of JEFFERSON STREET 8:13 p.m. — Robbery, 1300 block of GATEWAY BOULEVARD 8:55 p.m. — Trespassing, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD 9:34 p.m. — Indecent exposure, 300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD 9:41 p.m. — Residential burglary, 1900 block of GRANDE CIRCLE 10:48 p.m. — Trespassing, 1300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD

SuiSun City

SATURDAY, DEC. 31 5:37 a.m. — Shooting into an inhabited dwelling, BUENA VISTA AVENUE 6:52 a.m. — Shots fired, 900 block of FRANCISCO DRIVE 11:57 a.m. — Assault, 200 block of RAILROAD AVENUE 5:14 p.m. — Vandalism, 700 block of DRIFTWOOD DRIVE 7:03 p.m. — Shots fired, GOLDEN EYE WAY/GADWALL DRIVE 8:11 p.m. — Trespassing, MAIN STREET

SUNDAY, JAN. 1 12:06 a.m. — Shooting into an inhabited dwelling, BUENA VISTA AVENUE 1:23 a.m. — Reckless driver, SEAGULL DRIVE/PELICAN WAY 1:32 a.m. — Vandalism, MAIN STREET

2:02 a.m. — Assault, 1200 block of MAYFIELD CIRCLE

1:51 p.m. — Shooting into an inhabited dwelling, 800 block of GREENHEAD WAY 2:43 p.m. — Burglary, 1100 block of WEST STREET

3:21 p.m. — Reckless driver, WORLEY ROAD/CANVASBACK DRIVE

MONDAY, JAN. 2

1:31 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 1300 block of WORLEY ROAD 3:14 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 1300 block of BLOSSOM AVENUE 11:05 a.m. — Assault, 1100 block of WHIPPORWILL WAY 12:03 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 800 block of BLUE BILL WAY

Win McNamee/Getty Images/TNS U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reacts as Representatives cast their votes for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C, Jan 3.

the law unenforceable. They also fear implementation of the law would undermine California’s referendum process.

“The state Constitution guarantees a process for voters to reconsider laws passed by their leg-

islature,” Sean Kennedy, a spokesman for the National Restaurant Association, said in a statement. “The DIR’s disregard for the rule of law is an insult to the democratic process.”

AB 257 would create a 10-person, state-run council to negotiate wages, hours and working conditions for the more than half a million fast-food workers in California.

Welcome to Alejandro’s Taqueria!

Located in Downtown Fairfield, Alejandro’s Taqueria offers a large variety of authentic Mexican dishes. Breakfast includes: Huevos Rancheros, Huevos con Chorizo ahd Huevos con Jamon. Their daily lunch special includes a choice of one of the following: Taco, Tostada, Chile Relleno, Enchilada or Tamale with rice and beans. Dinner Plates include traditional dishes such as: Carne Asada, Chile Verde, Pastor or Carnitas. Also available is Mariscos/Seafood ranging from Fajitas de Camaron, Coctel de Camaron, Caldo de Camaron and Mojarra and much much more!

In addition Burritos, Tostadas, Super Nachos, Chimichanga, Tortas, Quesadilas and Flautas are also included in their menu.

Saturday and Sundays; Birria (BBQ Goat) and Menudo is served.

Bills’ Damar Hamlin in critical condition after cardiac arrest

Sam Farmer LOS ANGELES TIMES

The NFL took the unprecedented step of suspending play Monday night after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field in Cincinnati, and – while shocked and weeping teammates watched – was administered CPR, defibrillated and transported by ambulance to a hospital. The team later said he suffered “a cardiac arrest” following a tackle.

Hamlin, 24, climbed to his feet after making a jarring but otherwise unremarkable tackle of Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, then stumbled and seemed to lose consciousness as he fell backward to the turf. From the various TV angles, the impact of the tackle did not appear to be to Hamlin’s head or neck but to his chest.

Players who saw Hamlin lying face up and motionless frantically called for medical personnel, and an ambulance was brought onto the field.

Players from both teams formed something of a human wall around the scene, many in tears. The stunned crowd anticipating one of the biggest showdowns of the NFL season watched in near silence, the game only nine minutes old, with Cincinnati leading 7-3. Dozens of players from both teams formed a circle and knelt in prayer. The game was halted with six minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

Early Tuesday in Buffalo, the

team issued the following update via Twitter:

“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the [ University of Cincinnati] Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

Medical personnel reportedly performed CPR on Hamlin for nine minutes, including the use of an automated external defibrillator. At some point, the player was intubated, clearing the way for him to get oxygen, various media reports said.

“This is where every second or minute counts,” said Dr. Rigved

Chico State’s women’s basketball game at Stanislaus had local ties

m att miller MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Three athletes with local ties saw action on New Year’s Day as the Chico State women’s basketball team played at Stanislaus State.

Senior guard Myli Martinez (Vanden) had a season-high 19 points and hit four 3-pointers to lead the Wildcats to the 64-62 win in Turlock. Martinez hit a free throw with 14 seconds remaining to put Chico State up by the final two-point margin. She also finished with one rebound and three assists.

For Stanislaus, junior guard Ashmeen Sran

(St. Patrick-St. Vincent/ Solano) had 14 points, four rebounds and one steal. Sophomore forward Joia Armstrong (Vanden) added 10 points, one rebound, three assists and one blocked shot.

Freshman guard Jiana Creswell (Vanden) is a teammate of Martinez at Chico, but did not see action in this game.

Here’s a look at others at four-year colleges, or in the pros:

Junior forward Milia Gibson (Rodriguez) had three rebounds in 18 minutes of action for Mississippi Valley

US soccer investigates coach’s claim of blackmail

K evin Baxter LOS ANGELES TIMES

U.S. Soccer said Tuesday it launched an investigation into a potential blackmail plot involving men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter during last month’s World Cup in Qatar.

In a lengthy social media post from an account U.S. Soccer said belonged to Berhalter, the coach said the federation was contacted by an unnamed individual during the tournament who said “they had information about me that would ‘take me down’ – an apparent effort to leverage something very personal from long ago to bring about the end of my relationship with U.S. Soccer.”

In the post, Berhalter, whose contract with U.S. Soccer ended Saturday, admitted to a physical altercation with his wife, Rosalind, outside a bar when both were 18. During the altercation, which occurred in

1991, Berhalter kicked Rosalind in the legs. The incident was never reported to the authorities and Berhalter said he sought counseling on his own.

The couple began dating more than a year later and were married in 1999.

“There are zero excuses for my actions that night; it was a shameful moment and one that I regret to this day,” Berhalter wrote.

In a separate statement, U.S. Soccer said it learned of an allegation against Berhalter on Dec. 11 and hired the Atlanta-based law firm of Alston & Bird LLP to conduct an independent investigation in that matter as well as “potential inappropriate behavior towards multiple members of our staff by individuals outside of our organization.”

“We take such behavior seriously,” the statement continued, “and have expanded our

Draymond Greene: Klay ‘looked like old Klay’ in big win

m adeline K enney BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SAN FRANCISCO —

On some of his hardest days during his rehabilitation from back-to-back leg injuries, Klay Thompson envisioned himself with the ball in his hands in late-game scenarios, rising to the occasion in crunch time and putting the team on his back.

But even as he hoped to have big career nights into his 30s after returning from two major injuries, Thompson still had doubts whether it would actually happen.

