Daily Republic: Monday, Feb. 27, 2023

susAn HiLAnd

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SUISUN VALLEY — Bridesto-be along with their prospective grooms got an opportunity Saturday to check out a pair of venues and do some idea shopping during the inaugural Village 360 Bridal Expo.

Katelynn Springer came with her mom Becky Johnston from Vacaville – both seeking planning goals.

“I am looking for inspiration and ideas for a future wedding,” Springer said.

She is a second-grade teacher in Vacaville and hopes to have

French onion pasta lives up to the hype B2

Klay Thompson’s role evolves as he ages B1

Russia’s war on Ukraine grinds into second year as Putin gambles on the long game

Los A ngeLes Times

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia’s war on Ukraine has entered its second year, with a universal realization that the world is witnessing a long, protracted conflict, the deadliest in Europe since World War II, in which Moscow and Kyiv are hoping against long odds for a decisive breakthrough in 2023.

“This has become a grinding war of attrition,”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at a recent meeting of member countries’ defense ministers.

And wars of attrition tend to end badly, with overwhelmingly deadly tolls.

fatalities, acknowledging that the toll is higher but cannot be tallied amid the chaos.

Millions of Ukrainians are displaced from their homes; thousands of children have been reportedly kidnapped and spirited to Russian territory; scores of villages and cities lie in full or partial ruin; and global impacts include soaring prices for oil and food products that normally come from the region.

Los A ngeLes Times

WASHINGTON —

Republicans are continuing to criticize President Joe Biden for not visiting East Palestine, Ohio, where a train carrying toxic, cancer-causing chemicals derailed Feb. 3.

Biden has yet to make a trip to the area, sending Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and federal officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency to the disaster site in his stead.

Biden’s visit to Ukraine last week was “the biggest slap in the face,” East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, a Republican,

an August wedding – just before 2023-2024 school starts.

“They have a potential date but we are still looking for a venue,” Johnston said. Event organizer Cynthia Hoover of TBG Productions, who curates family friendly events for nonprofit organizations, fundraisers, private events, weddings, corporate functions, team-building experiences, conventions and/or trade shows, wanted this to be a fun day for anyone.

“If people wanted to come just to look around, that is fine,” Hoover said. The venue for the Bridal

told Fox News. “That tells you right now, he doesn’t care about us,” Conaway added, saying he was “furious” the president was in Ukraine “giving millions of dollars away to people over there, not to us.”

“My message to congressional Republicans: you can either be the party of Ukraine & the globalists or you can be the party of East Palestine & the working people of America,” Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, tweeted Friday.

Biden said the same day that has no plans to visit the village, but emphasized that he has been in close contact

Expo covered not only Village 360 but also BackRoad Vines winery not far away.

The day was filled with plenty of things to see with 40 vendors showing off everything from dresses to honeymoon deals. There were also DJs playing music, while singer Zena Jean, 15, of Brentwood, came and played guitar.

“They provided tote bags for the brides with veils, and a sash that side ‘bride’ in capital letters, bubbles and other goodies,” Hoover said of the host venues. “Village 360 is this amazing hidden gem

A year on, tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Russian soldiers are dead. The United Nations has counted nearly 10,000 Ukrainian civilian

Prospects for a diplomatic resolution remain low while more fighting is on the horizon. Both sides are gearing for a spring offensive, with Russians desperate for a major victory on the battlefield after numerous setbacks and Ukrainians determined to take back more captured territory, predominantly in the

See Ukraine, Page A7

Israelis, Palestinians meet in Jordan as violence spirals

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

TEL AVIV, Israel — Palestinian and Israeli officials on Sunday agreed during face-toface talks to take steps to build mutual confidence following a rash of deadly violence.

But the ferocity of the situation was underscored Sunday evening when Israeli settlers rampaged through a northern town in the occupied West Bank, setting the homes and vehicles of Palestinians on fire, following the killing of two Israeli brothers by a gunman hours before.

with elected officials in the region.

“The idea that we are not engaged is just simply not there,” Biden said. “Initially, there was not a request for me to go out even before I was

heading over to Kyiv. I am keeping very close tabs on it. We are doing all we can.”

On Friday, House Republicans launched

The talks earlier Sunday in Jordan’s port city of Aqaba were believed to be the first such meeting between the two sides in years, and were also attended by representatives from the U.S., Jordan and Egypt.

The participants agreed to “strengthen mutual trust” and “to address outstanding

issues through direct dialogue,” Jordan’s state news agency Petra reported, citing a statement after the meeting.

The talks resulted in an Israeli commitment to halt discussion of creating any new West Bank settlements for four months and stop authorization of any new settlement outposts for six months.

Israel’s delegation was headed by National

Indiana Jones and the anatomy of a humor column

Agood friend of mine and longtime reader

Donna Cannaday has asked me how I come up with stuff to write about for this column. My usual answer is “I don’t know” or “I stole it from a 1974 Mad Magazine.”

Today, though, I thought I’d write about my actual thought process of coming up with a humor column.

During the Super Bowl there was a trailer for the upcoming movie “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” It reminded me that I haven’t watched any of the films in that franchise in several years. It turns out the series is on Amazon Prime Video so I cued up the first, 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

But before I could hit play, I noticed that Prime Video had changed the title to “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Uh, no. I remember when that movie came out and Indy’s name wasn’t on it. It was on the sequels, but not the inaugural flick. It reminded me of bands that have legal disputes over who owns the groups’ name and slap their own name on it to steer fans their way.

Anyway, I watched the movie and enjoyed reliving the wild ride. I then had the idea to write a column about it. I would start off with my complaint about the misnaming and then move on to other things – like how I didn’t remember it being quite so gory. I mean, gory for 1981, not 2023.

Then there was a disturbing scene that was played for laughs. It’s when Indy squares off with a bad guy like in an old Western. The villain, wearing black, makes a big show of his

CORRECTION POLICY

sword skills by swooshing it from side to side and making menacing faces. Dr. Jones, looking bored, pulls out a pistol and blasts him. Now in the old West that would get you locked up in the hoosegow. Yeah, the guy brought a sword to a gunfight, but it just didn’t seem fair.

The more I thought about it, the less it sounded like something that belonged in a humor column, though.

One thing that I have believed for years – and still do – is that despite his films making over $9 billion worldwide, Harrison Ford is not a great actor. He is a decent actor who has starred in some very successful motion pictures. They include the canonical Star Wars and Indiana Jones films as well as “American Graffiti,” “Blade Runner,” “The Fugitive” and others. Most of the time he is playing the same guy or the alter-ego of the same guy. Kinda like Kevin Costner. Now, my all-time favorite Harrison Ford role, which I feel is his best performance, was in 1991’s “Regarding Henry.” It was light years away from his typical take as the hero or antihero.

Jeez, I keep doing it. People don’t read The Last Laugh because they want to hear my opinion on Harrison Ford’s acting abilities.

I refocused and rewatched the follow-up film, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” It was a really good sequel – full of action, cliffhangers and compelling visuals throughout.

Then there was co-star Kate Capshaw. I’m sure she had a line or two in the movie, but all I really remember now was her incessant screaming. That said,

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while it may not have been particularly appealing to me, evidently it was for director Steven Spielberg because they have been married since 1991.

I didn’t recall a lot about the sophomore Indiana Jones movie except for one scene: the gross out dinner. On the menu was a snake filled with other smaller (live) snakes, giant beetles, eyeball soup and for dessert –chef’s kiss – chilled monkey brains served straight from the primates’ skulls.

I know that it is not actual Indian food and there are websites decrying it and explaining that eating live snakes and monkey brains are not good ideas but, sheesh, get over yourself. That scene is grossly hilarious.

But I digress. Again. While it has taken me several paragraphs to write all this, all of these thoughts raced through my head in about two minutes. I decided that writing a rant about the things I liked and didn’t like about the films wouldn’t be the best idea. I then thought of making up my own Indiana Jones story with a local bent to it.

The first thing I would need was what Alfred Hitchcock called the MacGuffin. It’s an object, device or event that’s necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant or irrelevant in itself.

My idea was to have Dr. Jones looking for a hidden treasure in Solano County. A copy of the Vacaville High School newspaper from the 1960s would be the first clue. Perhaps there was cryptic writing in invisible ink on it or something. The reason I chose that is because the school paper was called The Bark and it would set up a Raiders of the

Raiders weaved in somehow and get a twofer when I mentioned late quarterback Kenny “The Snake” Stabler, who had teamed up with Snake Plisskin from “Escape from New York.” That way Indy could deliver the line, “Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?”

The thrill ride would take Indiana all over the county, including the lighthouse in Suisun City, the clock tower in Benicia, Mare Island in Vallejo and I’d throw in a car chase on the windy roads to Lake Berryessa as he was trying to escape members of various local historical societies and museums. I’d wrap it all up with the climax of him discovering that underneath the bronze body of the Waving Chief Solano Statue there was a solid

need to throw in some melting and exploding faces, too.

Once I had the basic outline of the story straight in my mind, I opened up my laptop, stared at a blank Microsoft Word document for about 45 seconds and then said “Nah!” and decided to write something else.

Like this, I guess.

Fairfield freelance humor columnist and accidental local historian Tony Wade writes two weekly columns: “ The Last Laugh” on Mondays and “Back in the Day” on Fridays. Wade is also the author of The History Press books “Growing Up In Fairfield, California” and “Lost Restaurants of Fairfield, California” and hosts the Channel 26 government access TV show “Local Legends.”

A raven was shot, left for dead, a bird-loving lawyer saved it

The WashingTon PosT

A large raven had been shot by a pellet gun and was found hobbling around a parking lot of a used car dealership in Chantilly, Va.

Civil rights lawyer Catherine Sevcenko got a call about the two-foot-tall, injured bird. People seem to find her in situations like this.

Sevcenko has cared for injured and orphaned songbirds over the past 10 years at her home in Alexandria, Va., as well as other places. She took the raven to two veterinarians after she got the call about a year ago. They both told her nothing could be done to help the bird because it had been shot in the shoulder and had a severe rotator cuff injury.

“One of the vets advised euthanasia,” Sevcenko said, explaining the bird – nicknamed King Kong because of its large size – would never fly again.

Sevcenko had other ideas for King Kong.

“I just looked at this beautiful bird – the largest raven I’d ever seen - and I thought, ‘He doesn’t seem to be in pain. Maybe there’s something we can do, even though his injuries are permanent and he’ll never fully be a raven again.’”

Sevcenko, who for years has been a licensed rehabilitator at her home and for various sanctuaries, formalized her small bird rehab facility in 2020 and named it Diva Crows. She said her mission is to release as many birds as possible back into the wild, but she knew that wouldn’t be possible for King Kong.

Sevcenko and one of her volunteers, Sam Sparks, wrapped the bird’s wing to provide support as it healed. They brought King Kong berries, nuts and dead mice, as well as fresh water so the bird could take a bath every morning.

“We did our best to supply enrichment, but he wasn’t very responsive to interaction,” Sevcenko, 60, said.

Ravens are highly intelligent birds, capable of holding grudges, stashing food and using gestures to communicate. King Kong was no exception, Sevcenko said.

“He’s muscular, weighs almost three pounds and runs like the wind,” she said. “He’s truly an amazing creature.”

Last summer, when King Kong had sufficiently healed from his injuries, Sevcenko and her staff looked for a new home for the bird. They thought the Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca, N.Y., might be a good fit.

It took several months to get the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to approve

state lines because birds are protected under the Migratory

Bird Treaty Act, Sevcenko said. But last month, the move finally happened.

“I was relieved, because I could tell he wasn’t happy here - he thought I’d done him wrong because I’d wrapped his wing and pried open his mouth for medications,” Sevcenko said.

Ravens remember faces and can recall whether a person made them feel cheated or threatened, studies show. Sevcenko said she wholeheartedly agrees.

“When I wasn’t around, he’d be out sunning himself and exploring,” she added. “From his point of view, I wasn’t a person he felt comfortable around.”

In mid-January, Joe Capone, a Diva Crows volunteer, drove the raven three hours to a Starbucks in Harrisburg, Pa., about halfway to Ithaca. He was met by Shyia Magan, director of live animals for the Cayuga Nature Center. Magan transported the bird another three hours to the sanctuary.

“This raven is a real success story –it was a joyful moment to realize he was going to have a fresh start in a new home,” said Capone, 61, a retired federal prosecutor who now devotes his spare time to helping at Diva Crows and releasing successfully treated birds back into the wild.

“Ravens are beautiful, intelligent and social birds, and this was the best possible outcome,” Capone said. “There is a lot of sadness in this business – lots of birds don’t make it. So it’s always a happy moment when you can save one.”

After King Kong arrived at the Cayuga Nature Center, one of the first orders of business was to give him a new name, said Magan, 26, noting that the sanctuary provides a permanent home for a variety of animals and four other birds - a turkey vulture, a red-tailed hawk, a great horned owl and a collared dove.

“We decided to allow him to pick his own name,” she said, explaining that staff members wrote five names – Indigo, Eolas, Tarot, Renwykon and Bertrand –on small pieces of paper and a dead mouse was placed on top of each name.

He selected the dead mouse that was on top of the name Bertrand.

“Bertrand means ‘bright raven,’ so it was perfect,” Magan said. “It suits him. Everyone calls him Bert for short.”

It took Bertrand a few weeks to warm up to new surroundings, and he spent several days looking for a way to escape the outdoor enclosure, she said. But Bert is now chatting with crows that fly by, and seems more open to having people around, Magan said.

“Every day, we’ll feed him fruit, vegetables, dog kibble and some kind of prey item – like an egg or a mouse or rat,” she said. “We’ll wrap his food in newspaper or

hide it in a box, and he’ll figure out how to get to it.”

Bert’s favorite treat is cut up pears or apples, and he will often hide mice to enjoy as a snack later, she said. Studies show ravens are intelligent and capable of abstract thought. They are often conniving and clever, particularly when it comes to hiding their food.

She and other staff members hope Bertrand will be open to learning new behaviors, such as perching on command, so they can bring him out of the enclosure when school groups visit for educational programs and summer camps, she said.

“He’s so smart and so present, and we all enjoy watching him hop around,” Magan said. “He’s a genuine character.”

Sevcenko said that’s what she’d hoped to hear after she said goodbye to the distinguished-looking raven in January.

While she misses having Bert around (she’s happy to call him his new name now), she said she is delighted he is settling into a new routine at the Cayuga Nature Center.

“It was a treat and an honor to have him with us for as long as we did,” she said. “He’ll never be free, but at least he’s in a wonderful setup now. After all that he’s been through, he now has the home that he deserves.”

