Daily Republic: Friday, July 14, 2023

Mustang’s Burke is ready to be dual threat as QB-1 B1

Cooling centers opening across Solano as temps climb

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — County libraries are being used as public cooling centers as temperatures are expected to reach tripledigits by this weekend.

An excessive heat warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for parts of Solano County, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and extending to 11 p.m. Sunday.

The libraries include both Fairfield sites – Civic Center, 1150 Kentucky St., and Cordelia, 5050 Busi-

ness Center Drive; Suisun City, (601 Pintail Drive; both Vacaville sites –Cultural Center Library, 1020 Ulatis Drive, and Town Square Library,

1 Town Square Place; Dixon, 230 N. First St.; Rio Vista, 44 S. Second St.; and both Vallejo sites – John F. Kennedy, 505 Santa Clara St., and Springstowne, 1003 Oakwood Ave. “Bottled water and drinking fountains are also available to all visitors,” the county said in

See Centers, Page A7

First OTC birth control pill approved by US regulators

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Perrigo Co.’s Opill received U.S. clearance as the first daily oral birthcontrol product available without a prescription, coming at a time when reproductive rights are increasingly under fire.

The decision released Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration widens access to the drug by removing barriers to obtaining oral contraception, such as inability to get a doctor’s appointment.

Birth control and reproductive health have risen to the top of the legislative and political

agenda since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion for about 50 years. President Joe Biden has made reproductive rights a key feature of his 2024 reelection bid, casting Republican positions on abortion and contraception as extreme.

Doctors and advocacy groups praised the FDA decision. The American Medical Association urged regulators to consider applications for other available oral contraceptives to be used over-the-counter.

See Pill, Page A7

Daily Republic Staff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The purchase of a large number of acres near Travis Air Force Base by the mysterious Flannery Group is central to the motivation for new legislation introduced in the House of Representatives this week.

Reps. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin, on Wednesday introduced legislation “to strengthen and expand protections around national security

sites, critical infrastructure, and farmland.”

Travis AFB lies within

a my m aginniS-Honey

AMAGINNIS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Service providers, law enforcement and interested parties packed Willow Hall Wednesday morning for the Fairfield Police Department’s Homeless Roundtable.

After a brief introduction, and agenda run down, Fairfield Police Department Lt. Kelly Rombach shared a recent story, recounting how a homeless person, when doused by lawn sprinklers where he was sleeping, picked up a brick and through it through a window. In the past, the person would be arrested for vandalism. It would

Thompson’s 4th District.

Twelve members of Congress, including Rep.

John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, are quoted in the statement released by Thompson’s office. Reps. Jim Costa, Jim Panetta and Salud Carbajal, all California representatives, also were cited.

“Protecting national security and food security go hand in hand in our region – which is why it is vital to know who owns land around national security sites,” Thompson said. “The bipartisan legislation I am introducing with Chairman Gallagher

Violent crime decreases, homicides increase in 2022 A3

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SACRAMENTO —

More than 50 years after Steve Reed left Vietnam, he is still on patrol.

At 76, the Army veteran of a long-range reconnaissance patrol unit and retired Sacramento police officer finds his targets as part of his routine: at a car wash, in the grocery store, at the dentist’s office. And once he’s found a military veteran, his interrogation begins. Where did you serve? Do you have any health problems? Are you getting any Veterans Administration benefits?

And, if not, can I help?

“I wear my Vietnam hat, and that’s a brotherhood, and immediately I get contacts all the time,” Reed said in a recent interview in his Elk Grove home, where he is surrounded by photographs and memorabilia from the Vietnam War and his time as “LRRP,” the nickname given to the small units that operated in the jungle doing surveillance.

His goal is simple: convince any veteran who may have health problems associated with their service to seek the compensation they have earned from the Veterans Administration.

He says he has helped veterans from World War II onward, driving some to their appointments, studying the internet to find resources for them and helping them navigate a system some simply believe is too complex.

“See, these guys, they’re so afraid to go in, the VA is intimidating for them,” Reed said. “Sometimes, it takes me a year to get somebody to go in there.”

Reed says his efforts have helped veterans receive compensation ranging from a few hundred dollars a month to $200,000 for a veteran whose duty guarding planes left him ill from breathing in jet fuel fumes.

Most are strangers he comes across, or people who have heard about his efforts and call him for help.

One was a former colleague from the police department, a retired homicide detective named Gene Burchett who had been stationed in Okinawa and spent three months

temporary duty working supply in Vietnam. After he retired, Burchett had a heart attack and Reed went to work.

“I went into cardiac arrest and it changed my life,” Burchett said. “Steve heard about my heart attack and he called me and said, ‘Hey, you know this could be connected (to your military service).”

Burchett said he wasn’t convinced, especially given his limited time in Vietnam compared to others.

“But he worked on me and worked on me, and finally he dragged me down to the VA and had me file a claim. And it’s probably the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Burchett, 75, says that within six months of applying he began receiving benefits, and now gets $2,600 a month that is helping him plan for helping his 30-year-old son, who has autism.

“It is really helpful for me and my family,” Burchett said. “And it would not have happened without Steve.”

Veterans already have a wealth of resources to seek help in getting services, from the VA itself to organizations like Vietnam Veterans of America and others.

But Reed says he finds many who simply don’t want to reach out to seek services or don’t know how, and that his own experience with heart problems and PTSD led to him deciding to try and help.

“I was on the computer looking up Agent Orange stuff because I had been exposed to Agent Orange for all that time,” Reed said, adding that he found the VA recognizes the connection between some heart disease and the defoliant.