“Those are the moments you really live for as a competitor, as a basketball player,” Thompson said Monday night. “Hard to see those at times during the rehab process.”

That’s what makes games like his 54-point outing in the Warriors’

rousing 143-141 double-overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks so rewarding for Thompson and special to witness for those who saw him at some of the lowest points of his career.

One week shy of the one-year anniversary of his return from 2 1/2-year absence due to injury, Thompson delivered a heroic performance Monday for the depleted Warriors, who were missing six players including stars Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins.

Thompson, 32, gave Golden State a muchneeded boost and showed shades of his pre-injury self, scoring 16 points in the opening quarter and 22 by the half before finishing the game with a career-tying 21 made field goals on a career-

Shanahan gave 49ers a rare unscheduled off day Monday

It’s common for NFL head coaches to give players the next day off as a reward for a win, what’s known around the league as a “ Victory Monday.”

However, it’s not so common for Kyle Shanahan, who was asked Monday if he could be labeled “stingy” when it came to giving the San Francisco 49ers an unofficial post-win holiday.

“Yes,” Shanahan said. “It has nothing to do with being . . . yeah, I guess that’s the right word.”

Shanahan, however, granted

his team a rare “Victory Monday” after its 37-34 overtime triumph on Sunday at Las Vegas. What got into the coach? Shanahan wanted the 49ers to get some extra rest before ramping up for this Sunday’s regularseason finale against the visiting Cardinals, a game that could net the 49ers a massive prize: a victory bye week.

Before his day-off announcement in Las Vegas, Shanahan began his postgame lockerroom address by relaying some more good news to his players: The Vikings (12-4) had lost to the Packers, which allowed the

49ers (12-4) to jump from the No. 3 seed to the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, and the Eagles (13-3) had lost to the Saints, which kept the 49ers in contention for the top seed. The No. 1 seed in each conference receives a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the playoffs.

“I said it first thing to the guys in the locker room,” Shanahan said, “so they know what the deal is this week.”

On Monday, the NFL announced the start times for Sunday’s games, news which was delayed due to playoff implications. The 49ers will host Arizona

(4-12) at 1:25 p.m., which is when the Eagles will host the Giants. The 49ers can grab the No. 1 seed with a win and a Philadelphia loss. Meanwhile, the Vikings will visit the Bears at 10 a.m., meaning the 49ers – if Minnesota loses – could be locked in as at least the No. 2 seed before they kick off against the Cardinals.

Shanahan said the chance to vault to the No. 1 seed – or slip back to No. 3 – meant he would give no consideration to resting key players on Sunday.

“If you have neither of those (scenarios), then I think there’s more of discussion on this week,”

Shanahan said.

The 49ers could welcome back All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel (knee, ankle) and running back Elijah Mitchell (knee) against Arizona, but they could be without two starters who were injured against the Raiders.

Left guard Aaron Banks suffered sprains to his knee and ankle and will miss at least a week, Shanahan said. The outlook is murkier for linebacker Dre Greenlaw (back), their leading tackler who

Dylan Buell/Getty Images/TNS

Buffalo Bills players look on after teammate Damar Hamlin (3) collapsed on the field after making a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Monday night.

INSIDE More coverage on Monday’s incident and the impact felt around the world. Page B3.

Courtesy of Chico State

Vanden High School graduate Myli Martinez continues to make an impact on the court at Chico State.

eric Branch SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

CALENDAR

Wednesday’s TV sports

Basketball College Men

Iowa State vs. Oklahoma, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

TCU vs. Baylor, ESPN2, 6 p.m.

NBA

Atlanta vs. Sacramento, NBCSCA (Vacaville and Rio Vista), 7 p.m.

Detroit vs. Golden State, NBCSBA (Fairfield and Suisun City), 7 p.m.

Milwaukee vs. Toronto, ESPN, 4:30 p.m.

Miami vs. L.A. Lakers, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Hockey NHL

New Jersey Devils vs. Detroit, TNT, 4 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning vs Minnesota, TNT, 6:30 p.m. Soccer EPL

Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham, USA, Noon.

Thursday’s

Basketball College Men

TV sports

SMU vs.Houston, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

Oregon vs. Colorado, ESPN2, 6 p.m. USC vs. UCLA, ESPN, 6:30 p.m.

Gonzaga vs. San Francisco, ESPN2, 8 p.m. NBA Boston vs. Dallas, TNT, 4:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers vs. Denver, TNT, 7 p.m.

Hockey NHL

Washington vs. Columbus, ESPN, 4 p.m.

Solano men fall to Marin, despite Cobbs’ big night

Daily Republic Staff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

ROCKVILLE — Jonathan Cobbs scored a game-high 38 points to go with 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals, but the Solano Community College men’s basketball team fell Tuesday 104-93 to visiting Marin.

Cobbs was one of four players in double-figures for the Falcons. Matthew Elliott had 17 points and five rebounds. Isiaha Randle added 13 points and four rebounds. Leon Fong contributed 10 points.

Solano fell to 3-11 overall and 1-2 in the Bay Valley Conference. Daniel Fagan had 26 points and 10 rebounds for Marin. Blake Murray scored 20.

The Falcons were only outscored 42-21 in the second half but couldn’t rebound from a 62-52 deficit at halftime.

Solano will play Thursday at Mendocino.

Boys Basketball Jesse Bethel hoops team now 12-2

VALLEJO – The Jesse Bethel High School boys basketball team concluded its preseason schedule with a 12-2 record, including the consolation title at the four-day Damian Lillard Tournament in Oakland over the weekend.

The squad lost its tournament opener, 59-47, to Seattle Prep – Christian Trusclair scored 17 points, Hassan Howard added 13 points and Dwight Stricklen pulled down 11 rebounds – but followed that with three straight wins, the team reported.

Trusclair poured in 25 points, with 5 rebounds and 4 assists, while Kenneth Brown added 14 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists and Howard had 12 points and 5 assists in the 66-61 win over Skyline (Oakland), the team reported.

The Jaguars followed that with a 54-36 victory over Fremont (Oakland). Trusclair again led with 25 points and 4 assists, while Howard had 14 points, Dwight Stricklen contributed with 13 rebounds and 7 points and D’Aarion Brown had 5 assists, the team reported.

In the consolation title game, a 42-41 nailbiter over Castro Valley, Trusclair dumped in 15 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, while D’Aarion Brown scored 9 and dished 5 assists and Stricklen had 9 rebounds to go with 8 points, the team reported.

Bethel laces them up on Thursday for a road game at John Swett in Crockett. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.

Vanden JV wins Dixon Ram Jam

FAIRFIELD — The Vanden High School junior varsity boys basketball team won the championship of the Dixon Ram Jam tournament with a 59-17 win Friday over Sonoma Valley.

Caleb Rafan was named the tournament most valuable player.

Logan Bailey was all tournament. Vanden improved to 7-5.

The Vikings beat El Dorado 72-16 in the semifinals. Bailey scored 28 points in that one and Malachi Vines added 11.

Kings’ Murray is Rookie of Month

tRibune content agency

Kings forward Keegan Murray received his first NBA Rookie of the Month award Tuesday following a string of impressive performances in December.

Murray, who came out of Iowa as the No. 4 pick in

the 2022 NBA draft, was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month. Murray averaged 12.7 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 46% from the field and 46.4% from 3-point range over 14 games in December.