Tony Wade

The last laugh

Catherine Sevcenko courtesy photo

Catherine Sevcenko with a crow named Apollo at Diva Crows, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Alexandria, Va.

Pxabay

Solano Land Trust opens 2 sites for free outings

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY — The Solano Land Trust will open two of its properties this weekend to give members of the community a chance to get in touch with nature.

A mountain bike tour is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi Open Space Park. The tour spans approximately 5 to 7 miles with approximately 1,500 feet of climbing. The ride will cover most of the trails at the site with scenic views and several interpretive stops. Class 1 electric bikes are welcome.

A nature hike is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the King-Swett Ranches. Participants will explore the hills between Fairfield, Benicia and Vallejo. Solano Land Trust docents will share insights about the birds, butterflies and other wildlife that call King-Swett home. Space is limited. The hike is designated as moderate to moderately strenuous.

Registration is required for both activities.

For information on meeting locations, directions and registration, visit the events page at solanolandtrust.org/events and select the specific event. For additional questions, call 707-420-1041.

Genealogy talk on ports of entry for research tips

FAIRFIELD —

The Solano County Genealogical Society will host Christine Cohen for the next virtual presentation, “Immigration: Ports of Entry.”

This presentation begins at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Cohen’s interest in genealogy began in 1977 with the airing of the TV mini-series “Roots,” and was piqued when she found a typed pedigree chart of her Dutch heritage from the New Netherlands in the 1660s. She is a native Californian, a graduate of UCLA, with a political science degree, and has worked for Vitol Aviation Company since 1993.

Cohen is a longtime member of the Whittier Area Genealogical Society and has served in many capacities, including president. She is also a member of the El Redondo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Society of Daughters of Holland Dames and the Association of Professional Genealogists.

About 47 million people immigrated to the U.S. between 1607 and 1990, and about 70% entered through the Port of New York. However, researchers need to consider a broader search in all ports, such as Boston, New Orleans, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Providence. Also, an entry through Canada and Mexico should be researched.

The presentation will review the kind of websites and resources available to locate clues to those entry ports.

Anyone interested can send an email to scgs@ scgsca.org no later than 4 p.m. Friday and request an invitation.

More information on events may be be found at www.scgsca.org.

Winters Friends group plans bareroot tree sale

WINTERS — The Winters Friends of the Library will host its annual fruit tree sale Saturday in the parking lot at Railroad Avenue and Baker Street. Hours are 9 a.m. until all the trees are sold, rain or shine. Members may enter at 8:30 a.m. People who are not members may join that morning at the entrance. Bare root fruit trees are $20 each. The Master Gardeners of Yolo County will be there to give advice on tree pruning and planting. Proceeds benefit the programs and collections at the Winters Library. For more information, go to wfol.org.

Growing food in containers topic of free workshop

FAIRFIELD — Lori Caldwell of CompostGal Consulting, Landscaping & Education will host a workshop Satur-

day about growing food in containers. The workshop is scheduled from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the meeting room at the Fairfield Cordelia Library, 5050 Business Center Drive. Caldwell is working with Sustainable Solano to cover topics such as seeds vs. starts, soil fertility, transplanting seedlings, perennials, watering/ irrigation, nontoxic pest control and great annual crops for your garden. Participants will receive a few small pots with plant starts and soil. When people RSVP for this class they will receive an email form asking for more information on which types of plants they would like to grow.

An RSVP is required at www.eventbrite.com/e/ eat-what-you-growtickets-543262902967.

are online and in-person. Check each agency’s websites for more information.

The meetings include:

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

n Vacaville City Council, 6 p.m. Tuesday, City Hall, council chamber, 650 Merchant St. Info: ci.vacaville.ca.us.

n Solano County Planning Commission, 7 p.m. Thursday, 675 Texas St., Fairfield. Info: solanocounty.com/depts/rm/ boardscommissions/ solano_county_planning_ commission/agendas.asp.

Genealogy talk features research on women

VALLEJO — Members of the Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia will hear a talk this week on “Runnin’ Down Granny: Researching Female Family Members.”

The speaker will be Nancy Calhoun. She has been doing genealogy for 45 years and worked as a genealogy librarian for 15 years. She has attended many national conferences, received scholarships and won writing awards. Calhoun presented for societies in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. She has received two bachelor’s degrees and one master’s degree. She is a member of several genealogy-related societies.

At least half of our family trees consist of female ancestors. Yet these are often clouded or completely lost in the mist of the past. At times, we’re lucky to even have a

given name. This presentation presents information on finding these illusive women and even on how to “live with them” and in spite of them.

This Zoom presentation will begin at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. All active Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia members will receive a Zoom link.

If you would like to attend as a nonmember guest, send an email to gsvbzoom@gmail.com no later than 4 p.m. Wednesday to request a Zoom invitation.

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

Sustainable Solano, City Church launch food forest project

FAIRFIELD — Sustainable Solano’s Solano Gardens program is partnering with City Church of Fairfield to create a community “food forest” and garden on the church grounds that will supply food for underserved communities in Fairfield.

A hands-on garden installation workshop has been scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Lunch will be provided. Register for the Saturday workshop at ww w.eventbrite.com/e/ fairfield-food-forestinstallation-day-2-of2-tickets-536180228497.

Former San Quentin guard sentenced to prison for smuggling cell phones

tRibune content agency

“(The) new garden going in at City Church of Fairfield will help to feed the local community, including those most at-risk for food insecurity in the low-income and unhoused communities,” Sustainable Solano said in a statement.

The program is funded by the Solano Public Health Division and “creates and supports gardens that provide access to fresh produce in communities that have historically experienced limited access to healthy food.”

“Through recent expansion of the program, Solano Gardens also is building a network of community gardens and individual gardeners to share knowledge, resources and opportunities. The addition of the garden at City Church aligns closely with the church’s mission to help locally through outreach programs. These programs include a navigation center, residential program, free clinic, food distribution and a safe place to park for the night with showers and meals available,” the statement said.

A former San Quentin corrections officer was sentenced to 20 months in prison for smuggling contraband into death row, the Department of Justice announced Friday.

Keith Christopher, 38, of Pittsburg, pleaded guilty to the crimes in September and admitted to accepting payments in exchange for smuggling at least 25 cell phones into San Quentin in 2019 and 2020. Cell phones, which are prohibited for inmates under the California Code of Regulations, are considered contraband because of the safety risks they pose to prison employees and inmates.

In addition to his prison sentence, a judge ordered three years of supervised release once Christopher gets out of prison.

Christopher admitted in his plea agreement that on two occasions he delivered cell phones and accessories, such as chargers, to an inmate on death row, who then sold the phones to

other inmates. The first transaction, involving co-conspirators Tanisa Smith-Symes, Dustin Albini and Isaiah Wells, occurred in December 2019 when the inmate arranged for 10 cell phones to be shipped to the Nevada residence of Symes who then sent the phones to Albini, a Pittsburg resident, to deliver to Christopher.

After Christopher received the phones, he smuggled them into the prison to the inmate. In exchange, Christopher received $5,000 through Venmo and Walmart money transfers from Albini and Wells.

Christopher facilitated a second agreement with the same inmate in May 2020 to smuggle 15 cell phones into the prison. The phones were sent to Smith-Symes again, who sent them to Wells in Tracy, who then delivered them to Christopher. Christopher delivered the phones to the inmate for $6,500. He has until May 25 to surrender to begin his prison term, the Department of Justice said.

legendar y and already missed.

After Tom’s death, Marie moved to Vacaville and started a new chapter in her life. She was busy with the social activities at her Maplewood neighborhood clubhouse as well as enjoying cruises to Mexico with her neighbors. She enjoyed monthly potlucks with the same group of women that she bowled with for well over 30 years. Marie was always the happiest when she was preparing her home and meals for a holiday and waiting for “her crowd” to arrive.

She is preceded in death by her husband Thomas Flynn, parents Samuel and Minnie Newhook, brother Gerald and sister-in-law Marie Newhook, brother Edward Newhook, brother David Newhook, and nieces Glenda Newhook Kelleher and Heather Newhook.

Few government meetings on week’s

calendar

FAIRFIELD — Three local government meetings will take place this week. They are open to the public. Some meetings

was a long-time resident of Solano County Marie married Thomas J Flynn on May 28, 1958, in St. John’s, NL, Canada. They enjoyed their travel adventures as a family in the United States Air Force, raising their three daughters at bases as far away as Japan and Guam. With their final Air Force assignment at Travis AFB in 1974, they decided to make Northern California their permanent home. In addition to being a wonderful mother and wife, Marie leveraged her extensive knowledge of plants and her green thumb into a career as the Garden and Landscaping Manager for Grossman’s Lumber in Fairfield, retiring from there in 1990. Tom and Marie enjoyed bowling, family dinners, exploring California, and short excursions to Lake Tahoe and Reno. They traveled all over the United States and Canada in retirement, but their favorite place was right here at home, being “Nanny and Papa” to their grandchildren, and enjoying life together. Marie attended classes at Solano Community College and earned her Manicurist License from the Cosmetology School there as well as taking drawing, charcoal, oil, and acr ylic painting classes. Her hands were rarely idle; she was a talented artist, seamstress, gardener, and baker. Marie’s bread and cinnamon rolls are

Marie is survived by her daughters, Pamela Flynn-Kunkel (Clifford Kunkel) of El Dorado Hills, CA; Valerie Flynn-Wallace (Steven Wallace) of Fairfield, CA; Cheryl Flynn of Seattle, WA; sister Donna (William) Butt of St. Catharine’s, ON, Canada; grandchildren Clifford (Amy) Kunkel of Sacramento, CA; Jon Kunkel of Bend, OR and Hannah Wallace of New York City, NY. She will also be remembered by her sisters-in-law Marion (Edward) Newhook and Elaine (David) Newhook as well as her nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.

A private service will be held at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made in memory of Marie Flynn to the Alzheimer’s Society www.alz. org or Sacramento’s Front Street Animal Shelter https://friendsoffrontstreet.com/donate/. She will be remembered for the softest hands and heartiest laugh. Thanks for knitti n’ us, Mom.

Jorg Fleige/Courtesy photo

A view at the Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi open space, which is managed by the Solano Land Trust.

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic file

The Solano County Government Center.

Newsom’s crackdown on oil industry faces skepticism

Members of a state Senate committee spent more than four hours last week delving into the complexities of the supply chain that pumps more than 13 billion gallons of gasoline into Californians’ cars each year.

Immediately after the “informational hearing” ended, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that it made the case for the tax-like “penalties” he wants to impose on refiners for exceeding still-to-be-determined profit margins, once again accusing them of price gouging.

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Political master deception: Part 4

Dan Walters

“Today’s hearing provided even more evidence that we need to crack down on Big Oil’s price gouging at the pump,” Newsom said. “Experts detailed how gas price hikes led to record profits and why we need greater transparency. Big Oil’s lobbyists again used scare tactics and refused to provide answers or solutions to last year’s price spikes. We’re taking action to hold them accountable with a price gouging penalty and long-overdue transparency measures.”

Newsom’s statement bore little resemblance to what actually transpired during the hearing. Experts, including the state’s foremost authority on energy pricing, told legislators that the sharp, albeit temporary, spike in pump prices last year had little to do with refinery actions, but rather inexplicable hikes by retailers.

And even Democratic legislators were openly skeptical of Newsom’s claims.

“There is clearly a belief out there among many people that oil companies were profiting off the backs of Californians,” said Sen. Dave Min, an Irvine Democrat who will seek a congressional seat next year. “At the same time, we don’t really have a smoking gun as far as I can see, that shows intentional collusion.”

The Senate energy committee’s chairman, Steve Bradford, was equally unconvinced. Bradford, a San Pedro Democrat, asked, “What are we trying to solve for? . . . We have passed legislation here in California that has encouraged leaving oil in the ground. . . . Have we created a scenario that has helped create this problem?”

And so it went. Democrats and Republicans alike, while expressing sympathy for motorists who saw transportation expenses jump sharply, offered almost no support, even conceptually, for imposing penalties that the petroleum industry says would merely increase prices even more.

“As outraged as we are (about high prices) . . . what the hell are the unintended consequences?” Sen. Bill Dodd, a Napa Democrat, mused.

California’s gas prices have historically been higher than those in other states, thanks mainly to its high taxes, both direct and indirect, and its distinct formulations to fight smog, which make it almost impossible to import fuel from elsewhere.

The state has adopted a policy of phasing out California’s oil industry along with gasolinepowered vehicles. As consumption declines, the state’s refining capacity has diminished.

The question before the committee last week was why the differential between California and other states suddenly widened to several dollars a gallon.

Severin Borenstein of UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute, acknowledged as the state’s leading independent analysis of gasoline price trends, cited those factors and others while telling the committee that last year’s price hikes occurred as gasoline was being moved from wholesalers to the retail level.

He, like several other witnesses, told the committee that the state needs more information about how pump prices are set before determining whether the state should intervene in some manner.

“The fact is, shooting first and then finding out if it is the right solution is likely to be just as detrimental as helpful,” Borenstein said.

Newsom obviously doesn’t want to wait for a more measured approach. He’s invested a lot of political capital into his anti-oil industry crusade and wants some action to trumpet. But last week’s hearing indicated that getting something “hairy and audacious,” to use one of Newsom’s favorite phrases, will be tough slogging.

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 Commentary.

The socioeconomic stature of Americas Blacks and America’s history of its Black race residents from 1861-2023 has been published in the preceding columns: Feb. 9, 16, 23.

n Part 1. The Democrat Party supported the secessionist states and continuation of slavery until they lost the war. President Abraham Lincoln and Republican abolitionists’ objectives were to restore the Union “without malice” and terminate slavery. Lincoln’s Reconstruction was resisted after his assassination and the Compromise of 1877, which prevented further northern enforcement.

n Part 2. Although slavery became illegal, Black suppression prevailed through restrictions of the Compromise of 1877, segregated society, voting laws that prevented election of any Black representatives.

n Part 3. Unrestricted discrimination continued until the 1953 Supreme Court decision outlawed segregated education. Anti-discrimination laws were passed after 1964 with objectives of fighting poverty and racial discrimination. After 58 years, the poverty rate is unimproved, crime has risen nationwide, the close-knit Black family is broken and the national debt has increased to $30 trillion, equalling the War on Poverty investment.

n Part 4 compares what should have occurred. Democratic Party actions and those of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to bring life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to America’s Black population are in stark contrast.