“So, lo and behold, I ended up filing a claim, and I also filed a claim for my knee, which I hurt when I was jumping out of a helicopter and had to have a surgery on it when I got home,” he said. “And I got compensation for it.

“But during that time I started realizing what a chore it was... Some of the guys I virtually have to drag in there to get them to go. I started doing just one and two at a time.”

Armijo High School grad helped redefine TV news

In the 1970s and early 1980s, the name of the Armijo High School newspaper was The Joint Union. It simultaneously gave a nod to the old name of the school (Armijo Union High School) and a not-so-subtle “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” to the dazed-andconfused marijuana culture back then. The paper focused on sports, students’ letters to the editor decrying school rules, dances and the usual teenage topics.

Class of 1977 grad Maria White-Tillman, who will be inducted into the Armijo High School Hall of Fame on Sept. 3 at Fairfield’s Downtown Theatre, cites her time on the staff of the Joint Union as a springboard for a more than 30-year career at CNN. While writing editorials, covering sports and handling other features for the Joint Union was the journalistic spark for her, the true bonfire of dedication came from the living, breathing examples she saw on television.

“Valerie Morris was the anchor on KGO, and Belva Davis was on KTVU,” White-Tillman said. “Those Black women journalists were my inspirations to pursue a career in journalism. They were well-spoken, beautiful, poised and smart – they inspired me so much.”

After graduating from Armijo, White-Tillman earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Sacramento State University in 1982. She got valuable experience working on the Travis Air Force Base newspaper, the Tailwind, and as a general assignment reporter at the Sacramento Observer. She then worked as an intern newsroom assistant at KXTV Channel 10 before being hired at CNN in Atlanta in 1984.

The Cable News Network was founded in 1980 by entrepreneur Ted Turner and journalist Reese Schonfeld, and was the first all-news television channel in the United States.

While it is now a well-known institution, back in 1984, CNN was a fledgling 24-hour news network.

“Other, more established outfits called us ‘Chicken Noodle News’ or ‘College News Network,’ but we knew we were on to something,” WhiteTillman said. “We had passion and dedication and those were really fun days as we were forging a new path. It was a struggle to get into the White House press corps. We were the new kids on the block and had to petition and fight to get a seat at the table.”

White-Tillman was a part of CNN’s evolution over the decades she worked there.

“We had 24 hours of time to fill, so in the beginning we took everything, from the cat in the tree to the squirrel waterskiing, but as we matured, we became more discretionary.”

White-Tillman was a video journalist and ran studio cameras for the anchors, then became floor director and managed the other video journalists. One of the things she is most proud of was CNN’s attention to detail in getting the story correct before reporting it.

“Journalism is about being factual. When Michael Jackson died, everyone was reporting it, but we waited to get confirmation from someone close to him, like his publicist,” White-Tillman said. “Your word is your bond, and people don’t remember how many times you get it right, they remem ber the retraction when you get it wrong. We would rather be second and right than first and wrong.”

In 1996, the Olympic Park bombing happened right across the street from CNN’s headquarters, but covering it created an ironic situation. “It happened at 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and all of our crews had gone to bed, so we had to rely on video footage from our affiliate – which was a California news station,” WhiteTillman said.

Some of the numerous major news stories CNN covered during WhiteTillman’s tenure includes the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, Hurricane Katrina, the death of Princess Diana, the Sandy Hook tragedy and the Oklahoma City bombing. The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America struck a personal nerve.

“The 9/11 attacks were scary because, at first, like everyone else, we didn’t know what was going on. We locked the building and stopped the tours at CNN,” WhiteTillman said. “At my kids’ school, parents were picking up their children in droves, and my kids told their teacher they were going to sit there because they knew I worked in the news and I would be working late.”

In 2011, White-Tillman met Belva Davis, one of her main inspirations for becoming a journalist. She had rubbed shoulders with numerous famous folks over the course of her time at CNN, including President Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, model

Beverly Johnson, Jane Fonda and U2’s Bono, but meeting Davis was a fulfilling fullcircle moment.

“When I met famous people l tried to be professional and have a certain decorum about myself, but when I met Miss Davis, I just morphed into a bumbling fan. I was completely honored to meet her because she was my inspiration to launch this amazing career,” WhiteTillman said.

In 2016 after 32 years at CNN, White-Tillman retired and is currently the senior marketing and communications strategist for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia Inc.

Kudos for her work at CNN came in the tangible form of multiple National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmys and George C. Peabody Awards. She has been honored for her part in covering the Olympic Park bombing, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 9/11 attacks, the 2005 South Asia tsunami disaster, Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the 2008 presidential election and the 2011 Arab Spring protests.

But it all started when she turned in her first story for the Armijo Joint Union and was told it was perfect by the newspaper adviser.

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,” “Lost Restaurants of Fairfield, California,” the upcoming book “Armijo High School: Fairfield, California” and hosts

Tony Wade Back in the day

Courtesy photos

2023 Armijo High School Hall of Fame inductee Maria White Tillman through the years. From left, working on the Armijo school newspaper The Joint Union, with her journalistic inspiration Belva Davis in 2011, and receiving an award for working at CNN for 30 years.

After leaving Vietnam, veteran has dedicated himself to helping vets

Visit Vacaville’s top executive leaving for new destination post

VACAVILLE — Visit Vacaville will be looking for a new leader for the first time in 16 years.

Melyssa Reeves, president and chief executive officer of the organization, is leaving in October to take over as the first president and chief executive officer of Destination Marketing Association of the West. Reeves currently serves as DMA West’s Association board president. She has served on DMA West’s Association and Foundation boards of directors since 2017.