Scoreboard

Oklahoma City 150, Boston

BASKETBALL

NBA

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

W L Pct GB Boston 26 12 684 Brooklyn 25 12 676 ½ Philadelphia 22 14 611 3 New York 20 18 526 6 Toronto 16 21 432 9½ Central Division W L Pct GB Milwaukee 24 13 649 Cleveland 24 14 632 ½ Indiana 21 17 553 3 Chicago 16 21 432 7½ Detroit 10 30 250 15 Southeast Division W L Pct GB Miami 20 18 526 Atlanta 17 20 459 2½ Washington 17 22 436 3½ Orlando 13 24 351 6½ Charlotte 10 28 263 10 WESTERN CONFERENCE Northwest Division W L Pct GB Denver 24 13 649 Portland 19 17 528 4½ Utah 19 21 475 6½ Minnesota 17 21 447 7½ Oklahoma City 16 21 432 8 Pacific Division W L Pct GB SACRAMENTO 20 16 556 L.A. Clippers 21 18 538 ½ Phoenix 20 18 526 ½ GOLDEN STATE 20 18 526 ½ L.A. Lakers 16 21 432 4 Southwest Division W L Pct GB Memphis 23 13 639 New Orleans 23 14 622 ½ Dallas 22 16 579 2 San Antonio 12 25 324 11½ Houston 10 27 270 13½ Monday’s Games GOLDEN STATE 143, Atlanta 141, 2-OT N.Y. Knicks 102, Phoenix 83 L.A. Lakers 121, Charlotte 115 Cleveland 145, Chicago 134, OT Indiana 122, Toronto 114 Philadelphia 120, New Orleans 111 Brooklyn 139, San Antonio 103 Houston 106, Dallas 111 Minnesota 124, Denver 111 Portland 135, Detroit 106 Miami 110, L.A. Clippers 100 Tuesday’s Games SACRAMENTO 117, Utah 115 Milwaukee 123, Washington 113

HOCKEY

NHL

EASTERN CONFERENCE Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Carolina 38 25 7 6 56 121 99 New Jersey 37 23 11 3 49 124 97 N.Y. Rangers 39 21 12 6 48 127 108 Washington 40 21 13 6 48 131 113 Pittsburgh 37 19 12 6 44 122 111 N.Y.

FOOTBALL

NFL

Orleans 20, Philadelphia 10 Tampa Bay 30, Carolina 24 Cleveland 24, Washington 10 Seattle 23, N.Y. Jets 6 Green Bay 41, Minnesota 17 L.A. Chargers 31, L.A. Rams 10 Pittsburgh 16, Baltimore 13 Monday’s Game Buffalo at Cincinnati, Suspended Week 18 Saturday’s Games Kansas City at Las Vegas, 1:30 p.m. Tennessee at Jacksonville, 5:15 p.m. Sunday’s Games Arizona at SAN FRANCISCO, 1:25 p.m. Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 10 a.m. New England at Buffalo, 10 a.m. Minnesota at Chicago, 10 a.m. Houston at Indianapolis, 10 a.m. N.Y. Jets at Miami, 10 a.m. Carolina at New Orleans, 10 a.m. Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 10 a.m. N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia, 1:25 p.m. Dallas at Washington, 1:25 p.m. L.A. Chargers at Denver, 1:25 p.m. L.A. Rams at Seattle, 1:25 p.m. Detroit at Green Bay, 5:20 p.m.

Giant’s Sabean, architect of three title teams, leaves for the Yankees

Ron K RoichicK SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Longtime San Francisco Giants executive Brian Sabean, the team’s general manager when it won three World Series championships in five seasons, left the organization Tuesday to accept an advisory position with the New York Yankees.

Sabean, 66, filled a similar role with the Giants the past four years, but he clearly was not satisfied with the extent of his involvement.

“I expected to be more involved, and in some cases it didn’t turn out that way,” Sabean said on a Zoom call with reporters. “At my age, I still have great passion for the game. I needed to be in a place I could give back, be a mentor and contribute at any time.”

Later in the call, he added of his Giants role, “Obviously, with new regimes there are different group dynamics, wants and needs. It became what it was. . . .I’m just thankful to get an opportunity (with the Yankees). At my age, it’s all about being wanted and needed.”

Sabean had been with the Giants for 30 years, including 22 seasons (1997-2018) as head of baseball operations. San

Francisco made the playoffs eight times during his time at the helm, including four National League pennants and World Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ‘14.

Ahead of the 2019 season, when Farhan Zaidi took over as president of baseball operations, Sabean slid into a behind-the-scenes job as executive vice president and senior adviser, working on strategic initiatives. He acknowledged he was heavily involved in the amateur draft, saying, “That was a main focus and something I really enjoyed.”

As his contract neared its expiration in October, Sabean expressed some “family needs” and inter-

ests to Zaidi and CEO Larry Baer. They agreed he should look at other organizations.

Sabean indicated a private matter with his extended family made living on the East Coast appealing. He mentioned potentially moving to Florida, where the Yankees have their spring-training headquarters in Tampa.

The Yankees appointed Sabean to a role as executive advisor to Brian Cashman, the team’s longtime senior vice president and general manager.

Sabean spent eight years in New York’s front office before he joined the Giants, including time as director of scouting and vice president of player

development/scouting.

Sabean and the Yankees did not specify his duties, though Sabean said it would be “a natural” to help with the amateur draft.

“It’s up to Cash,” Sabean said. “I hope to be a utility tool and voice opinions when needed. I’m all-in. I’ll do anything to help the Yankees win another World Series.

.

. . It’s a little bit emotional and overwhelming, a strange twist of fate after 30 years to rejoin the organization I started with.”

The Giants released a statement reading in part, “The San Francisco Giants would like to extend (their) deepest gratitude to Brian Sabean for his enormous contributions to our organization and wish him the best of luck on his new position with the New York Yankees.

“Brian has been a pillar of our game and a cornerstone of this franchise for 30 years and we are extremely appreciative of his leadership and the legacy he leaves behind. As head of the baseball division from 1997-2018, Brian was the driving force behind one of the most successful eras in the club’s history. ... We truly believe he’s a Hall of Fame-worthy executive in every sense of the word.”

Rays’ proposal would add sun to park

John Romano TAMPA BAY TIMES

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — An open-air baseball stadium in Florida in the summer doesn’t work. A retractable roof is expensive and can chew up too much space and scenery.

So where does that leave a potential ballpark in St. Pete?

If the Rays have their way, with a concept and design unlike anything else in Major League Baseball today.

A designer with Populous and a structural engineer with Walter P. Moore offered the Tampa Bay Times a glimpse on Tuesday of the preliminary plans for a new stadium on the Tropicana Field site that is part of a bid with Hines that is among four development pitches St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch is considering.

The idea is a ballpark that offers a more flexible fan experience than a traditional bleacher seat you sit in for nine innings. The stadium would have windows and movable doorways to promote an outside/in – or inside/out – feel to the building, and fans will be able to wander throughout the stadium.

While the centerfield dining area at Tropicana Field has been trans-

formed in recent years to more of a food hall concept, the new stadium design would enhance that by turning the back wall into windows and doorways that would allow ticket holders to step in and out of the ballpark.

“It’s not so much about opening up to the sky,” Populous principal Zach Allee said. “We want to invest in our views out and bringing the community in.”

The plan is still in its early stages, so the design could change, but the current renderings show several levels of seating that would include outdoor terraces that fans could utilize before, during or after games.