I recommend that everyone

search Google for the complete MLK speech of Aug. 23, 1963, and meditate over his wisdom. Service members were blessed by a career in the military with MLK’s concepts that President Harry S. Truman enabled, contrary to his Democratic Party doctrine, by terminating segregation in all services. The goal encouraged conversations of any racial issue with Black members without embarrassment or conflict. Consider MLK’S dream: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”

That dream echoed the nation’s Founders’ understanding of human nature that does not work in governance.

King powerfully urged peaceful protesting against racism and was adamant against force and violence. Compare that to 500-plus 2021 riots with $2 billion of property damage, dozens killed, almost no prosecution of felony crimes, and America’s current vice president campaigning for contributions to Minnesota’s Freedom Fund to free riot leaders and other felons.

The Founders knew that people respond poorly to unearned money gifts so governments choosing that course trying to right wrongs of poverty and racism must beware of unintended consequences. Commencing cash awards in the War on Poverty to single mothers without anticipating the potential result produced an 80% illegitimacy birth rate of low-income families with delinquency and crime increasing accordingly with fatherless children.

Welfare that pays more to not work than what one could earn is poison to both the labor market and the nation’s economy. Affirmative action is part of the War on Poverty. With slavery that denied schooling to slave families, the Black population was labelled as intellectually inferior. That was never true and now we know better, but Democratic Party programs continue to reflect that attitude. Many Black friends consider affirmative action as an insult. That attitude continues and the bias is reflected in the Woke agenda.

Promoting Woke’s diversity, equity and inclusion is the ultimate in deception. Diversity restores segregation – separate children by race, then label white groups as oppressors and the remainder as victims. Is positive thinking forgotten? The next deception is equity. The first American colony, Jamestown, was governed with equity. Two years later with half the colony dead, personal responsibility replaced equity and Jamestown survived. The Founders gave us equality – equal opportunity for prosperity and happiness, not prearranged equality of outcome. Woke wants equity – equal outcome, which destroys incentive. King’s rules of human nature would have strengthened America’s future. Deception and unintended consequences are destroying America’s future.

Earl Heal is a retired Air Force officer, Vacaville resident and member of The Right Stuff committee formerly of the Solano County Republican Central Committee. Reach him at healearlniki2@gmail.com

Fox hosts admit to misinformation strategy

It’s worse than even I thought. You’ve heard me rant and rave about Fox News –forever. “This isn’t news; it’s propaganda, 24 hours a day. How can a democracy stand with sedition being blared to us 24/7/365? And by all the other conservative copycat garbage slingers that are cashing in for the conspiratorial big-bucks?”

And you few conservatives who are reading this column are wondering, “What’s he talking about? What’s so shocking? Surely nothing is as shocking as Hunter Biden’s laptop!”

It’s that Fox News is not news –it’s propaganda. That’s why you don’t know what I’m talking about. You don’t get news; you get propaganda.

It all began four days after the 2020 election when Fox announcer Maria Bartiromo invited Sydney Powell to her Sunday show. Powell announced the explosive news that the Dominion Voting System machines, “. . . were flipping votes in the computer system . . . or adding votes that did not exist . . . . The machine used an algorithm that shaved votes from Trump and awarded them to Biden. . . . Dominion essentially sold the election to the highest bidder.” Bombshell! A presidential election – stolen! That’s about the gravest charge you can make, isn’t it? Sensational! Wouldn’t you want proof? Fox didn’t.

Yet that very night Tucker Carlson texted an associate, “The Powell [stuff] is absurd . . .” But it was juicy enough to attract viewers.

Let’s go back to election night. Fox called the Arizona vote for Biden –

the first news organization to do so. Arizona Republicans were outraged. Fox is a traitor! The Fox audience swarmed to News Max in bitter disappointment. Fox News ratings plummeted. Tucker Carlson texted, “Do our executives understand how much credibility and trust we’ve lost with our audience . . . . Newsmax could be devastating us.” So Fox doubled down on outrage to get its viewers back and Powell had the hot scoop to do it.

These facts are brought to us due to Dominion Voting System’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News. Here’s how Dominion summarized it: Fox News “made an explicit decision to push narratives to entice their audience back.” It wasn’t news; it was “narratives.”

Several days after Powell’s phonybaloney report, Lou Dobbs hosted Rudy Giuliani who threw more thunderbolts. “The machines can be hacked. There’s no question about that . . . But it’s far worse than that. Dominion . . . was formed by three Venezuelans who were very close to the dictator Chavez of Venezuela and it was formed in order to fix elections.”

Whoa! The plot thickens! It was formed explicitly “to fix elections.”

What was the source for these stunning revelations? An email Powell had received. The person identified herself as a person who engaged in “time travel in a semiconscious state” and “I was internally decapitated, and yet I live.” She reported that sometimes the wind tells her she’s a ghost. But on it went. Giuliani expanded:

“Two of our people . . . saw a big truck bringing in 100,000 ballots . . . . The Dominion machine filled the holes like Swiss cheese and was developed to steal elections!” Heck, if I had watched Fox I would have been outraged, too.

Lou Dobbs summarized: “Dominion Voting System used algorithms which were designed to be inaccurate . . . [in] what is a broadly coordinated effort to actually bring down this president.”

Mike Lindell declared, “I’ve been all in trying to find the machine froth and we found it; we have all the evidence.” But no evidence was ever shown.

One Fox commentator simply quoted an election authority who said there is “no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised.” Carlson texted Sean Hannity, “Please get her fired . . . like tonight. It’s hurting the company. The stock price is down.”

Many knowledgeable authorities discounted the lies, but Fox rolled on.

In mid-November Laura Ingraham wrote, “Sidney Powell is a bit nuts.” But the campaign rolled on.

Asked at the deposition over this outrageous incident two years later, Hannity admitted, “I did not believe [it] for one second.” But the campaign rolled on.

And thus was the “election denialism” movement born, by a lying president and his lying megaphone, Fox. Incredible.

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

Jack Batson

Earl Heal

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Say goodbye to the Roy family: This season of ‘Succession’ will be its last Tribune

ConTenT AgenCy

With an 11th-hour curve ball that would surely make Logan Roy smirk, “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong revealed the drama’s upcoming fourth season will be its last.

Armstrong broke the news in an interview with the New Yorker. A representative for HBO declined to comment, but confirmed the information within the New Yorker story was accurate.

“There’s a promise in the title of ‘Succession,’ ” Armstrong said in the piece, titled “The End of ‘Succession’ Is Near.”

“I’ve never thought this could go on forever. The end has always been kind of present in my mind.

From Season 2, I’ve been trying to think: Is it

the next one, or the one after that, or is it the one after that?”

Prior to beginning work on Season 4, Armstrong met with the writing staff to get their assessment on bringing the story of the Roy family dynasty to a close: “I sort of said, ‘Look, I think this maybe should be it. But what do you think?’ And we played out various scenarios: We could do a couple of short seasons, or two more seasons. Or we could go on for ages and turn the show into something rather different, and be a more rangy, freewheeling kind of fun show, where there would be good weeks and bad weeks. Or we could do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong. And that was definitely always my preference.”

Pickles Brian Crane

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott Baldo Hector Cantú

Columns&Games

Loneliness driving me to consider infidelity

Dear Annie: Where do I start? I’ve been happily married for 15 years. I’m 52, and my wife is 55, and we have no kids. I have always been the one to schedule sex night.

Well, now my wife is going through menopause, and WOW, this is a whole new beast. The night sweats, the hot flashes, no energy and no sex drive – that is what is happening to her. It has been so long since we have had sex. She has no energy to do anything. She works three days a week, 12-hour shifts as a nurse. Every time I ask her if we can have sex, it’s almost like she ignores me. And if she says yes, it will be like, “How about Saturday?” Then Saturday comes and goes with no sex. I can’t live like this for the rest of my life. So this is where I’m at. I’m at the point where I’m thinking about looking for someone in the same situation as me and helping each other out. Do I just find a friend who needs mutual pleasure and keep it quiet? I’m torn on what to do. I really don’t want to cheat, but what are my options? Do I just come out and ask her if I can look for someone who will have sex with me? Please help me! Thank you. — Lonely

Dear Lonely: You are only

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

The best way to figure out someone’s motive is to put yourself in their shoes. As a detective working a case might, you’ll conduct a recreation of sorts to tease your mind into coming up with answers.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20).

You’ll become directly involved in the sort of scenario you once dreamed about. Things are different in this hands-on position. There are stressors you hadn’t considered, and many benefits that surprise you as well.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

You have a unique contribution to bring to the world, but it’s not something that’s fixed or a treasure hidden in you that you must discover. It’s more like a meal that you make as you go with the ingredients available.

CANCER (June 22-July 22).

The absurdity of life is not lost on you. You’ll take the weird parts and weave them into your plan, and then sit back and be amused at the interesting way it all plays out.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Most things you can fall into (including luck, love, a rhythm, a rut, a mood, debt) require some sort of surrender. You’ve come to a slippery slope. Keep a tight grip as you assess the nature of what you could potentially be getting into.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

Daily Cryptoquotes

thinking about yourself right now, but it is important to pull back and really focus on what your wife is going through. Talk to her about your frustration, and make an appointment with her doctor to understand better what her body is going through. Cheating on her is not the answer. However, if she agrees to having sex on Saturday, then remind her of your feelings on Saturday and tell her how these changes have left you feeling so lonely. Seek the help of a professional therapist.

Dear Annie: I love your column, though the recent letters about abusive siblings and your responses have me concerned. The cultural pressure in the U.S. for victims to somehow be responsible for getting abusive people to change is a damaging and ineffective response to bullies.

I can’t imagine that you would encourage a child being bullied to just be kinder to their bully, thinking it will decrease the abuse.

Asking adults to extend olive branches is just as ineffective. It halves the responsibility of the abusive person (since they are getting away with the behavior) and doubles the responsibility of the victim

Today’s birthday

Hafez, the 14th century poet, wrote: “How did the rose ever open its heart and give to this world all its beauty? It felt the encouragement of light against its being.” You will be the sun at times and the rose at other times. A windfall is imminent. Your idea will get funding. You’ll spend months readying yourself for an event. Scorpio and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 17, 3, 30 and 10.

Dramatic change due to largescale efforts is rare compared to the change that comes of small daily moves in a particular direction. Results may be undetectable over the course of the week but radical given months and years.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

If you give someone a little extra pause after they are finished speaking an idea, they will often go further. You’ll get more information by waiting for it than you will by asking for it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

What used to give you a charge now has very little emotional energy to it. Outgrowing certain influences is a natural

(since they are now responsible both for their own response and also need to try harder to get the abusive person to stop).

It is critically important for victims to be able to set limits and gain distance from abusive people; at the same time, it is vital for abusive people to be given feedback that their behavior is unacceptable. This is about personal responsibility. Victims need to have the esteem to set limits, and bullies need to increase their awareness of problem behavior and make it stop.

Thanks for listening and for all of your columns over the years! —

A Doctor with Advice

Dear Doctor: Your advice is excellent and much appreciated. You are absolutely correct that victims need to set boundaries and not let bullies bully them. Sometimes, though, when there are conflicts in families, it is not always a clear bully-and-victim situation, as you know, and each person in a quarrel has some responsibility for making the other person feel bad. However, you make several brilliant points in your letter, especially when one party is unquestionably the bully in the situation. Thank you for writing and for your wonderful insights.

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

progression of life. This might have to do with a teacher. Seek teachers that challenge and inspire you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). The gatekeeper isn’t necessarily an enemy or a friend, but merely the one who provides criteria for entry. You will learn about the expectation at hand and use it to strengthen your resolve and sharpen your skill.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Writing and transportation are two themes of the day. Through writing you can transport yourself and others to a different headspace. And through physical transportation you get the inspiration to write.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Like looking everywhere for the glasses that are sitting atop your head, sometimes thinking something is missing inspires futile searching. Check yourself. Chances are, what you’re looking for is already inside you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The next step is logical, and don’t wait until you have the confidence to do it either. Don’t worry, the courage might kick in or it might not, but you don’t need to believe you can do it to accomplish it. You just need to move.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Crossword by Phillip Alder

Bridge

How should the play go in today’s deal after West leads a fourth-highest spade seven against four hearts?

Declarer had one spade loser and so could afford two club losers. But if East held the club queen and ace, could South have avoided three losers in the suit?

At trick one, South played a low spade from the dummy. East won with the queen and switched to a diamond. Declarer won with his ace, drew trumps, cashed the diamond king, played a spade to dummy’s ace and ruffed dummy’s last spade in his hand. Now South played a club to dummy’s jack.

SOMETIMES A RULE LETS YOU RULE

Robert Frost said, “A jury consists of 12 persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.” Who cares about the Law of the Land? There are many laws – well, rules –that we learn for use at the bridge table. However, it’s no good knowing these adages if you don’t apply the right one at the appropriate moment.

East won with the queen but didn’t enjoy the experience. A spade or diamond return would have conceded a ruff-and-sluff. Cashing the club ace was equally hopeless. Well played by South, but East had only himself to blame. If West’s opening lead was from shortage, South had the spade king-jack, and East’s play was probably irrelevant. However, if the seven was fourth-highest, East could apply the Rule of Eleven. There are four spades above the seven in the North, East and South hands combined – and East was able to see them all. So East should have played the spade two at trick one. Then if West immediately switched to a club, the contract could be defeated.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

2/27/23

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

Difficulty level: BRONZE

Solution to 2/25/23:

Horoscopes by Holiday Mathis

Word Sleuth

Annie Lane Dear Annie

From

in Solano County. It’s a great venue for more than just weddings.”

Several vendors were upstairs at Village 360 with clothing for men and women.

Charlotte Chiu Bridal of Fairfield provided examples of potential dresses for brides.

Chiu is the daughter of Ling Casey, who is the owner of Ling’s Tailoring and Alterations, a boutique in Fairfield for 24 years. The two went into business together in June 2019.

“We had to shut down for seven months,” Casey said. They were both excited to be back out doing wedding venues again after the long pandemic.

“So many wedding businesses didn’t stay open,” Casey said.

Chiu was happy to show people her sample dresses.

“We are going to have a fashion show with the gowns,” she said. “It will give people some ideas.”

BackRoad Vines winery set up a huge tent on the property with several mobile horse trailers

inside – each decked out with flowers and ideas for potential events.

Lauren Bernal of The Traveling Saloon brought her trailer, which is painted black with a small prep area inside of it and a little sink. This is a new idea for weddings or parties, she said.

Bernal started her business in 2021.