“Melyssa brings an outstanding combination of destination marketing leadership experience and knowledge of DMA West’s storied past to the position,” Brook Kaufman, incoming DMA West board president, said in a statement released by Visit Vacaville. “Her passion and ability to enhance this organization’s value proposition to its members will be a tremendous asset as we transition to our future.”

Reeves starts her new job on Nov. 1, after her term as board president concludes. She has served on DMA West’s Association and Foundation Boards of Directors since 2017.

Reeves has worked in the tourism industry for more than 20 years, including for the past 16 years

as the top executive for Visit Vacaville.

“For nearly 16 years I have had the honor of running Visit Vacaville and growing tourism in our city,” Reeves said in the statement. “I have loved my time here and am so grateful for the immense support I have received the entire way. Leaving is bittersweet. I will miss the amazing people I have had the opportunity to work with but will continue to cherish the friendships I have made.”

Reeves has extensive experience with Destinations International, and currently serves on its board. She has served on its small destinations task force, finance and governance committee, and is past chairwoman of its membership committee.

She also held volunteer leadership roles with Visit California, California Travel Association, the Solano Economic Development Corp. and with Vacaville.

“Melyssa has been the guiding light of this organization for many years,” Dave McCallum, chairman of the Visit Vacaville board of directors, said in the statement. “Her compassionate and focused leadership has grown Visit Vacaville into the great (Destination Management Organization) it is today. We love Melyssa and wish her well in her new role.”

Daily Republic Staff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The city saw a 7% decrease in violent crime, according to the Fairfield Police Department’s annual report for 2022.

It also saw 12 homicides. Nine were solved. There were eight homicides in 2021.

Crimes against people were up by 0.09%, property crime increased by 2% and injury collisions rose by 17%.

Calls for service were 2% lower in 2022. Officers safely took 454 firearms off the street compared to 421 in 2021.

“Welcome to the Fairfield Police Department’s 2022 Annual Report. Like our first report in 2021, this summary puts a spotlight on the many achievements our hard-working staff have accomplished

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Legislation that would allow the continuation of 50-50 raffles at major league sports stadiums is a step closer to reality.

least six months at a time.

over the last year,” wrote Police Chief Dan Marshall in the introduction.

“Of course, we couldn’t have done any of it without our dedicated volunteers, engaged community, strong regional partners, and supportive City Councilmembers.”

The department continued its commitment to the 30x30 Initiative, a coalition of police leaders, researchers and professional organizations who have united to advance the representation and experiences of women in all ranks of policing across the United States.

Three years ago, less than 10% of the department’s officers were women. The department joined the imitative in 2021, under retired Chief Deanna Cantrell.

Crimes against people were up by 0.09%, property crime increased by 2% and injury collisions rose by 17%.

The campaign’s goal is to increase the percentage of women in the field to 30% by the year 2030. The report said the current national average is 12%, with approximately 3% of women in leadership positions.

As of 2022, 13% of Fairfield Police Department officers are women.

A year ago, the patrol division shifted to an eight-beat patrol system. The newly drawn beats, which correspond more closely to neighborhood boundaries, are patrolled 24-hours a day by officers assigned to an area for at

A sergeant is assigned as a Beat Coordinator in each of the eight beats, to help connect residents in each area to the officers who are most familiar with their neighborhood. The Neighborhood Watch program introduced three new groups in 2022, for a total of 35 groups. Crime Prevention engaged in a total of 87 events, including National Night Out. This was a 67.3 increase over 2021, which saw a total of 52 events.

There were five DUI/ Driver’s License Checkpoints in 2022, with more than 3,000 vehicles screened. There were 27 DUI arrests and 139 citations were issued for unlicensed or

See Crime, Page A4

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

DODD

The Assembly Assembly Governmental Organization Committee on Wednesday passed Senate Bill 650 by state Sen. Bill Dodd. It had previously cleared the full Senate.

“This bill supporting charitable raffles provides an important funding tool for a host of organiza-

In brief

tions benefiting youth and the underserved,” Dodd, D-Napa, said in a statement. “Over the years, these raffles have raised millions for a diverse group of charitable organizations throughout the state. This approval is a step toward ensuring that continues.”

Since the creation of 50-50 raffles, the San Francisco Giants Community Fund, for example, has been able to serve over 150,000 youths with 30,000 kids benefiting annually, the

See Raffle, Page A4

Lower Lagoon Project goes before LAFCO

FAIRFIELD — LAFCO will convene a special meeting Wednesday to consider the detachment of the Lower Lagoon Valley Project from the Solano Irrigation District.

Water would be supplied to the 192.41 acres by Vacaville. The property is located within the city, south of the Lagoon Valley Regional Park.

The Local Agency Formation Commission meets at 10 a.m. in the Solano County Board of Supervisors chamber on the first floor of the government center, 675 Texas St., in Fairfield.

Solano Fire Safe Council to meet Monday

FAIRFIELD — An online Solano Fire Safe Council meeting has been scheduled for Monday.

“We will be focusing on a discussion about prescribed fire topics,” organizers said.

The Zoom meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Go to https:// zoom.us/j/97634136406?pwd=KzZxRHYwRWhxVm 5ERUVkYVBjci9OQT09#success. The Meeting ID is 938 8626 2801. The passcode is 401934.

The meeting agenda will be released soon at https:// www.solanofsc.org/meetings.

FAIRFIELD — Nearly $13 million in project money is headed to Assembly District 11, of which $5.25 million is going to Solano County.

Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City, announced this week that six district projects will receive $12.75 million

as part of the recently signed 2023-24 California Budget Act.

“It’s an honor to be able to bring state funding back to my district, especially in a difficult budget year. These infrastructure improvements build upon over $17 million in district requests from

WILSON

last year’s budget. “ Wilson said in a statement. “Environmental protection, transportation infrastructure, housing and emergency preparedness are key needs for our community ...”

The largest share, $3.75 million is going

to Solano County for its radio interoperability and infrastructure improvement project and the early learning center in Vallejo. Another $1.5 million is going to the Vallejo Marina Seawall Rehabilitation Project, Wilson announced. The remaining four projects, totaling $7.5 million, are in Contra Costa County.

‘Junk fee’ prohibition passes committee

Daily Republic Staff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Eliminating the secrecy of junk, or hidden, fees in California is a step closer to reality.

The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 478, authored by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, in partnership with Attorney

General Rob Bonta and Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley.

“I am happy to advance this bill, which puts an end to junk fees that boost corporate profits at the expense of those who can least afford it,” Dodd said in a statement. “For too long, Californians have been hit with dishonest charges being tacked on to seemingly everything. It is time we put the consumer

first and create a level playing field for those businesses that advertise the real price up front.”

The state action follows the lead of the Biden Administration, which called out the use of junk fees to boost corporate profits. By one estimate, 85% of Americans have paid hidden fees totaling $28 billion per year, with California paying an “outsized share,” the Dodd

statement said.

The bill had previously passed the state Senate.

“Under SB 478, Californians will know up front how much they’re being asked to pay and will no longer be surprised by hidden junk fees when buying tickets to a concert or sporting event or booking a vacation or hotel,” Skinner added.

LhkA#/registration.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic file

Fairfield Police Officers respond to a the scene of a stand-off in front of 730 Broadway St. in Fairfield, March 20.

REEVES

OpenAI’s ChatGPT bot probed by FTC over consumer harms

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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into OpenAI Inc., questioning whether its popular ChatGPT conversational AI bot puts consumers’ reputations and data at risk, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The probe into the Microsoft Corp.-backed startup marks the first official inquiry into a technology that has the potential to change almost every aspect of people’s lives and has become almost equally as fascinating for its potential to run awry. FTC Chair Lina Khan, who testified before Congress Thursday, has raised concerns about AI before, saying enforcers “need to be vigilant early” with transformative tools like artificial intelligence.

Microsoft and OpenAI declined to comment. The Washington Post earlier reported on the FTC’s probe.

The FTC’s investigation opens a potent regulatory salvo at San Franciscobased OpenAI, the leader in generative AI tech-

nology whose ChatGPT app has sparked a race among companies across nearly every industry to develop their own competing chatbots. ChatGPT is built atop a large language model, which is trained on enormous swaths of text from the internet so that it can generate responses to questions in a way that sounds human-like.

The rapid rise of the technology in the past eight months since ChatGPT become widely available, has prompted calls for regulation and a pause in training of advanced AI systems, even among the heads of some of the leading companies in the field, such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Alphabet Inc.’s DeepMind.

OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman has been an outspoken proponent of regulation.

In a May hearing, Altman said Congress should create robust safety standards for advanced AI systems. “If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong,” Altman said. Twitter owner Elon Musk has also been one of the loudest voices warning

about the potential consequences of mainstreaming AI.

A prominent tech ethics group filed a complaint in March urging the FTC to halt further commercial deployment of the technology that powers ChatGPT.

The complaint from the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Policy, which is led by longtime privacy advocate Marc Rotenberg, called on the FTC to open the investigation and “ensure the establishment of necessary guardrails to protect consumers, businesses, and the commercial marketplace.”

The FTC, which enforces both antitrust and consumer protection laws, is also taking a close look at how competition is developing in the space, Khan has said, to ensure dominant firms aren’t using their power over key inputs like data to discriminate against rivals. The agency is also monitoring how AI tools are being used by scammers and will enforce the law, not just against fraudsters, but also against companies that enable them, she said.

Crime

From Page A3

suspended drivers.

In a 20-page letter addressed to OpenAI this week, the FTC asked the company to provide detailed descriptions of all complaints it had received of its products making “false, misleading, disparaging or harmful” statements about people, according to the Washington Post. The FTC is looking into whether the company engaged in unfair or deceptive practices that caused “reputational harm” to consumers, according to the Post.

The FTC also asked the company to provide records related to a security incident that the company disclosed in March when a bug in its systems allowed some users to see paymentrelated information, as well as some data from other users’ chat history.

Khan faced a grilling in Congress on Thursday in a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, where Republican lawmakers attacked her adherence to ethics laws and aggressive antitrust enforcement, labeled her “bully” and told her leadership was “a disaster.”

Study shows ‘alarming’ levels of microplastics in Lake Tahoe

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Lake Tahoe is known around the world for its pure, blue waters, but a new study shows that the wondrous lake is full of something else these days: microplastics.

Of the 38 lakes and reservoirs from six continents tested by researchers, Lake Tahoe came in third for the highest concentration of microplastics, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

The research shows that “we are not immune from the plastisphere, and that the plastics we use are going all over the globe, and into the lakes in our backyard,” said Sudeep Chandra, a professor and director of the Global Water Center at the University of Nevada, Reno who helped conduct the study.

Researchers found the presence of various microplastics to at least some degree in all 38 lakes, even those that have been mostly undisturbed by humans. But the levels of measured microplastics in Lake Tahoe and two other lakes – Lakes Lugano and Maggiore on the Swiss-Italian border – were higher than those measured in the ocean’s gyres, or the currents where decades worth of plastic waste have formed into massive floating garbage patches.