“Everyone would love to have outdoor baseball here in Tampa, but it’s just not feasible with our weather and lightning. We would have more games missed than played,” said Walter P. Moore senior project manager Dylan Richard. “This will allow you to be inside and still be able to feel like you’re outdoors and experiencing baseball.”

Rays owner Stuart Sternberg has been insistent on a more intimate feel to a stadium, which means capacity will likely be in the 30,000 range, making it the smallest ballpark in the majors.

But those 30,000 tickets would not necessarily be traditional row seating with armrests or entire levels of luxury suites. Instead, there will be different versions of table seating, living room-like boxes, bar seating and standing-room only sections.

The stadium would be built on the east side of the current Tropicana Field property and is designed to integrate with the live/work/play concept of the multiuse development.

“We’ve been exploring ideas of third base being what we have called a park/concourse,” said Allee. “We’ve looked at designing the concourse, really, like a city sidewalk. So the Rays have been open to having it open on non-game days so people can walk around and engage.

“On one side you’ll be able to look out and see Booker Creek and parks and palm trees, and on the other side you’ll be able to look out and see the field.”

The roof, at its peak, would be about 270 feet above the playing surface and would taper down to 135 feet at the edges over the seating areas. With the installation of StatCast cameras around every park, Richard said designers have been able to track every ball hit at the park.

Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group/TNS file (2019) Brian Sabean, former general manager of the San Francisco Giants, watches the team take batting practice during spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2019.

Impact of collapse will be long-lasting for the NFL

K aren GureGian BOSTON HERALD

Eventually, the NFL will move on. It always does.

But the chilling scenes that played out in Cincinnati on Monday night, with Bills safety Damar Hamlin lying on the ground, with medical personnel feverishly trying to save his life, will never be forgotten by those who were there, as well as those who weren’t.

Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest presumably from the jolt he took making a common football play as he collapsed following his tackle of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.

The images were so real, raw, and dripping with emotion as Hamlin was administered CPR.

Rival quarterbacks Josh Allen and Joe Burrow embraced. Some players knelt in prayer while others stood in stunned silence, with tears streaming down their faces.

Staring at one’s mortality is both daunting and haunting. It shakes you to the core.

Naturally, the overriding concern is for Hamlin, who remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. That’s where everyone’s thoughts and prayers reside.

But the aftershocks remain, and will for a very long time.

If you’re a player, how do you get past this? How do you move on once play resumes? Or even practice? That’s how jarring and traumatic that scene was at Paycor Stadium.

The Bills and Bengals will have the toughest time dealing with the emotional and mental aspects, and the hope here is that every team will provide support for its players, whether it’s the Patriots, who are expected to meet the Bills in Orchard Park on Sunday, or any of the other 31 NFL teams.

“It was hard to watch. As tough as we all like to think we are, that was different,” said former Patriots linebacker and current radio personality Ted Johnson. “There’s going to be a lot of guys questioning how much longer they want to play. That play is going to have an impact. The fact that you could see it on national TV, it was a big game, it was right there, we all saw it and that’s what makes it so profound. Because it sure looked like that hit is what caused heart failure.

“We all think we’re invincible, and then man, you see that, and realize, ‘Oh, you’re not.’ Guys lose

their edge a little bit.”

To a degree, some of that has already happened with players given all the information and postcareer concerns now known about suffering concussions. This will trigger even more hesitation.

They will no doubt have some serious discussions with their spouses and families this week about their futures in wake of what happened to Hamlin.

Is football really worth the risk?

The Patriots have a very strong leadership group, and it’s hard not to imagine several captains, be it Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, David Andrews, Deatrich Wise, Ja’Whaun Bentley or Mac Jones, addressing the situation in some fashion.

With the Patriots headed to Buffalo for Sunday’s game, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick might also feel compelled to speak with the team. Or perhaps some of the assistants will jump in. As it is, the Patriots postponed an expected media availability with the coaches on Tuesday. Chances are, they’re dealing with this internally, which is the right way to go.

This isn’t something to just sweep under the rug.

The players are going to be confronting the issues, whether internally, or externally.

“My guess is, guys retire sooner than they ever have,” Johnson said, looking at the big picture. “The money is four times greater than it ever was, working conditions are as good as they’ve ever been, but guys now know more about the risks

than they ever did, so I think guys might look to retire sooner, rather than later … this is just one of those events where guys, if they were thinking about playing one more year, they might now be saying, ‘No, I’m good.’ ’’

The league has made strides with respect to the health and safety of its players. It still isn’t perfect, but operational measures and protocols are in place or have been added, especially with regard to concussions.

But there’s nothing any protocol can do to prevent what happened Monday night. There’s no protection for a player who makes a relatively routine play, and winds up needing life-saving measures after suffering cardiac arrest.

There have been a few cases in the past that have left an imprint. Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley being unable to get up after taking a vicious hit from then-Oakland Raiders safety Jack Tatum. Stingley suffered a broken neck, and spent the rest of his life as a quadriplegic before dying from complications at 55.

Detroit Lions receiver Chuck Hughes suffered a heart attack in 1971 with less than a minute left in a game against the Chicago Bears. He died in a nearby hospital a little more than an hour later.

In both of those cases, play resumed. It didn’t Monday night in Cincinnati. That has never happened before.

It’s something both the players, as well as the league, will have to deal with.

Toy drive receives millions in donations

ChuCK SChilK en LOS ANGELES TIMES

An online charitable fundraiser set up more than two years ago by Damar Hamlin has received more than $4.1 million in donations since the Buffalo Bills safety collapsed on the field last night on “Monday Night Football.”

Hamlin, a sixth-round draft pick out of Pittsburgh in 2021, climbed to his feet after tackling Cincinnati Bengals receiver

Tee Higgins, then fell back to the turf and seemed to lose consciousness. He was administered CPR, defibrillated and transported by ambulance to a hospital. The team later said he had suffered “a cardiac arrest” following the tackle and “is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

The incident played out in front of stunned fans watching at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati and millions more on national television. Since then,

many people have come across a GoFundMe page Hamlin set up in December 2020 to support a Pittsburgh-area toy drive.

Hamlin’s initial goal for the fundraiser was $2,500. An archived version of the GoFundMe page shows it had raised just under $3,000 shortly before his collapse Monday night. But the response since then has been phenomenal, with the fund serving as an outlet for more than 154,000 people looking for a way to express

unlucky and had the wrong type of injury at the wrong time that caused structural or electrical heart issues.”

their concern.

“This fundraiser was initially established to support a toy drive for Damar’s community, sponsored by the Chasing M’s Foundation,” an update to the GoFundMe page read Tuesday morning. “However, it has received renewed support in light of Damar’s current battle and we can’t thank all of you enough.

“Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us.”

Damar,” Vincent said.

Cardiologist explains what happened to injured Hamlin

Jean m arbella THE BALTIMORE SUN

A matter of milliseconds might have been the difference between Damar Hamlin continuing on to the next play rather than collapsing and in need of lifesaving measures.

“If you get hit in the chest,” University of Maryland Medical System cardiologist Dr. Scott Jerome said, “if it happens between heartbeats in a very small window, it can put the heart in ventricular fibrillation.

“The heart stops beating,” said Jerome, an assistant professor of medicine.