“Everything is brought in the truck for the drinks,” Bernal said. “It is all compacted and can be placed anywhere. It’s nice if there isn’t a lot of space.”

Bernal said it takes pressure off the hosts to plan and buy drinks, allowing them to free up time to focus on other parts of the planning process.

“We can even do kids’ parties. I make mocktails, which are nonalcoholic, or slushies,” Bernal said.

“The kids love it.”

BackRoad Vines also had bocce courts along with an area for musicians to play and a small grassy area for a wedding.

Don’t worry if you missed the event: More wedding expos are planned in the next few months. They include one March 30 at the Opera House in Vacaville and another in August at Village 360.

From

an oversight investigation into the Department of Transportation’s handling of the disaster.

Biden’s decision to avoid the site stands in some contrast to his brand as “comforter in chief.”

Biden’s experience has “forged an empathic sensibility that enables him to connect deeply with other Americans through shared grief and pain,” according to a 2021 study by Dan P. McAdams of Northwestern University.

But disaster response is about more than the president personally appearing on scene, the Biden administration has insisted. The president has received multiple briefings on the disaster over the past several weeks, dispatched high-level officials including the head of the EPA to the town, and talked to the governors of Ohio and neighboring Pennsylvania while visiting Eastern Europe this past week, White House officials note.

“I think offering the assistance, offering the help is doing it directly,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday. “When you are seeing the federal government on the ground, providing the assistance that is needed, that is doing it directly. They are doing it on the direction of the president.”

Republican criticism of Biden’s response to the disaster – and failure to visit East Palestine – mounted after former President Donald Trump stopped by the village Wednesday to distribute Trump-branded water and campaign hats to residents. Trump, who is running for president, criticized the government’s handling of the disaster, which he characterized as “indifference and betrayal.”

As president, Trump worked to deregulate the freight railroad industry, and scrapped several Obama-era safety protocols.

Republicans have

From Page One

south and east. Most military analysts predict that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attempt again to conquer Kyiv, the capital, after failing spectacularly early in the war to gain what was presumed by analysts to be an easy trophy. But Putin, they say, is nowhere near quitting.

The U.S. government has thrown its lot behind Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former ccomedic actor and an improbable statesman hero, in ways not seen in other recent conflicts. It puts Washington at odds with fellow nuclear power Moscow, at least rhetorically, on a daily basis. The U.S. also galvanized a rare show of broad Western unity in support of Ukraine.

The run-up to Friday’s one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion –for Ukrainians, a moment of somber reflection and steely resolve – highlighted that commitment.

On Saturday, air-raid sirens again blared in Kyiv, symbolizing the plunge into another year of warfare.

Corp. “The Ukrainians are going to need predictable and sustainable support. . . . We are shifting into a really attritional, ugly, crude style – yet effective style – of fighting.”

The battlefield

side, and they will prevail. So they’re better off fighting than not fighting.”

Marking the war’s first anniversary on Friday, Zelenskyy sought to rally his bloodied compatriots, declaring the country unbowed.

“We will do everything to gain victory this year,” he said.

Nuclear threat

Putin, in ways subtle and less so, has raised the specter of using nuclear weapons in the conflict, risking a broader and even deadlier conflagration.

trained much of their criticism of the administration’s response to the disaster on Buttigieg, who visited the site Thursday, a day after Trump. Earlier this month, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote to Biden requesting the transportation secretary’s resignation. “The circumstances leading up to the derailment point to a clear lack of oversight and demand engagement by our nation’s top transportation official,” he argued.

Buttigieg, who has acknowledged he “could have spoken up sooner” about the disaster, has accused Republicans of taking “political advantage of this situation.”

Fox News has devoted significant airtime to the issue. “It’s just horrible because they deserve better,” former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party in October, told the network Thursday. “They deserve people like Secretary Buttigieg and President Biden and others to wake up, thinking about, ‘What can I do for these people who are hurt and are afraid and concerned for their children and their future?’ And unfortunately, they are not getting that.”

The public has long expected presidents to play a hands-on role in responding to major disasters.

“Disaster management has a place in every president’s White House and personal legacy,” the authors of a 2012 study on the subject concluded. “Disaster management is gradually coming to define an increasing share of (the) presidential image.”

But presidents have tended to stay away in the immediate aftermath of a disaster to prevent their presence and the immense security they require from distracting local officials and first responders.

More than three weeks have passed since the 38-car freight train operated by Norfolk Southern derailed near the Ohio town. Preliminary investigations have found that the accident was “100% preventable.”

The Ukrainian capital last week was the backdrop for a dramatic, secrecy-shrouded trip by President Joe Biden, who strolled a cobbled square with Zelenskyy and reaffirmed Washington’s pledge of continued support. It was the first time in modern history that a U.S. president had ventured into a war zone not controlled by the U.S. military, and a huge affront to Putin, who had assumed he would be controlling these streets long ago.

“Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands,” Biden said.

He announced another half-billion dollars in military aid, in addition to the more than $50 billion provided for weapons and economic assistance. This supply has evolved from relatively unsophisticated howitzers and Javelin missiles in the early days to heavier and longer-range firepower including a Patriot battery and battle tanks. Zelenskyy is always seeking more, but Washington has been carefully calibrating a slow upgrade of materiel mindful of what the Ukrainians can operate effectively and what Moscow will view as provocative escalation.

Entire battalions of Ukrainian troops are being taken outside the country and trained to operate the more complex military equipment, U.S. officials say.

Biden’s next-day appearance in Warsaw, where he drilled down on the same message, coincided with a fiery speech by Putin on Defender of the Fatherland Day, in which he made it clear that a full victory remains Russia’s goal. The uncompromising rhetoric and the erratic pace on the battlefield suggest that no resolution is in sight.

“I hope that we’re not sitting here a year from now discussing the same things,” said Dara Massicot, a senior policy researcher at RAND

Though Russia and Ukraine envision a spring offensive, the fighting has never stopped during the chilly winter. Fierce battles have been raging around the smoking ruins of the Ukrainian-held eastern town of Bakhmut for months. Although it would not represent a particularly important gain for Moscow’s forces, Russia believes it would open a tactical path to larger cities such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in eastern Donetsk province.

Russia’s battlefield strategy is largely concentrated on the Donbas region, the eastern industrial heartland where pro-Russian separatists have been largely in control for years. Moscow wants to expand its holdings there.

Analysts say the fighting indicates that Russia’s offensive is already in progress – “under way and underwhelming” as one put it – as Russians move equipment and fortify positions ahead of a broader offensive and gird against Ukrainian forces.

The Ukrainians’ preferred battle plan in coming weeks is thought to be a run south to bisect the V-shaped territory Russia controls in southeastern Ukraine. That would cut the land bridge that facilitates Russian supply lines and potentially make it more difficult for the Kremlin’s forces to maintain connections to Crimea, the peninsula on Ukraine’s southern Black Sea coast that Russia occupied and illegally annexed in 2014.

For both sides, the ability to wage war greatly depends on the availability of weapons.

As Ukraine has benefited crucially from the stream of armaments from the U.S. and Europe, Russia faces critical shortages of weapons. Munition factories are reportedly working triple shifts to meet demands, while the military’s order of battle tanks outstripped production capacity tenfold. There is also a crunch in production of drones and artillery, analysts said, which is expended at high rates in the battlefield.

“The Russian defense industry is really struggling,” said Shashank Joshi, a visiting fellow in war studies at the King’s College London and defense editor for the Economist magazine.

Consequently, Russia is turning to outside sources. Iran has supplied Moscow with drones,

in Egypt’s resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh next month for further talks.

From

Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi. In a bid to lower hostilities, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority emphasized their joint readiness to halt “unilateral measures” for a period of three to six months, the agency said without details. The participants agreed to meet again

according to U.S. officials who also say China is considering sending “lethal aid” to Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned his Chinese counterpart in a recent meeting that such an action would be a serious mistake and would invite U.S. sanctions.

As for manpower, Russia has plenty, thanks to mobilizations of conscripts who form a legion of poorly trained soldiers who often don’t survive long in combat. More are available, although enormous numbers of fighting-age Russian men have fled the country to avoid deployment to a front line where brutal conditions sometimes evoke wars of centuries past.

“It is a complete meat grinder for Russian forces,” Victoria Nuland, U.S. deputy secretary of state for political affairs, told CNN on Thursday. One U.S. estimate reports that 200,000 Russians have been killed or wounded. Like Russia, Ukraine does not disclose its military casualty counts.

Russia’s offensive has been bolstered by a mercenary force known as the Wagner Group, lorded over by Russian oligarch and Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has been blacklisted by the U.S. government along with dozens of other Kremlin officials, Russian businessmen and companies.

The Wagner Group has a ruthless reputation and has taken its deadly tactics around the world, especially in Africa, where it has shored up dictatorships by snuffing out dissidents.

A rare public spat between the Wagner Group and the Russian military broke out recently, with Prigozhin complaining that many of his men were killed in Ukraine because of “shell hunger” – a failure of the Russian army to supply critical ammunition. He posted photos of dozens of dead mercenaries.

The dispute was resolved by the weekend, when Prigozhin said ammunition supplies were finally flowing; however, it raised questions about whether the private fighting force – effective in its brutal way – would continue in the Ukraine battle. It also highlighted tensions at the top surrounding Putin and his s enior commanders, which U.S. officials are eager to exploit.

“We are nowhere near the end of this war,” Rajan Menon, a political scientist at City University of New York who specializes in Russia, said at a panel for the Defense Priorities group that analyzes warfare. “Both sides think that time is on their

ilies were rescued from their burning homes by security forces.

The threat was heightened by his speech last week, in which he announced he was “suspending” Russia’s participation in the New START treaty, the last nuclear arms-control pact between Washington and Moscow, possessors of the world’s two largest nuclear stockpiles.

While most analysts don’t think this means an imminent use of nuclear power, the hints are part of a leitmotif Putin has employed since the beginning of the war.

When he floated the suggestion in spring as Ukraine mounted a formidable counteroffensive, U.S. officials made direct contact with Russian officials and enlisted more neutral countries like India to do the same, all to persuade Putin to stand down, Blinken said.

The last thing Putin wants, Blinken said, is a wider war that brings in NATO, one he could not win.

Most analysts think that although the risk is higher now than in recent times, it remains unlikely that Putin will unleash nuclear weapons unless he sees his troops being routed or that he’s losing Crimea.

The Russians are “still concerned about escalation,” said Joshi, the London-based defense expert.

“If President Putin believes time is on his side . . . as (assessments indicate) he does, despite all the setbacks, it again militates against major escalation,” he added. “Why would you escalate if time is on your side?”

Chances for a breakthrough this year

Although each side will likely make significant gains this year – assuming their supplies hold up – it is not at all certain those gains will be decisive, as much as the two parties want them to be.

If Ukraine cannot recapture more territory and prove itself against the much larger Russian army, pressure will mount on Kyiv to negotiate. That is what Putin wants.

The Russians “think that they can just wait us out,” said Emily Harding, a former CIA analyst now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. “They think they can drive wedges into the West and that eventually we’ll sort of lose patience with this kind of conflict and say, ‘Well, wouldn’t it be better if we went to peace negotiations,’ and peace negotiations in [Putin’s] mind means that he gets to keep what he has now.” For Zelenskyy, that outcome is untenable.

The Aqaba talks were held as two Israelis died in the West Bank on Sunday when their vehicle was fired on in the town of Hawara. A manhunt was launched for the gunman.

After the attack, in which two brothers ages 20 and 22 were killed, Israeli settlers rioted in Hawara in the evening.

Israeli television reported that they set fire to more than 30 Palestinian homes, shops and cars. Several Palestinian fam-

The Israeli army said it is increasing its presence on the ground to prevent further acts of violence.

Sunday’s brutality followed an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, in which 11 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 people were injured.

Since the start of the year, 10 Israelis and a Ukrainian have been killed in attacks by Palestinians, and 62 Palestinians have

died in confrontations with the Israeli military or been killed while making an attack.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved a draft law that would provide for the death penalty for terrorists. The controversial proposal still has to pass several readings in Parliament before it comes into force. A first vote is expected on Wednesday.

Israel seized the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images/TNS

Mariia Kurbet reacts next to the grave of her son Vasyl Kurbet, a Ukrainian serviceman killed in Bakhmut, at a cemetery in Bucha, near Kyiv, on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Friday.

Energy Department believes lab leak was most likely the source of Covid, report says

BloomBerg News

A laboratory leak was the most likely origin of the Covid-19 virus, according to findings by the U.S. Energy Department, The Wall Street Journal reported.

A classified intelligence report provided to the White House and key members of Congress said the virus likely spread due to a mishap at a Chinese laboratory, The Journal reported on Sunday.

The Energy Department had previously been undecided on the source of the virus. The conclusion is due to new intelligence, but the department made its judgment with “low confidence,” according to people who have read the classified report, The Journal said.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday there’s “a variety of views” in the U.S. intelligence community about whether the virus originated naturally or in a

TriBuNe CoNTeNT AgeNCy

Three well-known California Democrats are already running fullfledged Senate campaigns, but is there a Republican in California who wants to run for Senate?

So far, the answer is no. And none appears on the horizon.

The absence of a toptier candidate – or even a mid-tier suicide mission volunteer – will hurt the California Republican Party at a time when it has a rare shot at relevancy.

That’s because for the next year, Republican voters will enjoy a generational opportunity to have their voice heard in a presidential campaign. Ballots will start landing in California mailboxes in the second week of February for the state’s March 5 primary. The last time there was an open GOP field, in 2016, the race was virtually over by the time Californians cast their votes in June.

This time, candidates will have to campaign in California if they want to capture the GOP nomination.

While California Republicans hold little power in their own state, in 2016’s open primary California offered the most delegates (172) and probably will again.

So the road to the 2024 GOP presidential nomination will probably go through – don’t laugh now – California.

“It’s the first time in recent memory that California Republicans will have a very significant voice in the presidential race,” said Matt Shupe, one of California’s top GOP strategists.

“You’re going to see a lot more money, resources and attention put into the state. And there’s going to be a lot more enthusiasm generated.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely candidate, is coming to Orange County for a March 5 fundraiser, and other White House wannabes will soon be holding their hands out to California’s deep pockets to do the same. Sometimes during these fundraising trips, candidates make a side trip to speak to grassroots groups, too.

That sort of national spotlight could be a golden opportunity for a Senate candidate. It could provide an opportunity for candidates to raise money, increase

lab and he “can’t confirm or deny” the Wall Street Journal report.