That surprised the researchers, who expected Lake Tahoe to have comparatively lower levels of plastics than the other lakes, since it is less densely populated and does not have sewage

flowing into it like some of the other lakes.

“This study as a whole shows that even pristine environments, or the ones that are the most remote, have plastic in them, and to a high degree like Lake Tahoe,” Chandra said.

The research was led by Veronica Nava, a visiting postdoctoral scholar at UNR from the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy, who worked with Chandra and other colleagues around the world to collect samples from dozens of lakes located in 23 countries that cover a range of different environmental conditions and human interaction.

What scientists still don’t know is how those plastics got into the freshwater lakes, and particularly Lake Tahoe, where wastewater has been exported for half a century and numerous policies have been put in place

to protect the lake’s waters from human effects.

“The mechanism of transport of these plastics is not clear, especially when we talk about very small fragments or textile fibers,” Nava said in a news release. “We are wearing a lot of synthetic clothes, the majority of which are made of polyester, and they end up in aquatic systems. Even from far away, there can be atmospheric circulation and patterns that can carry these plastics a long way.”

Nava also believes single-use plastics are playing a major role in the spread of microplastics at Tahoe and other freshwater lakes, such as people leaving plastic water bottles on the beaches.

It’s an issue that local officials are working to address. The South Lake Tahoe City Council last fall passed a ban on the sale of single-use

Help launch pollinator garden in Suisun

The event is being sponsored by Adopt-ANeighborhood, which has been beautifying Suisun City neighborhoods since 2021.

More than 2,100 traffic enforcement stops were conducted. Officers issued more than 2,000 citations related to traffic safety violations. There were nine fatal traffic crashes in 2022 compared to six in 2021. In 2022, total collisions were up 9% or a

total of 1,387 collisions. There were 1,275 collisions in 2021. Issues regarding the homeless, resulted in an almost 13% increase over 2021. Almost 140 homeless camps were identified versus 106 in 2021. It was estimated about 300 people in Fairfield were homeless in 2022. View the complete report at https:// www.fairfield.ca.gov/ home/showpublished document/9039.

OBITUARIES

Rada Rama

R ada R ama passed away peacefully on June 27, 2023 in Fairfield, CA. He w as born in Battambang, Cambodia in 1966. Nine years l ater the Khmer R ouge took over the countr y and drove all city dwellers out to makeshift rural farms, including R ada and his pa r ents and brother There he underw ent hard labor, f ood shortages, and inhuman militar y discipline. He escaped d eath that killed almost 1/4 of the Cambodian population. When the Vietnamese invaded in 1979 he fled with his pa r ents to Thailand. Fr om there the family fled to the U SA as refugees where they built a new life in Fairfield sponsored by a local church. He trained as a machinist but after a kindly neighbor taught him handy-man skills he f ound a job at Pa radise Valley Estates f or 17 years, earning a r eputation as a kindly, loyal w orker and friend. He is sur vived by his wife Paulie; daughters Jessica and Alexandra; and brothe r Velou. Memorial ser vices were held at Fairfield Funeral Home on July 11.

John Spru i ll

John “Jack” Spruill, 96, passed away on June 20, 2023, at his home in Vacaville, CA.

John was born to William Hardy and Opal Alleshouse Hardy on April 23, 1927 in Battle Creek, MI.

John ser v ed in the U.S. Navy, in various positions for 20 years. He also w orked at the CMF State Prison for 20 years. And finally he had 20 years federal ser vice at the Navel Station Mare Island and Skaggs Island Security Dept.

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plastic water bottles that will go into effect in April 2024, the Tahoe Daily Tribune reported.

While not part of the recent study, Chandra said he hopes to look into exactly where the plastic is coming from and how to keep it from building up inside the lake, as well as what the high levels of microplastics are doing to the surrounding ecosystems and whether they are infiltrating the region’s drinking water.

He said he hopes to work with Nava and scientists from Desert Research Institute to evaluate those impacts.

NAVY VETERAN

John was married to the love of his life, Kiyoko Toyoda Spruill, for 55 years until her passing in 2013. Her passing left a huge v oid, not only in his heart, but in his life. He filled his time with crossword puzzles and lis tening to his music and reminiscing of days gone by, while enjoying a glass of red wine.

John was a member of the CA Police Pistol A ssociation and competed nationally at various pistol competitions including The Presidents 100.

John is sur vived by his children, James Spruill of Hawaii, and Diana Kacsmar yk her husband Michael Kacsmar yk two grandchildren Kurtis Kacsmar yk and Jeremy Kacsmar yk and three great grandchildren Jayden Jon Kacsmar yk Madison Grace Kacsmar yk and Cameron Michael Kacsmar yk He is preceded in death by his loving wife Kiyoko, and his three brothers William G Hardy, George H Hardy and Duane E Hardy

There will be a Militar y Honors Ceremony for John at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery on August 15, at 9:30 a.m.

Raymond Brad ford

Raymond Thirl Bradford, 82, of Fairfield, CA, passed away on July 1, 2023. Born in Hartselle, AL, Raymond lived life on his own terms, with the courage to be true to himself and not conform to societal expectations. He was a proud man who cherished his children and grandchildren above all else.

Throughout his life, Raymond traveled around the United States, embracing new experiences and creating lasting memories. He had a passion for playing the guitar, and although he could no longer play in his later years, he held onto the hope of one day strumming the strings again. Raymond’s caring nature extended to his family, always ready to lend a helping hand to his kids and grandchildren when they needed it. He will forever be cherished and loved.