Hamlin, a safety for the Buffalo Bills, was in critical condition Monday night after suffering cardiac arrest in a collision with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. He got up but then collapsed, and as those in the stadium and a “Monday Night Football” audience watched aghast, medical personnel administered CPR and an automated external defibrillator, or AED, was used on him. He was taken by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment,” the Bills said in a statement around 2 a.m. Tuesday. “He is cur-

rently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

Jerome, who was not watching the game but looked at replays, said late Monday night that it appeared that Hamlin suffered commotio cordis, Latin for “agitation of the heart,” from being struck in the chest at a particular time in the heart rhythm cycle. That causes an interruption in the heart’s electrical signal, and cardiac arrest.

“It’s a very narrow window,” Jerome said. The phenomenon has been seen in youth baseball and in lacrosse when balls strike players in the chest, he said.

And indeed, on April 16, 2021, Loyola Blakefield defenseman Peter Laake was struck in the chest by a shot during a game against McDonogh and collapsed. Team staff and two doctors in the stands rushed to treat him, using an AED, before he was taken to a hospital. After a brief hospital stay and tests, he was cleared to play.

Young athletes are more vulnerable compared with older, professional athletes who are more capable of absorbing the blow.

Commotio cordis is rare, with fewer than 30 cases reported every year, according to an article in the National Library of Medicine.

Jerome said the prognosis should be “pretty good” for Hamlin, given that “they have all the medical equipment on the field.”

NFL: Bills-Bengals game will not be resuming this week

Sam Farmer LOS ANGELES TIMES

The NFL has not made a decision about the possible resumption of the Buffalo-Cincinnati game –suspended Monday night after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest – only that the pivotal AFC showdown will not be completed this week.

The league has not made any changes to the Week 18 schedule.

The Bills, Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs are in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the conference, which means that a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason remain

up for grabs. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the decision not to resume the game this week after speaking with NFL Players Assn. leadership and representatives of both the Bills and Bengals.

Many members of the Bills returned to Buffalo after Monday night’s game was suspended, although some stayed in Cincinnati to be close to Hamlin, who remains in critical condition at University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

“The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date,” the league said in a statement.

Tadwalkar, a cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, speaking generally about a lack of oxygen to the brain.

“The amount of time that you don’t perfuse the brain is a higher possibility of having irreversible brain damage in those first several minutes that we would really want to have a successful resuscitation.”

Tadwalkar, while careful not to attempt to specifically diagnose Hamlin from afar, said the injury appeared to have the hallmarks of catastrophic chest trauma.

“If there appeared to be head trauma, then that would open the door to other things,” he said. “But outside of that, it would likely be one of these things: Either he had some type of undiagnosed condition and this was sort of a routine play that kind of pushed things over the edge, or he was perfectly fine and was

Hamlin’s family was at the game, and according to various reports, his mother rode in the ambulance with her son to University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the only Level 1 trauma hospital in the region. The medical facility is about two miles from the stadium.

The field was cleared, with both teams returning to their locker rooms. Bills coach Sean McDermott and Bengals coach Zac Taylor convened outside the visitors’ locker room and spoke by phone to league officials in New York, and the NFL officially suspended play at 7:01 p.m. Pacific, 66 minutes after the injury occurred.

Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations and a former player, said on a late-night conference call that he was in constant communication with the coaches, game officials and Commissioner Roger Goodell.

“We just wanted to make sure that we were doing right by

NFL executives said on the conference call that they would have no updates Monday night on Hamlin’s condition, nor will they make any immediate decisions about when the game might be finished. There is one week remaining in the regular season, and the Bills- Bengals game is critical in deciding whether one of those teams, or the Kansas City Chiefs, will earn a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

Jeff Miller, the NFL executive vice president who oversees health and safety issues, said every team has an emergency action plan that is rehearsed each season, including an ambulance and airway-management physician on site for every game.

“From an emergency action plan perspective, things worked as designed,” Miller said. “It was terrific collaboration both with the team medical staff and the independent medical providers who are on site there if something happens.”

During the hour before that announcement was made, the reaction on social media was swift and strident, with #Call-

theGame trending on Twitter and players around the league voicing their sympathy and support of Hamlin and his family.

“The game is not important. Damar Hamlin’s life is important,” Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt tweeted. “Please be ok. Please.”

Hamlin attended the University of Pittsburgh, and Pitt Football tweeted: “Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3. Praying for you.”

Concern about the situation stretched well beyond the NFL. Lakers star LeBron James said: “My thoughts and super prayers go up to the skies above for that kid’s family, for him, for that brotherhood of the NFLand everybody a part of the NFL family.”

Later Monday night, a video circulated of Hamlin happily jogging to a roped-off area on the sideline before a recent game and hugging a woman, possibly his mother, and posing for a selfie with her.

Fans of both teams gathered in vigil outside the hospital. Though the Bills were scheduled to return to Buffalo on a mid-

night flight, some players opted to stay in Cincinnati to be closer to their fallen teammate.

Those who decided to go back to New York arrived about 2:45 a.m. Tuesday at Buffalo Niagara International Airport amid a heavy police presence, the Associated Press reported. A small group of fans gathered across the street from the players’ parking area near the airport. Police blocked off the road to allow the players to leave.

Hamlin’s family released a statement Tuesday morning, expressing “our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time” and thanking the first responders and healthcare professionals who have “provided exceptional care to Damar.”

“We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans around the country,” the family wrote.

“Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us.”

The family wrote that it would provide updates on Hamlin’s condition as they become available.

Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images/TNS file

Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills gestures towards the crowd during the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Highmark Stadium on Nov. 13, 2022, in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Don’t Rule Out a Career Too Soon

Dear Annie: Kids today are pushed too early to make career decisions. The first two years of college are a good time to take different courses to see where one’s interest lies. A major can easily be declared as a junior, and ample credits can be accumulated in that discipline in the last couple of years.

I took a career test in school that said I should be a forest ranger. Instead, I became a nurse with a business degree. One son thought his major would be math, but he ended up with an English degree. A daughter initially failed a Spanish test, but she graduated with a major in Spanish and linguistics. Another son has a degree in psychology, but he is building houses today. A grandson who struggled with math all through school is getting his masters in financial counseling. We push too hard and too soon, and few people going to college are ready to make decisions about their future without further life experience. Many people change careers more than once in their adult lives.

Career counseling has its place. A neighbor’s son was dissatisfied after the degree he chose and the job it led to after college graduation. He then became a successful car salesman. We seem to be rushing kids into adulthood and perhaps inappropriate decisionmaking way too soon. The adult brain isn’t fully formed until around age 25. It’s OK to take time to decide. — StressedOut Students

Dear Stressed-Out Students: There is much to be said for having a well-rounded education and not specializing at too young an age. It is very insightful of you to celebrate the fact that so many of what appeared to be your children’s failings ended up, one way or another, becoming some of their greatest accomplishments. Being patient and kind with ourselves will make us more patient and kind with students, allowing them to live the full experience of life.