President Joe Biden has asked the National Laboratories, which are part of the Energy Department, to be part of the assessment, Sullivan said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“And if we gain any further insight or information, we will share it with Congress and we will share it with the American people,” he said. “But, right now, there is not a definitive answer that has emerged from the intelligence community on

this question.” China has long hit back at any suggestion that the Covid-19 virus originated in a lab. The Chinese Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular working hours.

candidate

their name recognition and boost voter contact lists.

That boost might help a long-shot GOP candidate sneak onto the November ballot as one of the top two finishers.

A Republican could slip into the top two if several Democrats remain in the race and the GOP consolidates its support behind a single candidate.

Making it onto the November ballot has been hard for Republicans since primary rules allowed the top two finishers, regardless of party, into the general election. Two of the past three Senate campaigns in California have been Democrat-on-Democrat contests.

That brings us back to the GOP’s Senate void. Two weeks before the California Republican Party holds its statewide convention in Sacramento, the party doesn’t have a Senate candidate. The Democrats have three –Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee, who held a campaign kickoff rally in Oakland on Saturday.

The GOP is wasting valuable time. This is the portion of the election calendar when candidates should be raising money, setting up a grassroots network and forming their teams. The Democrats have been doing this for months.

The primary “may seem like a long time away,” Shupe said, “but in campaign time, it isn’t.”

One big reason no Republicans have stepped up: California’s top conservative donors aren’t interested in funding a statewide campaign where a Republican has little chance of winning.

The nonpartisan raceraters at Cook Political Report classify the seat opened by Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s pending retirement as “solidly blue.”

Every sentient nonpartisan political analyst on the planet agrees. A Republican hasn’t won statewide office in California since 2006.

Tim Rosales, a top GOP strategist who has run statewide campaigns, confirmed that California donors will spend their money “on the presidential race ... and on House seats. That’s where the donor money is going to go.”

More bad news for potential candidates: Duane Dichiara, a GOP strategist who

has run statewide races in California and across the country, said a Republican Senate candidate would have to raise about $80 million to run all the way through November to be competitive.

Last year, the GOP candidate for Senate, attorney Mark Meuser, raised a little over $1 million. He was drubbed by Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla, who raised nearly $12 million.

Nevertheless, California Republican Party Chair Jessica Millan Patterson assured me that “ California Republicans are fully engaged in this race and recruiting a strong candidate.”

“Serious conversations are happening now with potential Republican candidates for California’s open Senate seat,” Patterson said.

But after talking to several top GOP strategists and fundraisers, I could find only one candidate who is considering a run: attorney Eric Early, who ran for attorney general in 2022 and 2018 and failed to advance to the general election both times.

“I have been discussing it with a number of people,” Early told me.

Early also holds the distinction of already losing to Schiff in a 2020 House race. Schiff won 73% of the vote in the heavily Democratic district.

Part of the reason for the dearth of GOP Senate candidates is that there are few Republicans who have climbed the state’s political ladder and built their name recognition and fundraising networks by winning local races, said Mike Netter, a co-organizer of the unsuccessful 2021recallcampaignagainst Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“The Republicans – a lot of them – won’t start at a lower level,” said Netter, who is co-chair of Rebuild California, a grassroots network that was built out of the recall. “There’s not a really good bench of candidates to run.”

The lack of candidates puts California Republicans in a familiar position. They’re waiting for the Second Coming.

The Second Coming of Arnold Schwarzenegger, that is. A candidate who can fund most of his own campaign and has near universal name recognition. Schwarzenegger, t he former governor – along with former state Insurance Com-

TriBuNe CoNTeNT AgeNCy

The Sierra Nevada hunkered down Sunday under a winter storm warning and braced for worse – a dangerous blizzard that weather officials expect to shut down roads, fell trees and cause power outages, with whiteout conditions making travel “near to impossible.”

“Extremely dangerous driving conditions in the Sierras,” the California Highway Patrol’s Truckee office tweeted Sunday morning. “Travel is HIGHLY DISCOURAGED the next couple of days.”

Paving the way was a weather system Sunday bringing subfreezing temperatures, hefty snowfall and powerful winds, meteorologists said.

The system was expected to produce up to a foot of snow in the Lake Tahoe area, said Heather Richards, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The western side of Lake Tahoe was predicted to see about 6 inches to a foot of snow, and the eastern side could see 2 to 4 inches, she said.

missioner Steve Poizner, another wealthy guy – were the last Republicans to win statewide office. Republicans talk about it all the time, but that kind of candidate isn’t coming anytime soon. Then again, Schwarzenegger –who championed climate change laws and electoral reforms – is probably too moderate to win over much of today’s California Republican Party.

Temperatures were expected to range from 29 to 32 degrees at the lake level and the low 20s in the mountains, according to the weather service.

“The winds will be another issue this after-

noon,” said Richards, adding that gusts will likely reach 35 to 40 mph around the lake and 75 to 80 mph in the peaks.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning in the lead-up to Monday’s blizzard conditions, in effect from 4 a.m. Sunday to 4 a.m. Monday. That will escalate to a blizzard warning for parts of the Sierra, including Interstate 80 and Highway 50, going into effect at 4 a.m. Monday and lasting through 4 a.m. Wednesday. Extremely dangerous and near to impossible mountain travel is expected due to heavy snow and strong wind,” the NWS Sacramento office tweeted. “AVOID TRAVEL

DURING THIS TIME!”

Sunday morning, roads were already beginning to be impacted. Chain control was put back in place on Interstate 80 over Donner Summit at about 9 a.m., the CHP said on Twitter. The chain requirement had briefly been lifted just before 4 a.m., after whiteout conditions caused a one-day closure on I-80 starting at Colfax last week.

Lake Tahoe’s major ski resorts – including Palisades Tahoe, Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar California – were open as of Sunday morning.

State’s Republicans will have rare power in 2024; now they just need a Senate

‘Extremely dangerous’ blizzard to pummel the Sierra. Here are the timing and impacts

Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/TNS file (2022)

National security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks at a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., Sept. 30, 2022.

MLB, players’ union reassume fighting stances over the next CBA B8

Monday, February 27, 2023

SECTION B Matt Miller . Sports Editor . 707.427.6995

Which Giants are really in the best shape of their lives?

eCk BAY AREA NEWS GROUP, SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Asked Saturday morning to weigh in on spring’s biggest cliche – who are the players really in the best shape of their lives? – Giants

Gabe Kapler gave it some thought.

“We have a lot of guys in good physical condition,” he said. “I’m trying to rank them out in my brain.”

Eventually, the answers came out.

Jakob Junis: “In tremen-

Mike McGlinchey soon to strike it rich, if not from 49ers then as free agent

Cam Inman BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

Mike McGlinchey should cash in more t han any of the 49ers’ free agents, even Jimmy Garoppolo. Market conditions will dictate that, but there’s money to be had, and McGlinchey is sure to capitalize on the supply-and-demand aspect that financially favors starting-caliber offensive tackles.

Q uarterbacks, of course, command the most money, so Garoppolo could very well find his own suitor willing to commit to a multiyear contract and a starting role, of which several exist from coast to coast. Or his injury history could ferret only a short-term deal.

McGlinchey’s worth? He’s not going to set the market the way Trent Williams did two years ago in re-signing with the 49ers (six years, $138 million). But McGlinchey will have options, and that’s because the 49ers had him play out his fifthyear option last season ($10.9 million). He might make double that annually on

a new deal, if the market is ripe as the salary cap balloons to $225 million, a jump over $16 million.

“I’m not an idiot and I understand what my value is, and (the 49ers) do, too, and the rest of the league will when the time comes. It’s an interesting process,”

McGlinchey said Jan. 31, as he cleaned out his locker at season’s end for the first time in his fiveyear tenure.

“It’s something you dream about as a kid,” McGlinchey added, “not really that (business) part of it, but to have a pick for where you play, that kind of freedom is what our union has fought for and it’s a pretty cool deal.”

What does McGlinchey have going for (and against) himself? Let’s examine:

BIG-TIME EXPERIENCE

Since the 49ers drafted McGlinchey ninth overall in 2018 out of Notre Dame, he’s been a polarizing starter at right tackle, at least in the court of public opinion, which overlooks

dous shape.” LaMonte Wade Jr.: “Awesome shape. Physically in a very good space. Mentally in a very good space.”

And, “Obviously Joc came in in really good shape too.”

While Pederson has noticeably slimmed down, one player came in to camp carrying a larger frame: Heliot Ramos, who started their Cactus League opener in right field, went 1-for-3 with a double and misplayed a ball that led to a run. But it doesn’t concern the Giants.

“Heliot is a big, strong, fast,

physical athlete,” Kapler said. “He’s got physical mass, muscle mass. He’s moving good.”

One player Kapler would like to see slim down: Estrada, whose sprint speed increased toward the end of last season as he shed weight.

This spring, he came into camp a little heavier than the Giants would like.

“It’s not important for today or tomorrow, just more when we get to New York (for Opening Day),” Kapler said. “He’s come in stronger, physically stronger this year. He’s also added just a

little bit of weight. What we want him to do is . . . carry slightly less body fat. He’s not carrying a lot of it. But there’s a distribution that we’re driving toward. We want power, explosiveness, athleticism.

“We’re not concerned at all about weight, but with the middle infielders we want these guys to be fast and explosive first. In particular with Thairo because he’s a base runner for us, we want to see that secondhalf sprint speed and second-half explosiveness when we get to the end of camp.”

Thompson’s role evolves as he ages

C.J. holmes SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

“Steve was just telling me how my game needs to evolve as I get older,” Thompson said. “He was just telling me to go for triple-doubles and round out my entire game... That really resonated with me.”

Kerr was impressed by Thompson’s 12 3-pointers, just like everyone else in attendance, especially the fact that Thompson did it in the second game of a back-to set, which is something Thompson has done just twice in four years. For a player who lost 2 1/2 prime seasons to injuries, that in itself was a feat.

However, the Warriors coach revealed after the game that he was just

as satisfied with Thompson’s seven rebounds. Even if Thompson never hits another shot he’ll go down in league as one of the best shooters ever to grace the hardwood. But in Kerr’s mind, Thompson’s effort on the glass is a sign of growth.

“I think we’re challenging him to get on the glass, it’s part of his evolution,” Kerr said. “I think every great player, as they get older they have to evolve –whatever that means.”

As different athletes begin to age in their respective games, the athleticism and skills they once enjoyed in their youth days begins to fade. When the day inevitably comes, when they can’t run as fast or jump as high, players have to adjust and

use the knowledge and experience they’ve gained over the course of their careers to add new wrinkles to their games.

As Michael Jordan got older and perhaps his legs weren’t as spry as they once were, he began to place more emphasis on playing out of the post and controlling the game at a different pace. Stephen Curry turns 35 in March and his method of battling Father Time includes a strict workout regimen with a focus on gaining and maintaining muscle to help combat the wear and tear of an NBA season.

Thompson and Curry’s games have never relied solely on athleticism.

“As long as my wrist still works, my feet work, I’ll forever be able to shoot

the rock,” Thompson said. However, the next step in Thompson’s evolution is identifying what works for him, what aspects to add to his game and how best to ensure longevity.

“The challenge is to be better defensively and more vocal and a better leader and a better rebounder,” Kerr said. “Within the team he’s now the elder, whereas he used to have plenty of elders around him. And so I think that’s what I’m excited about. I can see Klay is starting to figure it out and see that forming with everything he’s doing.”

As Kerr said, part of veteran development includes using your voice more frequently and

See Elder, Page B8

ChrIs BIderman THE SACRAMENTO BEE

The Kings’ dramatic, double-overtime victory Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers hasn’t changed much in the mind of De’Aaron Fox when it comes to Sacramento’s turnaround season.

“I mean, we already knew that we could score,” Fox told The Sacramento Bee following a morning shootaround as the Kings prepared to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. “I don’t think there’s much really to take from that game besides just us being able to fight from being down 14 in the fourth quarter, going to overtime, being down in both overtimes and winning the game. I think that’s pretty much it.”

Kings fans have been buzzing in the aftermath of the 176-175 win that was the second-high-

est scoring game in NBA history. Many have called it the best regular season game they’ve seen in recent memory. Fox, of course, authored much of the game’s drama with a season-high 42 points along with 12 assists, five rebounds and five steals.

The first-time AllStar had 10 points in the fourth quarter and has a league-high 157 points in clutch moments. He also had 30 or more points for the sixth consecutive game, continuing a franchise record. The Kings won despite being down by 14 points with less than five minutes left in regulation, six points with just over three minutes left in the first overtime and six points inside of two minutes remaining in the second OT.

Sacramento (34-25) has won both its games since last week’s All-Star break and remains in the

See Kings, Page B8

evan WeBeCk BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — There’s a new, little Wilmer Flores in the world.

Which meant that Wilmer Flores walked in to the Giants clubhouse for the first time this spring Sunday morning, glowing with new dad energy.

Wilmer Jose Flores was born Thursday in Miami, weighing in at 8 pounds, the firstborn child for the Giants’ 31-year-old infielder.

He is the fifth in a line of Wilmer Flores, which includes the Giants’ Wilmer and the righthanded Wilmer who pitches for the Tigers.

Within the family, the Giants’ Wilmer is known by his nickname, “Catire,” a reference to his childhood blond hair.

What will they call this one?

“Little Wilmer?” Flores offered up. “We don’t know yet.”

Flores’ presence was a welcome sight Sunday morning. As he spoke with reporters in the clubhouse Sunday morning, starter Alex Wood walked by and shouted, “Dimelo, Papi!” – or, in English, “Tell me, papi!” Flores arrived a week after position players were required to report – the last player to arrive – but was granted all the time he needed as he awaited

Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group file (2022) San Francisco Giants’ Wilmer Flores (41) celebrates after hitting his two-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Sept. 4, 2022.

the birth of his child. On Thursday, his girlfriend, Ivonelis Navas, gave birth via cesarean section. Flores said he was

able to prepare normally, except for the three days he spent in the hospital. “I’m ready to go,” he said.

Even after historic victory, De’Aaron Fox says Kings ‘can be a lot better than we are’

‘Little Wilmer’ arrives in the world, and Wilmer Flores arrives at SF Giants camp

Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group file

Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (11) celebrates after a dunk against the Washington Wizards in the second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Feb. 13, 2023.

‘Within the team, he’s now the elder’

See Mike, Page B8

Darryl Webb for Bay Area News Group San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler at Scottsdale Stadium, Feb. 16, 2023.