Raymond is sur vived by his daughters, Melinda Bradford and Marilyn Bradford; his son, Leo Bradford; his grandson, Isaac Diaz; his granddaughters, Victoria Cobos and Galilea Bithell; and his great-grandsons, RJ and Roman Davis. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Annie Bradford, as well as eight brothers and three sisters Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Br yan-Braker Funeral Home in Fairfield. A celebration of life will take place on Saturday August 12, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at I Am Church in Fairfield.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Raymond’s memor y to a charitable organization of your choice.

Raymond Thirl Bradford lived a life filled with love, passion, and the determination to be true to himself May his spirit continue to inspire us all.

Myrna KingsburyCrites

Myrna Adele Kingsbur y-

Crites passed peacefully as she slept in the early hours of Monday, May 1, 2023, after a long and debilitating illness resulting from Interstitial Lung Disease. Born October 13, 1936, Myrna was 86.

Born in Richmond, CA, Myrna was predeceased by her parents, Frank and Helen Ehlert ; her brother Frank ; and daughters Dana Kingsbur y and Pat Beardslee. The family moved to Vallejo when she was in the 4th grade. She graduated from Vallejo High School, Vallejo Junior College and attended University of California, Berkeley. She married Henr y Washabaugh (1956-1962). Myrna then married Dr B.C. Kingsbur y (1966-2003) living in Napa and later, Green Valley. Myrna was employed by a number of local dental offices; she owned and concurrently managed two restaurants. After being eidowed, Myrna married Willison Crites in 2015.

Myrna was known for her kindness, truthfulness, integrity, generosity, patience, honesty, self-reliance, loyalty and hard work Her community ser vice included President Napa Solano Dental Auxiliar y, Member of Community

Project - Napa, President Green Valley Woman’s

Division, President Soroptimist International of Vallejo and Member North Bay Hospital Guild.

Myrna is survived by her husband, Willison; her four daughters, Deborah Kingsbury, Fairfield, Penny Doll (Henry), Green Valley, Andrea Frische (Jim), Green Valley and Lore’ Kingsbury (Jim), Palm Desert; and two sons Rick Washabaugh (Carrie), Brookings, Oregon and Dan Kingsbury (Beronia) Roberts Creek, B.C., Canada. She was blessed with 17 grandchildren & 14 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Soroptimists of Vallejo, (SIOV, P.O. Box 4262, Vallejo, CA 94590) or your favorite charity Private memorial ser vices to be held at a later date

God saw you getting tired, And a cure was not to be;

So he put his arms about you, And whispered, Myrna, come with Me

With tearful eyes we watched you

We watched you pass away

Although we loved you dearly

We could not make you stay

A golden heart stopped beating

Hard working hands at rest

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He chose to take the best, Shawna Alsep, Author

Cathleen Allison/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS file (2018)

Lake Tahoe during the 22nd-annual Lake Tahoe Summit, at Sand Harbor State Park, near Incline Village, Nevada, Aug. 7, 2018.

The dangerous effects of AI on youth development

Just when we thought advanced technology had exposed itself enough for there to be enough evidence to be very cautious of its potential danger, the sudden emergence of artificial intelligence, or A.I., makes the future even more concerning, depending on your perspective.

From self-driving cars, and self-checkout retail machines, to A.I.-generated animated voices and A.I.generated video images, soon there will be no need for human presence at all. That alone should be enough to be genuinely concerned for our future.

However, my fear is what it is currently doing to the development of our youth generation. Now, because of technology, it’s safe to say that today’s youth generation often called Generation Z is probably the laziest generation in history.

The point is that the more we depend on advanced technology the more we oppress and retreat our brain activity. The human brain operates similarly to a muscle, the more active it is, the stronger it becomes. Over the past 25 years, technology has made tasks that were once generated by our own brain power unnecessary. We literally do not have to think very much at all these days.

Be it a smartphone or an A.I. tool, we can now produce just about anything without using our own brains at all. There are currently ethical and legal battles surfacing over the use of A.I. technology to produce creative artwork and material using unauthorized voices or images of mainstream artists without their consent. You can now use A.I. tools such as Chat GPT to produce an entire research paper or a 1000word essay in less than a minute.

So, the question is: Where do we draw the line? How can we balance virtual and real human experiences?

There are two major concerns I believe A.I. will have on youth development.

1. A.I.’s impact on youths will result in diminishing interpersonal and social skills. With A.I.-powered virtual assistants and chatbots, young people may rely on A.I. systems for companionship, entertainment and problem-solving, limiting their interactions with real people.

A lack of face-to-face communication can hinder their capacity to develop important social, emotional, and cognitive skills and professional growth. I am sincerely concerned about the potential decline in youths’ oral and written communication skills. The lack of interpersonal skills will also affect their ability to cultivate healthy personal and professional relationships.

2. Easy Access to A.I. tools will reduce the use of critical thinking. Most youth workers and parents currently face the challenge of encouraging their youths to think before they act or speak. A.I. algorithms provide solutions and answers with immense speed, reducing the need for young people to critically analyze information.

Without the ability to question and evaluate the validity of information, their critical thinking skills may suffer. This “answer culture” could lead to a generation that blindly trusts A.I.-based answers instead of engaging in deep critical thought, resulting in a lack of originality, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Youth need to constantly work to develop their thinking ability. According to scripture, “Thinking ability will guard over you…” Proverbs.