Dear Annie: Guardianships save lives! With a guardianship, anyone can be confined in a safe environment. Using

Horoscopes

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

Differences are not the cause of stress, disagreement is. You choose the peaceable route, acknowledging that the world is a diverse place without taking issue with everything that is different.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Take time to work out a deal, but don’t dwell in the semantics because they are the least important aspect in play. The negotiation is about coming into a state of harmony with the other party and learning what you can agree on.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re focused on finding your next opportunity, which will lead you into interesting scenarios that seem made for you. Because you believe you’ll be lucky, you’ll find good fortune everywhere.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Until you’re the one inside the real-life experience, you just don’t know. For this reason, even though you find it difficult to relate to someone’s choices, you assume they have their reasons and leave it at that.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Whether the deal is better for you or the other person is beside the point. You seek to create interactions that increase the quality of your bonds. This principle will carry you through many beneficial exchanges.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Pretend you can psychically read the other person. What information do you imagine

by Holiday Mathis

Today’s birthday

A bright outlook lights your way. You don’t have to work at it. You’ve practiced optimism every day for years and can easily see wonders wherever you are. Lucrative deals come through from business that’s creative, risky and fun. More highlights: living near dear ones, hassle-free holidays and exotic travel. Gemini and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 30, 1, 11, 5 and 17.

you’re getting? Grant yourself permission to guess and suddenly you’ll find yourself with strong intuitive guidance.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

When you speak your truth, people will consider you brave. What they don’t understand is that you’re too passionate not to say what’s on your mind. It would be much harder to stay silent.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

Emotionally, you are like a sea creature. You’ve no fear of the open water, but the shallows can be dangerous. You’ll avoid getting beached by seeking to understand the depths of those who have depths to understand.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). Your dreams are like a net you toss out to the ether and bring back periodically to find out what they caught. New people, places and things will populate your life because of

their financial information, i.e., bank statements, credit card statements, jail records, etc., showing where they are spending their money will be used to prove they are unable to handle their life. The probate division of your local courthouse has names of professional guardians who can be assigned if no one in the family is willing and capable. Guardianships will be plenary, which is for personal care and financial, or general, which will be for one or the other. They can be dissolved when the person has passed the crisis. Lawyers for the person and guardian will be expensive, but people must make the decision of saving money or trying to save a life. The Veterans Administration covers costs for veterans and knows everything you need to help someone. It saved my son, and now he is healthy and very happy, thanks to the Veterans Administration. — Happy, Relieved! Mom.

Dear Relieved Mom: Thank you for this information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

the effort and strategy you put into today’s throw.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Pleasure is not the absence of pain. Similarly, doing just enough is not nearly enough for the kind of mood you’re in. You’ll go for the wow factor, or keep moving until you find something that’s worthy of your superstar effort.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Someone wants you to conform to their wishes, which you may find annoying, but in another way you see their conviction as admirable. It inspires you to figure out what you want, too. There’s a chance of overlapping interests.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You can see the end goal in your mind’s eye, and this helps you be tenacious. You would have lost heart long ago without this clarity of vision. Paint the picture for one who is having trouble seeing as well as you do.

CELEBRITY PROFILES:

Capricorn Louis Braille changed the world with his invention of a tactile writing system adaptable to almost any language. Braille was a determined Capricorn with the communication planet Mercury in Capricorn as well and Venus in future-thinking Aquarius. As a tribute to his accomplishments, NASA has named an asteroid in the innermost regions of the asteroid belt “9969 Braille.”

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Bridge

by Phillip Alder

sequence. West led the heart five, and East put up the king. How should South have proceeded?

First, declarer counted his top tricks, seeing eight: three spades, one heart, two diamonds and two clubs. He needed one more winner.

Seeing that that could come from either black suit, declarer won the first trick with the heart ace and immediately cashed his three top spades. When West discarded a diamond, South continued with three rounds of clubs. However, East won the last, and West discarded another diamond. Now the spade jack and a heart through declarer’s jack-four produced five more tricks for the defense: down two. South looked at the West hand. “I knew it,” he moaned. “After the spades, if I had taken my four minor-suit winners and exited with a diamond, West would have been endplayed to give me a trick with the heart jack.

Sorry, partner.”

ENDEAVOR TO RENDER THE ENEMY HARMLESS

Elsa Maxwell, who was a gossip columnist, once said, “Enemies to me are the sauce piquante to my dish of life.” She would have been an avid bridge player, particularly enjoying the deals on which it was imperative to keep one enemy – opponent – off the lead.

On today’s deal, South reached three no-trump after a transfer

Sudoku

“That was a guess,” pointed out North. “But you have a much better line available that alleviates guesswork. Just cross to dummy in either minor at trick two and play a spade to your eight. You keep East, the danger hand, off the lead and set up a fourth spade trick in the process.”

Don’t allow the enemy’s sauce piquante – their strong suit – to upset your stomach – I mean, your contract.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

by Wayne Gould

ENDEAVOR TO RENDER THE ENEMY HARMLESS

Fill 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 www.sudoku.com

Elsa Maxwell, who was a gossip columnist, once said, “Enemies to me are the sauce piquante to my dish of life.” She would have been an avid bridge player, particularly enjoying the deals on which it was imperative to keep one enemy – opponent – off

Annie Lane Dear Annie

Jeremy Renner was ‘helping someone stranded in the snow’ before snowplow accident

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Jeremy Renner

“was helping someone stranded in the snow” on New Year’s Day when he was run over by his own snowplow in Nevada, according to Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.

Schieve told the Reno Gazette Journal that the Marvel actor got out of his snowplow in order to assist a person traveling by car Sunday on Mt. Rose Highway. The Gazette Journal reported that Renner keeps a snowplow at his residence located near the highway on the side of a snowy mountain.

Renner “is always helping others,” said Schieve, who received a call after the snowplow accident occurred Sunday morning. “He’s always calling and saying, ‘Hey Mayor, what do you need?’” she added.

The two-time Oscar nominee was the only person involved in the snowplow accident and was airlifted to a hospital Sunday in critical condition. After undergoing surgery Monday, Renner was in critical but stable condition, according to his representative, who said he suffered “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries.” CNN reported that Renner

underwent two surgeries for “extensive” injuries. Schieve considers herself a friend of Renner and vouched for his frequent contributions to the Reno-area community. Though his philanthropy is rarely publicized, Shieve said, the “Hurt Locker” star has given to multiple charities.

“There are a few times he’ll post about what he has done or donated toys,” the mayor told the Reno Gazette Journal, “but most of it you would never know he is doing.”

Renner is known for portraying Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has also starred in acclaimed films such as “The Hurt Locker,” “The Town,” “American Hustle” and “Arrival.”

“Jeremy’s family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff, Reno City Mayor Hillary Schieve and the Carano and Murdock families,” his loved ones said Monday in a statement.

“They are also tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans.”

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos

Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images/TNS file

Actor Jeremy Renner arrives for the world premiere of “Avengers: Endgame” at the Los Angeles Convention Center, April 22, 2019.

Looking ahead to 2023 in music:

Expect drama and excitement, with or without a pandemic

GeorGe VarGa THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

SAN DIEGO — The world of music won’t lack excitement or drama in 2023, with or (let us hope) without any pandemic surges.

The best-known lineup of San Diego-bred punk-pop trio blink-182 will kick off its first tour in nearly a decade. It begins with a March 11 open-air performance at Tijuana’s Imperial GNP Festival and include two June concerts at Pechanga Arena San Diego.

Adele and Beyoncé will again compete for top honors at the 65th annual edition of the Grammy Awards, which will be hosted for the third consecutive year by now-former late-night TV host Trevor Noah. Will the Grammys finally get it right, or will Beyoncé be the runnerup once more?

This will be the first time the Grammys have included a category for Best Song for Social Change. The category honors songs that promote “peacebuilding and empathy” with lyrics that address “a timely social issue and promotes understanding.” The nominees, which are being selected by a blue-ribbon panel, have not yet been announced, but expect controversy to ensue.