This French onion pasta is internet famous – and lives up to the hype

A

Aron HutcHerson

THE WASHINGTON POST

Carolyn Wong, who goes by @carolbeecooks on TikTok, is relatively new to the world of food blogging. It was a hobby she picked up during the pandemic as an outgrowth of her love of cooking and her desire to share that with others. Her style embraces spontaneity. “In general, I just kind of like using ingredients I have on hand, since I just do it for fun,” Wong said in a phone interview from her home in Columbus, Ohio. “A lot of times I don’t really do a lot of planning things out. I just kind of think of things throughout the day and see what I have to try to get some inspiration using ingredients I like.”

In January 2022, after recently enjoying homemade French onion soup, she was inspired to make a one-pot French onion pasta –“I make a lot of pasta dishes in general,” Wong said – and a viral recipe was born.

But Wong acknowledges she wasn’t the first to come up with the idea. “There’s definitely people that have thought of it before me, years and years ago, and I’ve seen a lot of people do it since,” she said.

One of those people is Joy Wilson, a.k.a. Joy the Baker, who shared a version of the dish on her blog back in 2014. “French onion is one of my favorite flavor profiles just because it feels so luxurious, but it’s actually pretty attainable with simple ingredients that I usually have in my pantry,” Wilson told me. She was inspired to create the dish when she thought about “how to get the most luxury out of a box of pasta and some onions.” While some might feel a sense of territorialism over their creation, as a veteran of the blogging world, Wilson acknowledges that’s not how things work in the recipe sphere. “I never hold on to it so tight as mine, because I’m putting it out in the world for it to be everyone’s.”

Wilson said her recipe was popular when she originally posted it and continues to get attention whenever she reshares it. And now, with Wong’s social media videos, the dish is gaining even more traction. “It is pretty cool that a whole new TikTok generation is finding these kinds of dishes and getting excited about it,” she said. “I feel like this technique is a gateway for people who think that they don’t know how or don’t like to cook to feel chef-y.”

Wong’s original video from early 2022 has garnered more than 1 million views on TikTok – a veritable success. But when she shared it again last month, this time capitalizing on a trend in which people list three reasons they won’t do something (with all of the reasons left blank), Wong’s video took off again to even greater heights. “That video takes like 2 seconds to make and then it has like 17 million

views between Instagram and TikTok,” Wong said.

It’s always interesting to see which recipes gain the most traction on social media. With some, such as baked feta pasta, it’s clear as day why they become so popular. Others, such as the tortilla “hack” that is basically a folded quesadilla, required a bit more convincing for me to jump on the bandwagon. And few, such as pasta chips, still make zero sense to me. French onion pasta squarely falls into the first category. Why? Well, it’s a confluence of factors.

“I think people like things that are simple and they feel like they can approach at home,” Wong said. Timing also plays a role, as these cold weather months are affectionately known as soup season to some, and drawing on a classic soup is an instant pull. Combining that with a one-pot pasta ratchets the dish’s intrigue level up a notch because of the ease and, well, pasta. And it’s both saucy and cheesy, giving videos of this creation an intense visual appeal for viewers.

“I think it’s so appealing because it’s really simple and it’s stuff that you can look around your kitchen and find without having to go to the

grocery store for the most part,” Wilson said. “It’s fairly adaptable and it just is a very simple way to get a lot of comfort and flavor out of super simple ingredients. And it only uses one pot, so it’s light on dishes, too.”

Wong said she “was literally just using stuff that [she] had on hand,” when she first made it. “I didn’t buy specific ingredients for it, so I feel like people shouldn’t be scared to experiment and see how it turns out.”

So experiment I did.

I followed Wong’s recipe in my first pass, and while it was good, I thought it could better evoke the source material. The first thing I did was increase the amount of onions, because if we’re going to call something French onion pasta, then I want to be smacked in the face with onion flavor. I also decided to use port to deglaze the pan instead of white wine for the caramel undertones port often has, which complement the sauteed onions. Other small tweaks I made include tying the thyme sprigs with twine to make them easier to fish out later and using chicken stock or broth instead of beef for a cleaner flavor that lets the onions shine through more. Lastly, while parmesan cheese

is undoubtedly more likely to be in a home cook’s fridge at any given time, I missed the distinct flavor profile of Gruyere cheese that typically accompanies the soup.

The result is a carby, saucy, cheesy, oniony bowl of pasta that lives up to the hype and my expectations. Give this recipe a try, and I’m sure it will do the same for you. Or, as Wong and Wilson suggest, use it as a blueprint to make use of the ingredients you already have on hand for a luxurious pasta that’s easily within reach.

FRENCH ONION PASTA 1 hour

5 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with twine, plus more for serving

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

2 ounces (½ cup) finely shredded Gruyère cheese, plus more for serving

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and salt, stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are nicely browned in spots and the bottom of the pot is covered with stuck-on bits, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the port to deglaze by scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Servings:

2 to 4 (makes about 3 ½ cups) This dish, popularized on TikTok, turns French onion soup into a one-pot pasta. This recipe tweaks that viral version, increasing the onion flavor by using an entire pound of yellow onions and calling for Gruyère instead of parmesan to better capture the flavor of the classic soup.

Storage Notes: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.

NOTE: The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so it’s okay if it is still saucy.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions (1 pound), thinly sliced

½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

¼ cup tawny port (may substitute madeira, sherry, dry vermouth, red wine, or additional stock or broth)

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth, preferably unsalted or reducedsodium, if store-bought

8 ounces short dry pasta, such as rigatoni, fusilli or orecchiette

Add the stock or broth, pasta, thyme, and pepper, cover partially and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to keep the mixture at a gentle, not rolling, boil, until the pasta is al dente and the liquid has reduced to coat the pasta, 15 to 20 minutes (see NOTE). Remove from the heat, discard the thyme, and stir in the cheese until melted. Taste, and season with more salt and/or pepper, if needed.

Divide among bowls, sprinkle with more cheese and fresh thyme leaves, if desired, and serve.

Nutrition information per serving (scant 1 cup), based on 4 |

Calories: 373; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Cholesterol: 31 mg; Sodium: 401 mg; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 3 g; Protein: 15 g

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

Recipe from staff writer Aaron Hutcherson.

How to make store-bought marinara taste more like homemade

Becky k rystAl THE WASHINGTON POST

As I’ve said before, I’m a fan of kitchen shortcuts that can make cooking easier and faster. Especially if you pick one of the better brands out there, storebought marinara is a great example.

When we recently ran our taste test of 12 topselling brands, not only did readers have comments about their favorites, but they also offered ideas on how to upgrade those supermarket jars. Here’s a roundup of some of those suggestions, as well as mine, organized into a few main categories.

1. Time: The time you

put into a tomato sauce is just as important as the ingredients. If you taste a store-bought marinara and deem it pretty good but you just want to amplify things, try cooking it down. Concentrating the flavors may be all it takes to amplify the flavors and give it that home-cooked vibe.

2. Aromatics: Think about how you might start a sauce if you were making it from scratch. You’d probably saute some aromatics, right? Same idea here. In some butter or oil, cook one or a combination of such staples as onions, garlic, leeks or shallots to your preferred level of color – until just transparent, golden or richly brown. You can

include other parts of the classic French mirepoix or Spanish or Italian sofrito/soffritto bases, if that’s your thing, including carrots, celery, peppers and more tomatoes. Add the marinara and simmer for a bit to allow the flavors to meld.

3. Umami: These are the type of ingredients that have an impact without you necessarily being able to pinpoint their presence. That’s because they’re more about umami, that savory, mouth-filling sensation that is often cited as the fifth taste, after sweet, sour, salty and bitter. A little can go a long way with some of these ingredients – and a lot can go too far, if you’re not

careful. An especially effective option with a low risk is tomato paste. Brown a tablespoon or so in olive oil in your pot or skillet before adding the sauce to simmer or reheat. Anchovies, or anchovy paste, is another umami-rich ingredient, so try cooking a few minced fillets or a teaspoon or so of paste into the sauce. For liquid options, a judicious splash of fish sauce, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce can add coveted depth. Whether making homemade or doctoring store-bought sauce, readers suggested red wine and rinds from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, both of which bring umami as well.

4. Herbs: While jarred

marinara often includes herbs, you can doctor it with more of your favorites. First read the label, noting that herbs may actually be lumped into a parenthetical under “spices.” Then taste the sauce. If it’s lacking that special something, try cooking the sauce with a dried bay leaf or two, one of my favorite subtle but effective herbs. A judicious pinch of dried oregano or basil is another option, but the judicious part is key, as they are rather potent and may already be in the sauce. Or consider stirring in torn or minced fresh herbs right before serving to preserve their bright flavor. Basil is a natural, though I think

fresh oregano is really underrated. Fresh thyme or parsley can work, too, if you like them.

5. Meat: Several readers talked about how they like to bulk up and flavor store-bought sauce with meat. Sausage –whether sliced links or ground bulk – were both mentioned as possibilities, as was ground beef. I’d recommend hot Italian sausage, which I use in a similar approach when I build the sauce for my spinach and goat cheese lasagna. Brown whatever meat you choose in a bit of olive oil, so that it starts to cook and the fat renders to flavor and enrich the sauce, then add the marinara and simmer to combine.

Scott Suchman/The Washington Post photos

ABOVE: This French onion pasta recipes produces a carby, saucy, cheesy, oniony bowl of pasta that lives up to the hype and expections.

LEFT: Add the port to deglaze by scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Pickles Brian Crane

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baldo Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Ormewood (Jake McLaughlin) investigates a magician’s murder in “Will Trent.”

SuSan Hiland SHILAND@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — A classic Stephen King horror story with killer kids returns to local theaters this weekend.

Also playing is a boxing movie starring Michael B. Jordan, a tale of fright when a young woman starts a new job only to find she is not alone in the building, and Jason Statham as a spy looking to save the world with the help of some friends.

Opening nationwide are:

“Children of the Corn,” this reimagined Stephen King classic story tells the tale of a small town that is shaken when children suddenly start killing their parents.

The film is rated R.

“Creed III,” in which Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his boxing career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose. The film is rated PG-13.

“Hunt Her, Kill Her,” a film about Karen, a desperate young mother who takes a job as the night shift janitor at a large furniture factory. She believes the factory is empty until she sees a car idling outside. The film is rated R.

“Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,” in which super spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant).

Reluctantly teamed with some of the world’s best operatives (Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone), Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them on their globe-trotting undercover mission to save the world.

The film is rated R.

Opening in limited release are: “Blueback,” in which young marine biologist

Abby receives word of her elderly mother Dora’s stroke. As she rushes to her seaside hometown to care for Dora, Abby recalls her childhood years spent living in concert with the ocean, and her mother’s efforts to protect the bay from greedy developers and invasive fishermen alike, often to the detriment of their own relationship. Among the coral gardens, Abby also befriends a rare fish, an enormous blue groper affectionately named Blueback, a tether to her environmentalism, and the key to reminding them of their love for each other. The film is rated PG. “Palm Trees and Power Lines,” in which teen Lea (Lily McInerny) spends her summer break aimlessly tanning in her backyard with her best friend, tiptoeing around her needy mother and getting stoned with a group of boys from school. This monotony is interrupted by a chance encounter with an older man, Tom (Jonathan Tucker). He promises a lot, and she soon realizes the real danger isn’t boredom or parents. The film is rated R.

“The Donor Party,” in which recently divorced Jaclyn (Malin Akerman) wants a baby and comes up with a crazy plan to steal sperm from a clinic with the help of her best friends (Erinn Hayes and Bria Henderson). The film is not rated.

“Transfusion,” in which an ex-special forces operative (Sam Worthington) plunges into the criminal underground for one final mission in this muscular, emotionally charged thriller to protect his son at any cost. The film is rated R.

For information on Edwards Cinemas in Fairfield, visit www. regmovies.com/ theatres/regal-edwardsfairfield-imax. For Vacaville showtimes, visit www.brendentheatres.com. For Vallejo showtimes, check www. cinemark.com/theatres/ ca-vallejo. More information about upcoming films is available at www. movieinsider.com.

‘Children of the Corn’ is reborn for a new generation

The

Justin Chang LOS ANGELES TIMES

In September 1985, Tennessee authorities discovered the body of Andrew Carter Thornton II, a former narcotics officer turned drug smuggler who had fallen to his death from a plane. The bags full of cocaine he was transporting into the country took longer to recover. By the time the illicit cargo was found in Georgia’s ChattahoocheeOconee National Forest, much of it had already been ingested by an unfortunate 175-pound black bear, found dead nearby of a massive overdose. From this real-life tale of greed, stupidity and humanity’s unthinking abuse of nature rises a natural question: What if the bear, rather than simply kilo-ing over, had gone on a murderous coke-fueled rampage driven by a hunger for not just sinewy human flesh (though there’s plenty of that), but for another whiff of that sweet, sweet powder?

Nasty, brutish and snortfilled, “Cocaine Bear” provides an extremely gory and amusingly speculative answer. Having grabbed headlines with its viral trailer, cheerfully self-explanatory title and sly redefinition of “high concept,” the movie has already invited obvious pre-release comparisons to “Snakes on a Plane,” the (sadly underseen) 2006 thriller that soared for months as an internet sensation before crashing to box-office earth. Whether or not audiences form lines for “Cocaine Bear,” it’s hard to completely dismiss a mainstream horror-comedy that offers a nice supply of sharp and grisly, at least until it takes a disappointing turn for soft and cuddly. You’ve seen worse new movies in February, maybe even this February.

What you probably haven’t seen is a 500-pound bear (because everything is bigger in Hollywood) mauling her way through a once-idyllic stretch of federally protected woodland. (Most of this largely Georgia-set movie was shot in rural Ireland.) In keeping with most of today’s apex-predator-run-amok entertainments, including last year’s solidly entertaining “Beast,” this fictional version of “Pablo Escobear” (a locally coined nickname) is entirely and convincingly computer-generated, from her lethal claws to the end of her increasingly cokedusted, bloodstained snout.

After teasing us with an early glimpse of Teddy Drugspin in tourist-pouncing, leg-severing action, Jimmy Warden’s script lays out a busy array of human subplots. Keri

Russell plays a loving single mom; Brooklynn Prince (“The Florida Project”) is her adolescent daughter, who picks the worst possible day to head into the forest with her best friend (Christian Convery). O’Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich and Aaron Holliday are nicely grouped as three bumbling crooks on a mission to retrieve the lost cocaine. Also in the mix are the indispensable Margo Martindale as a grouchy park ranger, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as a hapless animal-rights activist, Kristofer Hivju (“Game of Thrones”) as a traumatized hiker and Isiah Whitlock Jr. as a police detective with a cute dog.