To mitigate the dangerous effects of A.I. on youth development, it is crucial to have a healthy balance between virtual and real-world experiences.

Let’s start having these conversations about the concerns. We can start by promoting digital literacy and an awareness of digital dependency. We can educate young people on the functioning and limitations of A.I. systems, fostering critical thinking and responsible use of technology.

We need to encourage well-rounded activities. Provide a diverse range of activities that involve faceto-face interactions, outdoor play, hobbies, and creative pursuits to foster social skills, physical fitness, and cognitive development. We should also promote emotional intelligence. Encourage youth to think about selfawareness, empathy, and emotional regulation through activities such as mindfulness exercises, art, and engaging in in-person one on one or group discussions.

It is safe to say that A.I. and advanced technology is here to stay. The wise approach is to figure out a way to work with A.I. in a way that minimizes the detrimental effects.

While A.I. undeniably offers immense potential and benefits, it is crucial to remain cautious about its impact on youth development. The dangerous effects of A.I. discussed above emphasizes the need for a balanced approach, offering young people ample opportunities for real human experiences, face-to-face interactions and critical-thinking skills. Finding the middle ground allows them to harness the full potential of A.I. while ensuring their healthy growth and development.

Deon D. Price is an author and youth Life Skills Coach who lives in Fairfield. He can be reached at www. deondprice.com or www.thisyouth generation@gmail.com

Letters to the editor

Letters must be 325 words or less and are subject to editing for length and clarity. All letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Send letters to Letters to the Editor, the Daily Republic, P.O. Box 47, Fairfield, CA 94533, email to sebastian.onate@mcnaughton.media or drop them off at our office, 1250 Texas St. in Fairfield.

Call me superstitious or contrarian – or maybe just a procrastinator – but I only started worrying about a recession last week. That was when one prominent commentator stated flatly that "there will be no recession in the next six months," while the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago declared that the U.S. was on a "golden path" to immaculate disinflation.

I can't be the only person who thinks this feels like tempting fate, or at least another round of "Why Didn't Economists See This Recession Coming?" headlines. More than that, however, these predictions seem both premature and hard to square with some of the data.

First, inflation is still high. It has come down from its 8.9% peak, to 3%. But the U.S. Federal Reserve has said it will not stop its contractionary policy until inflation is at 2%, so rates will almost certainly continue to increase.

There were always reasons to think the last remaining bit of inflation would be the hardest to vanquish. Some of that initial high inflation was transitory, caused by supply-chain disruptions, too much government spending and postpandemic spending. These factors have all moderated – and inflation has faded while employment has remained strong. What's left is more entrenched in the economy: higher wages and prices for services. Reducing this inflation may take higher rates for longer, or even unemployment.

Consider that high rates have not yet worked their way through the economy, especially in such sectors as commercial real estate. Corporations and commercial real estate developers are still coasting

CALMATTERS COMMENTARY

A lice Feller CALMATTERS

Robbie, our young patient at the county hospital in San Mateo, believed his parents were trying to poison him.

He refused to come into the house and foraged in the neighbors’ garbage cans for all his meals. Nevertheless, since he was able to survive on garbage, he was judged no longer in need of treatment.

I was shocked. It was so callous –such a breach of our usual standard of care. But then I spent a year working as a staff psychiatrist at the county hospital in Oakland. I learned that Robbie’s experience was not out of the ordinary; it was the usual state of care in California.

In the 1960s, American psychiatric hospitals began to close their doors. The movement began in California, first with the large state hospitals and then the small community hospitals as well.

By 1994 nearly half a million former patients had been sent back to live with their families, who were often unable to care for them. A quarter million newly discharged patients ended up on the streets or behind bars.

So many were incarcerated that jails and prisons have become our de facto mental hospitals. Today, the vast majority of inpatient psychiatric care in America is provided behind bars.

“Deinstitutionalization,” as the movement to close these hospitals is known, began as a cost-saving measure. In 1965 the federal government abruptly withdrew its financial support for the state

on the low rates they got on their loans a few years ago.

In the next year or two, however, both these sectors will have to refinance at much higher rates.

On the corporate side, some of these firms are probably just getting by on the low rates of the last decade – they won't be able to survive higher rates and will close. Others may be in better shape but will need to contract (translation: layoffs) in a lower-demand, higher-rate environment. The picture looks worse for commercial real estate: Downtowns are still not full, and office and retail properties are not worth what they used to be. Once rates increase, some property owners may just walk away. This may not be a huge part of the economy. But it does have big implications for private equity funds, REITs and, ultimately, pension funds. But who knows? We could get lucky. Predicting a recession is a fool's errand. Still, there is a way to judge how vulnerable an economy is to a recession: Watch the reaction when something unexpected happens. Shocks – political, economic, financial, viral – are fairly common. Some should be anticipated, such as a commercial real-estate crash, while others come out of nowhere, such as higher oil prices from a war in Ukraine. Sometimes an economy can withstand a shock without a recession, like the U.S. did with Silicon Valley Bank. Whether a shock reverberates throughout the system, doing enough damage to cause a recession, is a function of how resilient the economy is. And even if the U.S. manages to avoid a recession this year, there are reasons to worry that the

economy is much more vulnerable now than it was a year ago, or even in 2019. Household balance sheets are much weaker after years of high inflation and falling real wages. Credit card balances are high. And while inflation is lower, inflation uncertainty is still elevated, which means higher bond yields from a bigger risk premium. So even if the Fed cuts rates eventually, firms and investors will face higher financing costs.