Congress will hold antitrust hearings on Ticketmaster and the lack of competition in ticketing markets for concerts and other live events. The hearings were prompted by the uproar that resulted after Ticketmaster canceled the general sale of Taylor Swift tour tickets in November, citing the “historically unprecedented” demand for them. Swift and her fans (and some of their parents) were understandably outraged.

Concert tours galore Speaking of concert tours, there are a plethora of them this year as artists continue to try and make up for all the canceled and postponed performances of 2020 and 2021.

Among the tours coming to San Diego are those by Morgan

Wallen, who will perform two Petco Park dates; Janet Jackson and Rod Stewart, both at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre; Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pink, both at the new Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley; and Ziggy Marley and Flaming Lips, both at The Sound, the 1,900-capacity Del Mar venue that opens in February.

And that’s just the tip of the musical iceberg. Also headed here are Graham Nash, They Might Be Giants and Natalie Merchant, all at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay; Maggie Rogers, Keshi and Earth, Wind & Fire, all at The Shell; Billy Strings, Goose and Ramon Ayala, all at SDSU’s Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre; Lizzo, YG, Paramore and SZA, all at Viejas Arena; and the Eagles, Ana Gabriel, Muse and Subtronics, all at Viejas Arena.

The number of major acts headed here increases exponentially when you factor in the return of the Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival, Baja Beach Fest and the Del Mar Fair Grandstand Stage concert series.

As in previous years and decades, some of the biggest tours are skipping San Diego. That means fans here must travel to attend concerts by Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Shania Twain, Ed Sheeran, the farewell tour Dead & Company, and a significant number of other top attractions.

One of the most anticipated musical performances of the year is, for now, a one-time only affair. On June 10, the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington will host “Joni Jam.”

It’s the first official concert by Joni Mitchell since 2000, following her hush-hush, unannounced surprise performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. She’ll be joined by Brandi Carlile, who became a close friend and collaborator after Mitchell suffered a nearfatal brain aneurysm in 2015.

Hip-hop turns 50

Few details are known yet

about what could well be one of the most significant events of the year – a national and worldwide celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

What is known is that two legendary rappers, Nas and Ice-T, are spearheading two separate anniversary celebrations and that both are seeking to cast as wide a net as possible.

Rapping itself can be traced back hundreds of years to the West African tradition of the griot, the oral historians who wrote and performed songs to document in music the past and present of their people. That tradition was extended in the late 1960s by such pioneering rap artists as The Last Poets in New York and The Watts Prophets in Los Angeles.

For modern historical purposes, the upcoming 50th anniversary of hip-hop is being pegged to the now-storied party held in a Bronx basement rec room on Aug. 11, 1973. That was when Clive Campbell – soon to be known as DJ Kool Herc –played two copies of the same vinyl record on side-by-side turntables. He moved back and forth, from one record to the other, to create the percussive, dance-friendly instrumental interlude (known as “breaks”) between the verses of the song he was spinning.

Planned tributes to mark the 50th anniversary include yetto-be-disclosed concerts and the continuation of the ongoing series of documentary films on the TV network Showtime. Also pending are a series of hip-hop soundtracks, produced by Swizz Beatz (the La Jolla-based husband of singer Alicia Keys), The-Dream and others.

If all goes as hoped, the celebrations will showcase rappers, DJs, graffiti artists, break-dancers, beat-boxers and more, both around the country and abroad. Considering how hip-hop has supplanted rock ‘n’ roll in musical dominance over the past two decades, it should be an anniversary worth remembering.

AFTER TECHNIQUE COMES FLEXIBILITY

If all bridge deals featured textbook plays, we would become bored very quickly. Luckily, there are many contracts that call for an abnormal approach. In these, usually it is important to consider the deal as a whole, not just one suit.

On today’s deal, West leads the heart king against South’s contract of

Sudoku

Bridge

AFTER TECHNIQUE COMES FLEXIBILITY

If all bridge deals featured textbook plays, we would become bored very quickly. Luckily, there are many contracts that call for an abnormal approach. In these, usually it is important to consider the deal as a

by Phillip Alder

three no-trump. What should be declarer’s plan of campaign?

North’s negative double showed exactly four spades. Often, with this heart holding, declarer would hold up the ace until the third round. But is that right here?

South has eight top tricks: four spades, one heart, two diamonds and one club. He can get his ninth winner from the club suit, except that he would be taking the finesse into West, the player with all of the hearts to cash. As the finesse rates to lose, declarer should engineer an endplay.

He wins the second round of hearts with the ace, checking whether East follows once or twice. Then South cashes his diamond and spade winners. This brings West down to five cards. Probably, he will discard one club and three diamonds, retaining three hearts and two clubs. If so, declarer leads a heart. West cashes his three winners but then must lead away from the club king at trick 12.

Seems straightforward, but a clever West will put South to a guess. He will discard the diamond four, the diamond queen and two clubs. If he does that, declarer must cash the club ace to drop the now-singleton king. If he gets that right, he has a story to tell his grandchildren. If he gets it wrong, West can relate the tale.

by Wayne Gould

Bridge

Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images/TNS file

Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell arrives for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, April 3.

Jim Harbaugh talks to Panthers about NFL return

Mike k aye THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh reportedly has his sights set on an NFL return, and that in turn has led to a conservation with the Carolina Panthers.

Harbaugh recently spoke with Panthers owner David Tepper about the team’s upcoming coaching vacancy, a league source confirmed to The Charlotte Observer.

Will Kunkel of Queen City News was the first to report the chat between the two parties.

According to The Athletic, multiple sources close to Harbaugh believe he will leave Michigan for the NFL if he is

Klay

From Page B1

high 39 attempts. He also drained 10 3-pointers in the process of recording his fourth career 50-pluspoint night.

“It was huge,” Draymond Green said of Thompson setting the tone early and carrying the team. “We needed all of them but the aggression that he came out with was really knocking shots down… allows us to create other offense off of him. He looked like old Klay.”

Thompson might’ve wondered what type of player he would be when he got back on the court after suffering a pair of career-altering injuries. But he never allowed those lingering questions to dim his competitive fire.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Thompson. He

offered a job. Harbaugh interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings head coach vacancy this past offseason, but he was passed over for Kevin O’Connell.

Harbaugh has coached at Michigan – his alma mater – since 2015. Prior to that, Harbaugh spent four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, leading the franchise to Super Bowl XLVII. Harbaugh and the 49ers lost that game to his older brother, John, and the Baltimore Ravens, 34-31.

Harbaugh was fired following the 2014 season, despite putting together a 44-19-1 regular-season record. He also coached the 49ers to a 5-3 record in the playoffs and only missed the postseason once during his

tenure – the 49ers finished 8-8 in his final campaign.

Harbaugh led the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff semifinals this season. His squad lost to the TCU Horned Frogs in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. He has posted a 74-25 record at Michigan. Prior to his stops at Michigan and the 49ers, Harbaugh had a successful stint as head coach of the Stanford football program from 2007 to 2010.

Harbaugh, on paper, checks several boxes for what most NFL owners are looking for in the modern NFL: He is a former NFL quarterback who is known for shepherding the position to success as a coach — specifically

with Andrew Luck at Stanford and Colin Kaepernick with the 49ers. He has previous success as both an NFL and college head coach. Most importantly, Harbaugh has proven to be an excellent offensive mind, which is something Tepper reportedly covets.