Don’t worry, the dog survives. Not all the others are so lucky, and “Cocaine Bear,” like most movies that turn schadenfreude into entertainment, does a reasonably good job of both scrambling and satisfying your expectations. The director Elizabeth Banks, making her third feature (after “Pitch Perfect 2” and the recent “Charlie’s Angels” reboot), has a clean way with messy action, as we see in the movie’s best scene – a delirious Depeche Mode-scored action highlight involving a gurney, a speeding ambulance and some truly jaw-dropping, wrist-snapping prosthetic wounds. Not all the bear’s victims solicit your contempt, which is another way of saying it isn’t easy to predict who lives and who dies, though you can bet the latter will include the idiot

backing away toward a conveniently positioned grab-and-go window.

The suspense derives in part from the pulsepounding exertions of Mark Mothersbaugh’s score, and also from the characters’ assumption that black bears are (a) less dangerous than brown bears and (b) always sober. But it also stems from some amateur mammalogy on the part of Banks and Warden, who advance some funny, fanciful ideas how Teddy Drugspin might respond to treats, threats and other stimuli. Would she pounce on every person who crosses her path, or just the ones who themselves happen to reek of coke? Will her latest high make her hungry, or sleepy? Will the kids survive her killing spree? Have we seen the last of Prince’s character when halfway through the movie she exits, pursued by a cocaine bear? That the bear turns out to be a mama herself, complete with her own cute little Winnie-the-Potheads, might go some way toward answering that question. It’s here that the movie, after about an hour of steadily escalating mayhem, goes unrewardingly soft. The action begins to drag, the twists get more belabored and what played at first like a gleefully unapologetic exploitationmovie exercise threatens to become a late-breaking morality play. That’s sweet and defensible in theory, I guess; come for the sniffs, stay for the sniffles. But it also suggests a failure of nerve in a movie daring enough to show two young kids tasting cocaine for the first time, in gleeful defiance of the anti-drug commercials that seized the airwaves in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Banks shows us some of those commercials at the outset, though she stops short of satirizing the “Hugs, Not Drugs” campaign that was a fixture of so many elementary schools, with none other than Hugs the Bear serving as its furry, friendly mascot. Elsewhere, she pays enjoyable unsubtle homage to this story’s specific moment, cramming the soundtrack with ‘80s hits (but no “Ursine o’ the Times,” alas) and having Matthew Rhys, Russell’s “The Americans” co-star, play the ill-fated Thornton in a quick prologue. Also winkingly cast is the late Ray Liotta, who famously inhaled massive quantities of coke in “Goodfellas” and here plays a ruthless drug lord in his final screen role. Does his character get an exit worthy of him? Does a bear snort in the woods?

Crossword by Phillip Alder

Bridge

would solve today’s deal successfully; but if he were in his mean season, he would fail dismally.

West, luckily not having a heart to lead, starts with his fourth-highest spade. How should South plan the play?

IS BACON COOKED WISELY OR MEANLY?

Alexander Pope obviously didn’t have much time for Bacon or Cromwell, writing: “If parts allure thee, think how Bacon shin’d, / The wisest, brightest, meanest of mankind: / Or ravish’d with the whistling of a name, / See Cromwell, damn’d to everlasting fame!”

Well, if Bacon were the wisest, he

Bacon, when in mean season, sees two spade tricks and wins East’s spade king with his ace. Then he leads a minor, say a club. East snatches that trick and returns the spade seven, West being careful to duck to dummy’s 10. South may take eight tricks: two spades, three hearts (including the finesse) and three clubs, but when he leads a diamond, East wins immediately with the ace and returns his last spade to West’s three winners: down one. When in a sage stage, Bacon realizes that East must have both minor-suit aces for his opening bid. The correct plan is to lock West’s long spades out of the game, which is done by sacrificing a spade trick. Bacon ducks the first trick. West wins the second trick with the spade queen and leads a third round to declarer’s ace, but now the contract is safe. South plays on each minor suit in turn, coming to nine tricks in all. It doesn’t matter how slowly you start a race as long as you cross the finish line first. Ask your local hare and tortoise if you doubt that.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne

Gould

© 2023 Janric Enterprises Dist. by creators.com

2/28/23 IS

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

Alexander Pope obviously didn’t have much time for Bacon or Cromwell, writing: “If parts allure thee, think how Bacon shin’d, / The wisest, brightest, meanest of mankind: / Or ravish’d with

Difficulty level: SILVER

Yesterday’s solution:

Can ChatGPT write a better cover letter for your job search?

SEE FOR YOURSELF

Jaimie Ding

LOS ANGELES TIMES

The cover letter is its own unique, dreaded genre of writing. In a few – often formulaic – paragraphs, job applicants must accomplish several things: prostrate themselves at the feet of hiring managers, extolling the virtues of whatever company to which they’re applying, but also brag about themselves without seeming too, well, braggy.

And after doing all of that work, there’s no telling whether a hiring manager will merely skim your letter or closely examine it to gauge your communication chops.

Now, job applicants are utilizing ChatGPT – a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence – to do the heavy lifting. Designed by the startup OpenAI, which released the current version of the technology for public testing in November 2022, ChatGPT has impressed the world with its ability to execute all manner of tasks, including writing a Taylor Swift song from the perspective of a tree and passing exams in law and business schools (albeit with poor grades).

But how good is ChatGPT at pretending to be a human?

The Times interviewed five job seekers, who shared examples of old and new ChatGPT-written cover letters for comparison. (Several did not want to be identified by their full names out of fear of facing discrimination from potential employers.) One used the AI assistant to blast out job applications in volume, another used it to improve her non-native English, and others used it to personalize their portfolios. Most started with a simple prompt – “Write me a cover letter” – and were blown away by the results.

‘It wrote better than I ever could.’

Jesse landed his current job as an automotive service adviser in Vancouver, Canada, using a cover letter written by ChatGPT.

could,” he said. “A simple cover letter would take me a week to write.”

Like many, Jesse, 34, found it difficult to write about himself and explain his skill set to employers. He used ChatGPT to spruce up his resume first, and then told it to use the resume to create a cover letter based on job descriptions for marketing, product consulting and other roles in the auto industry.

But, he warned, it’s still important to double-check everything the bot writes. ChatGPT has

‘Why not? A bot reads them; I’ll get a bot to write them.’

For Austin, Texas-based J, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, tapping ChatGPT to write their cover letters was a no-brainer.

“Why not? A bot reads them,” they said, referring to cover letter and resume-scanning software that many employers use to filter out candidates. “I’ll get a bot to write them.”

hiring manager, she believes it’s important to use technology to her advantage.

Martinez uses a prompt she found on a LinkedIn post advising people to try out ChatGPT for their cover letters: “Write me a personalized cover letter explaining why I’m a great candidate for this job. The job title is [Job Title], the company is [Company Name], and here is the job description: [Paste Job Description].”

At work, he uses it to shorten long-winded emails and generate cold call scripts for contacting potential clients. He’s also seen use cases where, to prep for an interview, job seekers ask ChatGPT to pretend to be a hiring manager at a company they’re reaching out to and identify the top three problems that person faces.

“I think it’s a tool that we can use to make ourselves more efficient,” he said.

developed a reputation for occasionally spewing falsehoods with full confidence, and it could do the same to you.

For Jesse’s cover letters, ChatGPT would sometimes add random facts about him that were incorrect, such as stating he was a supervisor in a previous position when he merely took on a “supervisory role.”

It often took a back-andforth exchange with ChatGPT to rewrite certain paragraphs or sentences and land on a cover letter he liked, Jesse said. He also made small manual edits, like switching out certain words. And while it saved him work, there was one additional step involved: running the letter through online AI scanners that have popped up to detect AI-generated writing to make sure it passed the test in case companies checked.

“The aspects of using AI to assist – it’s a tool,” he said.

“Imagine you had an expert next to you telling you how to get better. I’ve been able to work a lot faster than when I was working with people on designing things.”

J, 28, was laid off from their design job at a financial services tech company in June and moved to freelance contracts for a few months. Now, they’re looking to get back into a full-time, senior-level product design position. Normally, a job application that requires a cover letter would be an automatic skip. But now J generates one in a matter of minutes, instructing ChatGPT to pull personal examples from a resume. After a few minutes of tweaking, it’s ready to be submitted. While J hasn’t necessarily noticed an increase in the amount of callbacks received, the tool has let them throw their hat in the ring for more positions than before.

“Cover letters in general have always sounded to me like a bot [wrote them], like they’re very impersonal, the professional way of speaking,” J said. “Why do I have to write fan fiction about why I want to work for you? I just need money to pay my bills.”

‘It is like a virtual friend that will give you an accurate answer.’

When Laura Martinez moved to London from Venezuela eight years ago, she could barely speak or write in English. Though she has improved by leaps and bounds since then, she still relies on the help of platforms such as Grammarly for writing – and now ChatGPT.

“If you don’t know English [well], a lot of doors can be closed for you,” Martinez, 37, said. In the multistep job application process, during which candidates’ fates are at the often-subjective whims of a

While editing the cover letter, she made sure to personalize it and delete sentences she wouldn’t say or that weren’t applicable to her. Martinez said the process also improves her writing ability in the long run. If she’s struggling with writing a specific sentence, she also gives ChatGPT prompts to make her writing more “polished” or asks it to rewrite what she has.

“It is like a virtual friend that will give you an accurate answer and push you to get the best version,” said Martinez, who has already used the ChatGPT-written letter to apply for 15 jobs in content creation and social media management since she started her job search in January.

‘I was pretty amazed.’

One of the first things Zachary asked ChatGPT to do was to practice Spanish with him. Another was to write an episode of “The Office” set in 2050. ChatGPT did both – and surprisingly well.

Now, he’s integrated it into his daily job in Southern California working in tech sales and using it in his job search as he tries to transition into recruiting.

For cover letters, he gave ChatGPT a job description and a couple of sentences with the titles of previous roles he’s been in.

“It basically filled in the knowledge of what it knows those positions do,” Zachary said. “I was pretty amazed.”

Afterward, he’ll edit to remove any filler material or sentences that are too “on the nose,” such as regurgitating a company’s values or mentioning a company’s reputation as a “top leader for business women.”

He’s also using it to rework his resume, giving it paragraphs he’s written and telling ChatGPT: “Make this more concise.”

‘Is it plagiarism? I don’t even know.’

Cynthia Clifford has also fully embraced the use of ChatGPT in her teaching job at an international school in Vietnam and as she seeks to transition industries and find an opportunity in data analytics.

She first heard about it from a classmate in a data analytics accelerator program who mentioned using ChatGPT for his cover letters in early December, right after it was released.

“As soon as the class was over, I made a beeline and got an account,” Clifford said. “That’s how my report card comments got written this semester.”

For her cover letter, Clifford said she’s making substantial edits to the ChatGPT-written drafts that she’s generated using job descriptions, but it does “a really good job of pulling out some of the highlights of the job description, the keywords and the things you might want to highlight.”

She has also fed ChatGPT cover letters that she has already written on her own and asked it to tailor it more closely to a job description.

“Is it plagiarism? I don’t even know,” she said. “Plagiarism generally is copying somebody else’s work. If you’re copying the work of a computer, I don’t know if it’s plagiarism.”

The technology has been a big help as she prepares to throw herself into the job search for data analytics positions, including revising her resume and drafting messages for cold-contacting people on LinkedIn. She has even used it to generate ideas for portfolio projects demonstrating her ability to use SQL, an important programming language in data analytics.

Leon Neal/Getty Images/TNS

OpenAI, whose online chatbot ChatGPT made waves when it was debuted in December, had about 100 million users in the month of January, it’s estimated.

‘The aspects of using AI to assist –it’s a tool. Imagine you had an expert next to you telling you how to get better. I’ve been able to work a lot faster than when I was working with people on designing things.’

— Jesse, an automotive service adviser in Vancouver, Canada

PUBLIC NOTICES

(FIRSTREADING)

SummaryofOrdinanceNo.2023-05

ORDINANCEOFTHECITYCOUNCILLEVYINGSPECIALTAXESWITHINCITYOF FAIRFIELDCOMMUNITYFACILITIESDISTRICTNO.2023-1(ONELAKEPLANNING AREA5)

OrdinanceNo.2023-05would,ifadopted,levyanannualspecialtaxtofinancepublicinfrastructure(a“FacilitiesSpecialTax”)ontaxablepropertiesthatarelocatedwithinthe boundariesofCityofFairfieldCommunityFacilitiesDistrictNo.2023-1(OneLakePlanningArea5)(“OneLake PlanningArea5CFD”),includingImprovementAreaNo.1and futureimprovementareas(“FutureImprovementAreas”)tobeestablishedintheCFDin connectionwithannexationofpropertiestotheCFD.TheFacilitiesSpecialTaxwillpay thecostsofauthorizedpublicinfrastructure,debtserviceonanybondsissuedforthe OneLakePlanningArea5CFDandtheCity’scostsofadministeringtheOneLakePlanningArea5CFD.TheFacilitiesSpecialTaxeswilltransitiontoaspecialtax(a“Services SpecialTax”)leviedtopayforpublicservices;themaximumServicesSpecialTaxwillbe equalto25%ofthemaximumFacilitiesSpecialTax.ThistransitionwilloccurindependentlyforImprovementAreaNo.1andeachFutureImprovementArea,generallyafterthe earlierof(i)50years(whichisFY2073-74inthecaseofImprovementAreaNo.1)and (ii)thedateonwhichtheCitydeterminesthatallbondsissuedfortheImprovementArea havebeenpaidand nootherpublicinfrastructurewillbefundedwiththeCFD.

Noticeisherebygiventhatacopyoftheabove-numberedordinanceisavailableforinspectionbyallinterestedpartiesattheofficeoftheCityClerkofFairfield,1000Webster Street,4thFloor,Fairfield,andthatsaidordinancewasintroducedonFebruary21,2023

NAPA/SOLANO AREA AGENCY ON AGING

PUBLIC NOTICE

AREA PLAN UPDATE

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthatonApril4,2023at10:30amattheSolanoCounty EventsCenter,601TexasStreet,Fairfield,CA,acommunityforumwillbeheldforthe Napa/SolanoAreaAgencyonAgingtopresenttherecommendationsfortheupdateto thefour-yearAreaPlanandsolicitcommentsfromthepublic.

Thisforumwillprovideinformationabouttheupdatedgoalsofthefour-yearAreaPlanfor theperiodofJuly1,2023–June30,2024,priort otheadoptionandsubmissionofthe plantotheCaliforniaDepartmentofAging.

TheproposedAreaPlanwillbeavailableforreviewontheNapa/SolanoAreaAgencyon Agingwebsitepriortothemeeting,www.aaans.org.Individualsareencouragedtoview thematerialsandsubmitquestions/commentstotheNapa/SolanoAreaAgencyonAging onorbeforeApril14,2023.Commentsmaybesubmittedbysendinganemaildirectlyto eclark@solanocounty.com.

Interestedpersonsareinvitedtoattendandbeheard.

Location: SolanoCountyEventsCenter ConferenceRoomB 601TexasStreet Fairfield,CA94533 DR#00061547 Published:February27,2023

(SECONDREADING) SummaryofOrdinanceNo.2023-04

ORDINANCEOFTHECITYCOUNCILOFTHECITYOFFAIRFIELDAMENDINGVARIOUSSECTIONSOFCHAPTER25,ARTICLEIOFTHEFAIRFIELDMUNICIPALCODE ALSOKNOWNASTHEZONINGORDINANCETOADDRESSNEWISSUES,CORRECTTYPOGRAPHICALERRORS,MAKEMINORORGANIZATIONALREVISIONS CLARIFYLANGUAGE,BRINGTHEZONINGORDINANCEINTOCLOSERALIGNMENTWITHGENERALPLANGOALS,OBJECTIVES,ANDPOLICIES;ANDBRING THEZONINGORDINANCEINTOFULLCOMPLIANCEWITHSTATELAW OrdinanceNo.2023-04wouldamendvarioussectionsofChapter25,ArticleI,oftheFairfieldCityCodeinordertoensurethattheZoningOrdinanceisconsistentwithzoningand landusebestpractices,CaliforniaStatelaw,Citypolicygoals,theFairfieldGeneralPlan andadoptedsp ecificplangoalsandobjectives.Additionally,theseamendmentsalso serveasanannualcleanupofinadvertenterrorsandomissionsintheZoningOrdinance TheproposedZoningOrdinanceamendmentshavebeendeemedcategoricallyexempt fromtheCaliforniaEnvironmentalQualityAct(CEQA)perSection15282(h),whichcategoricallyexemptsordinancesimplementingSections65852.1and65852.2oftheGovernmentCoderelatingtosecondunitsinasingle-familyormultifamilyresidentialzone; andunderSection15061(b)(3),thecommonsenseexemptionthatCEQAonlyappliesto projectswhichhavethepotentialtocauseasignificanteffectontheenvironment.The textamendmentsmakeminorchangestoclarifyexistingstandardsandrequirementsfor existingstructuresunderStatelawandregulateminorconversionsofexistingstructures; thesechangeswillnotresultinanynewsubstantialphysicalchangetotheenvironment. Noticeisherebygiventhatcopiesoftheabove-numberedordinanceareavailableforinspectionbyallinterestedpartiesattheofficeoftheCityClerkofFairfield,1000Webster Street,4THFloor,Fairfield,andthatsaidordinancewasintroducedonJanuary17,2023, andpassedandadoptedonFebruary21,2023,bythefollowingvote:

AYES:Councilmembers:MOY/BERTANI/CARR/PANDURO/TONNESEN/VACCARO/WILLIAMS NOES:Councilmembers:

ABSENT:Councilmembers:

ABSTAIN:Councilmembers: Theordinanceshallbeinfullforceandeffectthirty(30)daysafteritspassage. KarenL.Rees,CityClerk Dated:February22,2023

(2ndreading/Adoption)

DR#00061574 Published:February27,2023

From Page B1

his run-blocking dominance and frowns harshly on his pass-blocking hiccups.

Good luck finding another 28-year-old offensive tackle who’s been a Day 1 starter in the NFL with 4,784 snaps to his credit, including six playoff games. (Found one: Orlando Brown Jr., the Kansas City Chiefs’ left tackle who could get the franchise tag.)

McGlinchey made it through his contract year by starting all 20 games, highlighted by his Week 17 dominance against Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby.

That durability was key to not only the 49ers’ offensive cohesion but his own stock, and it behooved him to quietly play through health issues, including fractured ribs. A year ago, McGlinchey was rehabilitating from quadriceps surgery, and he missed time in August with a knee issue.

Overall, No. 69 started 69 regular-season games over the past five seasons. He missed four in 2019 because of a meniscus tear in his knee, and the last nine of 2021 because of that quadriceps tear.

McGlinchey allowed six sacks last season. Technique and communication issues are often cited for such breakdowns. Mentally shaking those issues has also been an outspoken obstacle in his career, as he and offensive line coach Chris Foerster have testified.

TACKLE MARKET

McGlinchey is projected by Pro Football Focus as the NFL’s No. 11 free agent and the No. 2 tackle

Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group San Francisco 49ers’ Mike McGlinchey (69) yells as he leaves the field following their 24-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020.

behind Brown, a left tackle who could be franchise tagged to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blindside.

Other under-30 tackles

who’ll attract attention: Jawaan Taylor (Jaguars), Kaleb McGary (Falcons), Andrew Wylie (Chiefs) and Isaiah Wynn (Patriots).

Teams in dire need, other than the 49ers: the Dolphins, the Raiders, the Bears, the Falcons, the Chiefs, the Broncos, the Cardinals, and possibly the Bengals.

Atop the right tackle market is the Saints’ Ryan Ramczyk, but his extension came in 2021 (five years, $96 million). Signing deals last year were Brian O’Neill (Vikings; five years, $92 million), Taylor Moton (Panthers; five years, $85 million), Braden Smith (Colts; four years, $70 million), Jack Conklin (Browns; four years, $60 million) and Rob Havenstein (Rams; three years, $34.5 million). McGlinchey merits a fouryear, $59.4 million package, according to one NFL salary cap website, Spotrac.com.

BAY AREA ALLURE

When McGlinchey was named a captain in 2020, it reflected what a commanding presence the 6-foot-8, 310-pounder can be, especially as a mature spokesman in the locker room. He didn’t keep that “C” patch for the ensuing two seasons, but he remained a strong fixture on those playoff teams, especially with his run-blocking prowess (85.4 grade, per PFF). He won the 49ers’ Ed Block Courage Award this past season.

“The opportunity to have lifechanging money for my family, that is definitely a factor,” McGlinchey said of free agency. “But it is not the only factor.”

Don’t expect him to take a hometown discount, as much as the Philadelphia kid has embraced the Bay Area.

“I love being here,” McGlinchey added. “The Bay has become my home. My future wife is from here. I love playing for this team, this coaching staff, this ownership group. It’s a great spot. Some of my best friends are here, both players and also support staff.

“It’s hard to ever want to leave this place. I’ve seen people do it and be kind of heartbroken about it later. You have to do a lot of thinking and see how the chips fall.”

The 49ers pushed their chips in for other high-profile players the past two offseasons rather than extend McGlinchey, who acknowledged that Nick Bosa is next in line to “break the bank” with an extension after winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.

But it’s not as if the 49ers are pining to promote from within their ranks. If they go that route, their top candidates are a pair of fifth-round picks who each have five career starts: Colton McKivitz (2020 draft pick) and Jaylon Moore (2021).

MLB, players’ union reassume fighting stances over the next CBA

The WashingTon PosT

Last year at this time, Major League Baseball and its players’ union were entrenched in a lockout, sparring their way through hostile negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement that cost them almost a month of spring training, and nearly part of the regular season. They reached a new five-year agreement just in time to play a full schedule. Crisis averted. Deep breaths all around.

But Saturday, less than a year later, before most Major League teams had even played their first spring training games of the year, MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark sat in the union’s Scottsdale, Ariz. headquarters, surrounded by reporters, making his side’s case for the next one.

“We’re never going to agree to a [salary] cap,” Clark stated unequivocally, reinforcing a position the union has held for generations, fending off the notion four years before he and his staff will have to rebuff any attempts by ownership to implement one.

From Clark’s perspective, he was just returning fire.

Owners like Pittsburgh’s Bob Nutting, Cincinnati’s Phil Castellini, and Colorado’s Dick Monfort have voiced concerns about the difficulty of competing with freespending teams in other markets. Castellini, for example, said earlier this year that the Reds run like a “nonprofit,” the latest

CALENDAR

Monday’s TV sports

Baseball

MLB Exhibition

• St. Louis vs. N.Y. Mets, ESPN, 10:05 a.m.

• Chicago White Sox vs. Seattle, MLB, 12:05 p.m.

• N.Y. Yankees vs. Detroit, MLB, 3:35 p.m.

Basketball College Men

• North Carolina at Florida State, ESPN, 4 p.m.

• Baylor at Oklahoma State, ESPN, 6 p.m.

• West Virginia at Iowa State, ESPN2, 6 p.m.

College Women

• Baylor at Texas, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

Tuesday’s TV sports

Baseball

MLB Exhibition

• N.Y. Mets vs. Houston, ESPN, 10:10 a.m.

• L.A. Dodgers at Cincinnati, MLB, 12:05 p.m.

• Miami at Boston, MLB, 3:40 p.m.

Basketball College Men

• Iowa at Indiana, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

• NC State at Duke, ESPN, 4 p.m.

• Texas Tech at Kansas, ESPN, 6 p.m.

• Arkansas at Tennessee, ESPN2, 6 p.m.

NBA

• L.A. Lakers at Memphis, TNT, 4:30 p.m.

• Sacramento at Oklahoma City, NBCSCA (Vacaville and Rio Vista), 5 p.m.

• Portland at Golden State, NBCSBA (Fairfield at Suisun City), 7 p.m.

• Minnesota at L.A. Clippers, TNT, 7 p.m.

Hockey NHL

• Montreal at San Jose, NBCSCA, 7:30

in a series of complaints he has levied suggesting that his team could not compete with bigger teams even if they tried. While MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred recently called those comments “unhelpful,” he also acknowledged that the owners formed an economic reform committee to explore solutions to payroll disparities and oversee the league’s transition to the cord-cutting era. MLB said that committee first met in June of last year, when the owners realized just how fragile the regional sports network model was becoming, not in response to some teams spending far more than others this winter.

“I think that most people who pay attention to our game realize that we do have a disparity issue here, both on the revenue side and consequently on the ability to spend on players,” Manfred said last week, even as the smallmarket San Diego Padres will enter this season with the third-highest payroll in the majors, becoming the rare franchise to go from receiving revenue-sharing money from bigger-market teams to sharing funds with teams even in cities smaller than theirs.

Clark said he believes history proves that the formation of such a committee, which he compared to the blue ribbon committee formed in the years before the infamous 1994 strike, are indicative of a new push to implement a salary cap.

“We’ve got four years

before we sit down and negotiate again, and a salary cap is not a new idea,” Clark said Saturday.

“What is interesting is the comments coming a year into a new agreement,” he said. “What is interesting is the comments finding their way into the headlines against the backdrop of a remarkably exciting offseason.”

From MLB’s perspective, what was interesting about Clark’s comments was that they came on the day spring training began for all 30 teams, the day MLB officials were spread out among spring training stadiums eagerly observing the arrival of the pitch clock and other new rules they hope will modernize the game for a more frenetic era. MLB hopes those rules will help expand the game’s reach and expand revenue with it. Clark’s thoughts stole headlines from that rollout, too.

MLB made its position on payroll disparity clear during months of negotiations last winter: Owners are not under obligation to run their teams at a loss to compete, or to spend a certain amount to do so, and do not have bottomless pockets from which to do so. They are facing uncertainty over television revenue. The pandemic set them back. What do the players want, everything they make? Plus, just because revenue increases doesn’t mean profit does. That the Padres will transform from a revenue-sharing recipient to a revenue-sharing payer

this year is remarkable. But revenue, MLB would argue, is not the same as profit. Whether the Padres make money on the whole this year, given the size of their investments, remains to be seen.

But the union’s perspective, one Clark outlined again Saturday, is that revenue has jumped dramatically over the last decade, that billionaires owning baseball teams can spend more than they do, that putting the best product on the field will offer increased revenue to match (again, see Padres, San Diego). In other words, the players do not want everything, they want a greater share of the revenue than they get. These are billionaires who will not open their books, making it hard for players to believe all are doing their best to win within their financial means.

“The question that should be asked in regards to one team’s payroll versus another is whether or not that team is making a conscious decision to have its payroll there, or whether it has the ability to increase its payroll,” Clark said. “The answer is the latter, not the former.” MLB and the union have disagreed on that question – whether owners could spend enough to compete and don’t or can’t spend enough to compete and need to limit their less frugal peers instead –for years. The strike that canceled the 1994 World Series was, in part, a fight over a salary cap.

BASKETBALL

NBA

Kings

From Page B1

No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings. Their remaining strength of schedule over their final 23 games is the sixthmost difficult in the NBA. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Kings now have an 80% chance of making the playoffs and ending their 16-season playoff drought. The Kings need eight wins to have their first winning season since 2005-06.

“We feel like we can be a lot better than we are,” Fox said. “We’ve had stretches where we’ve been a good defensive team. But like we’ve said in the past, we have to be more consistent on that end.”

To Fox’s point, the Kings are eighth in the

Elder

From Page B1

transforming into a commanding presence in the locker room and on the court. In his youth, Thompson was a player who preferred to keep to himself. However, playing without Curry and Draymond Green Friday night, Thompson was forced out of his comfort zone and had to step up as a leader.

Thompson has averaged 26.1 points per game while shooting 45.6% from the field

NBA in defensive efficiency in the fourth quarter with a 110.9 defensive rating (their 7.3 net rating in the fourth is second in the league).

But for the season, the Kings are 25th in defensive efficiency, allowing 115.6 points per 100 possessions. Head coach Mike Brown continues to harp on the team’s defensive issues while maintaining that being the league’s top offensive team won’t be enough come playoff time.

Said Fox: “I think the game slows down a lot in the fourth quarter, so our defense is more set. But for us, obviously, you want to be able to limit transition. We’ve been a good transition team. But just from the fourth quarter, we try to be physical without fouling and putting teams on the line. (We do that) way too much in the first half, so that’s a point of emphasis for us.”

and 44.4% from 3-point range since Jan. 1 – great for him, great for the Warriors. But scoring reinforcements are on the way, and his continued development from a leadership standpoint may be even more meaningful for Golden State’s playoff push.

“I tried to use my voice,” Thompson said. “I tried to be loud on defense. I tried to be encouraging on the bench. . . I’ve been here so long I have to lead, I have to use my voice. And that was a great challenge for me and I thought I took a good step.”