While Tepper’s first head coaching hire – Matt Rhule –flamed out, despite his success at the college level, Harbaugh’s background is more nuanced. Unlike Rhule, Harbaugh’s footprint in the NFL is marked in stone.

Harbaugh played 15 seasons in the NFL as a quarterback. He also never had a losing season as head coach of the 49ers. Har-

same Klay that you once were before, and when you understand that and you buy into that, then you become the Klay that you were before,” Green said. “We’ve all talked about this our entire lives which is letting the game come to you. And it’s a very big thing and when you’re as competitive as he is, when you’re as good as he is, it’s tough sometimes.”

That patience has paid off for Thompson.

Alumni

From Page B1

baugh also has loose ties to the Panthers: The final stop of his playing career was in Carolina. Harbaugh served as backup quarterback during the 2001 season, but never played in a game for the Panthers.

“I didn’t get in any games that year,” Harbaugh told The Observer in 2011. “I signed late, and they had eight games to go. I loved it – loved the coaches that were there and the organization. I especially loved throwing to Steve Smith. We were both on the scout team at that time. It didn’t take me long to realize that he was really good. I just kept throwing the ball to him and we were making plays and having fun.”

Fort Lewis to a 93-82 win over South Dakota Mines with 10 points, six rebounds, one assist and three steals.

State in a 68-45 loss at Texas Tech.

Senior forward Taimane Lesa-Hardy (Fairfield resident, Salesian) scored two points and had eight rebounds, three assists and two steals for San Francisco State in a 58-57 win over Cal State Monterey Bay.

Senior forward Jay Nagle (Will C. Wood) played in two games for Idaho State. Nagle had seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in a 79-53 win over Northern Arizona. He had three points, three rebounds and an assist in a 90-83 win over Northern Colorado.

got off to a rocky start after a mental block prevented him from playing five-on-five during the offseason which resulted in his slower ramp-up to the season. Thompson was under a minutes restriction for the first two weeks and then found himself trying to shoot his way out of an early-season funk. That stirred up even more

frustration for the hypercompetitive Thompson as the Warriors’ struggles mirrored his own.

Green reminded Thompson that good things will come if he allowed them to, but he needed to avoid pressing his shot and play more within the flow of the game.

“Understanding that you don’t have to be the

“Fifty-four points is nothing to slouch at, even in a double-OT win,” Thompson said. “There were some hard days for me when I didn’t know this would be possible. And to live it in real time, I’m just going to embrace the heck out of it.”

Thompson was one of four Warriors players to play 44 or more minutes Monday night. Of course he was exhausted after the game.

Freshman guard Kiki Roberts (Vanden) pulled down three rebounds to go with two assists for Eastern New Mexico in a 73-63 loss to Angelo State.

Freshman guard Camryn Washington played in both games of a back-to-back against Cal State Dominguez Hills for Cal State East Bay. She had an assist in 11 minutes of action in a 75-50 loss, and one rebound and one assist over seven minutes in a 73-65 loss.

College Football

Former Fairfield standout Quinton Ganther was at the Rose Bowl on Monday. Ganther was hired this season as the running backs coach at his alma mater, the University of Utah. The Utes lost to Penn State 35-21, but Ganther’s running backs collected 184 yards in the game.

From Page B1

investigation to include those allegations.”

U.S. Soccer thanked the Berhalters for speaking openly about the incident and said it “condemns violence of any kind and takes such allegations very seriously.”

Berhalter, 49, a twotime World Cup selection as a player, was named coach of the national team in December 2018. In his

four years in charge, he overhauled the team, auditioning 88 players and leading the U.S.back to the World Cup after an eightyear absence. He also won the Gold Cup and Nations League tournaments, going 37-11-12.

The U.S., unbeaten in World Cup group play, was eliminated in the round of 16 in Qatar, falling 3-1 to the Netherlands.

After returning to the U.S., Berhalter spoke at a summit on moral leadership where he referenced some internal issues in

not hurt us.”

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couldn’t receive all the medical testing he needed Monday due to the holiday. The 49ers expect to have a better understanding of the severity of Greenlaw’s injury Tuesday.

“As bad as both of (their injuries) looked, we didn’t know if it could be the whole season or not,” Shanahan said. “So we do feel like we got some good news, so far, on them.”

Meanwhile, Shanahan suggested the 49ers will exercise caution when it comes to Samuel or Mitchell returning to play against the Cardinals. Samuel returned to practice Thursday after he suffered sprains to his knee and ankle on Dec. 11 and he was limited in his final two sessions of the week. Mitchell, who suffered a sprained MCL on Nov. 27, was healthy enough to return to practice late last week but he was dealing with an illness.

Shanahan said they would play against Arizona if they were “completely healthy” and had looked “great” in practice.

“I’d love to get those guys out there,” Shanahan said. “But I just want to make sure that’s only going to help us and them and

In other injury news, running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a mild ankle sprain against Las Vegas and is “dayto-day,” which suggests he should be available against Arizona.

The players will begin their preparation for the Cardinals on Wednesday, after their typical off day Tuesday, and the workflow of a game week is why Shanahan is reluctant to grant “Victory Mondays.”

He thinks it’s important to quickly review the game video, an important process that can get de-emphasized if delayed until later in the week.

But he made an exception this week for his players, who are on a ninegame winning streak and had their bye week in early November. Shanahan was asked about the locker-room reaction when the rare postgame off day was announced.

“These guys, whenever you give them something, they act like it’s the biggest thing in the world,” Shanahan said. “I could take two plays off of practice and you’ll hear the biggest cheers ever. They love anything where you can change the routine.

“But our guys have earned it more than anything. I’ve been so impressed with them this last month.”

Qatar involving a player he did not name. The player did not display sufficient intensity in training, Berhalter said, and was nearly sent home.

It was later revealed the coach was speaking about forward Gio Reyna, who was little used in the World Cup. Reyna reportedly apologized to the team for his lack of effort in Qatar and Berhalter was roundly criticized for speaking about the issue publicly.

The U.S., which is without a head coach, hasn’t dismissed the option

of retaining Berhalter. The team begins a new World Cup cycle later this month with a training camp and two friendlies in Southern California, facing Serbia on Jan. 25 at Banc of California Stadium and Colombia three days later at Dignity Health Sports Park.

U.S. Soccer said last month it was undertaking a full technical review of the men’s national team program and said Tuesday it expects to name a coach to lead the January training camp “in the coming days.”

Men’s Basketball

Senior guard Jordan Adams (Vacaville, Solano) helped William Jessup beat Simpson 94-74. Adams finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one block.

Senior guard Braxton Adderly (Rodriguez, Napa Valley) picked up three points, five rebounds and three assists for Cal Maritime in a 78-70 loss at home to UC Merced.

Senior guard Dunnell Stafford (Solano) helped

Ganther was the running backs coach from 2013 to 2020 at Weber State. He had a six-year NFL career that included stops at Washington, Seattle, Buffalo and Tennessee. Ganther was also a two-time AllMountain West running back at Utah.

Pro Football

Mykal Walker (Vacaville) had one solo tackle for the Atlanta Falcons in a 20-19 win over the Carolina Panthers. He now has 46 tackles on the season. The Falcons (6-10 overall) close out theirregularseasonSunday against Tampa Bay.

Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group

Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (11) reacts after making a three-point basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Monday.