And it's not just the private sector – the federal government has debt levels not seen since World War II, which may undermine the Fed's inflation fight and require it to push rates even higher. Potentially even more worrying are states and municipalities, which went into the pandemic in iffy shape, then got used to higher spending levels financed by pandemic aid from the federal government. They may face a reckoning in a higher-rate environment that could lead to layoffs or cuts in services.

So why am I worried about a recession? It's not that I know something the president of the Chicago Fed doesn't. (In fact, I'm pretty sure I don't.) It's that the economy is clearly more exposed now to whatever shocks await us. Even if we are on a golden path, a more vulnerable economy is no great victory.

Allison Schrager is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering economics. A senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, she is author of "An Economist Walks Into a Brothel: And Other Unexpected Places to Understand Risk." This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

hospitals, as well as the small community hospitals providing psychiatric care.

This was accomplished through a little-known law, the Medicaid IMD exclusion, passed by Congress in 1965 along with the creation of Medicaid. The provision forbids the use of Medicaid dollars to pay for care in a mental hospital. Any psychiatric hospital with more than 16 beds is forbidden to take Medicaid.

Hospital treatment for severe mental illness can mean the difference between life and death, but because of this law such treatment is specifically denied to the people who need it most. No other severe illness is subject to such discrimination.

We have come full circle from the early 19th century, when Dorothea Dix campaigned to rescue the mentally ill from the prisons where they languished, often under shockingly inhumane conditions. Due to her work, people with mental illness were rescued from prisons and cared for in hospitals.

But today that trend has been reversed. Once again, Americans with serious mental illness are being warehoused out of sight in our prisons. And many more are living unsheltered on our streets.

A third of our homeless population today suffer from untreated severe mental illness, most commonly schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a brain disorder. It affects 1 out of every 100 human beings on Earth. Good parenting doesn’t prevent it, and bad parenting doesn’t cause it.

It begins in adolescence or early adulthood, and without treatment

it will be permanently disabling. It leaves the afflicted person living in a psychotic world, unable to tell reality from delusion.

Lives are derailed.

Suicide is common.

Treatment requires early intervention by a specialized team of clinicians who collaborate on patient care. Unfortunately these dedicated programs are rare. Despite mountains of evidence showing their effectiveness, insurers refuse to cover early intervention programs.

While hospital care can provide stabilization and enable the patient to use outpatient treatment, insurance coverage for inpatient treatment is rare.

California can rectify this situation by obtaining a waiver of the IMD exclusion. We need to restore hospital care to stabilize our patients and enable them to use outpatient treatment. We need to mandate early intervention programs and require insurance coverage for this vital treatment.

These two interventions would do more than anything else to help our mentally ill homeless citizens. It is not a simple lack of housing that leaves so many homeless. Like Robbie, our patient who ate out of garbage cans, they are unable to use available housing due to their mental illness.

Alice Feller is a psychiatrist and writer based in Berkeley. Her work has appeared in the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, East Bay Express, Laney Tower and the opinion pages of the San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times.

After deinstitutionalization, state has tragically come full circle on mental illness treatment

Yes, a recession is still a possibility

Allison Schrager

us a call to schedule an appointment or just stop by we always have coffee brewed and popcorn popped. We look forward to meeting you and providing you with excellent customer ser vice

(707) 427-1386

R.E.M.’s final 4 albums being reissued on vinyl

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

R.E.M.’s later-era albums don’t often get the respect they deserve.

Sure, we love the classic ’80s stuff – especially “Lifes Rich Pageant,” which makes our desert-island shortlist. And we certainly dig those ’90s offerings, with “New Adventures in Hi-Fi” being our No. 1 favorite in the band’s overall catalog.

Yet, fans who have skipped over the group’s 21st-century output have missed out on some really amazing music. They are important, yet oftenoverlooked pieces of the puzzle that fully illustrate why R.E.M. ranks as the greatest American rock band of all time.

Fortunately, listeners have another chance to experience those gems

now that R.E.M.’s longout-of-print final four albums are being reissued on vinyl by Craft Recordings.

The first two reissues are 2004’s “Around the Sun” and 2011’s “Collapse Into Now.” The former was R.E.M.’s 13th studio outing and featured such amazing cuts as “Leaving New York,” “Wanderlust” and, best of all, “The Ascent of Man.” The latter was the band’s 15th and final studio offering, released just six months before R.E.M. called it quits. Highlights of that album include “Discoverer,” “Überlin” and “Oh My Heart.” (Actually, Side 1 of “Collapse” is absolutely brilliant from start to finish.)

Both of those albums, pressed on 180-gram vinyl, arrive Friday.

Pickles Brian Crane

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Candorville Darrin Bell

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú

Crime logs

FairField

Centers

of SPARROW LANE

7:51 a.m. — Indecent exposure, 3400 block of ASTORIA CIRCLE

8:21 a.m. — Vandalism, 900 block of EAST TRAVIS

BOULEVARD

9:18 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 1300 block of SANDERLING DRIVE

11:11 a.m. — Grand theft, 3300 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

11:46 a.m. — Forgery, 2800 block of PORTLAND DRIVE

1:39 p.m. — Forgery, 1500 block of PHOENIX DRIVE

3:04 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, EASTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY

3:23 p.m. — Grand theft, 1300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD

3:55 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 1300 block of TRAVIS

BOULEVARD

5:03 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 1600 block of WEST TEXAS

STREET

5:08 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1300 block of GATEWAY BOULEVARD

5:17 p.m. — Reckless driver, GREEN VALLEY ROAD

6:14 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 3300 block of NORTH TEXAS

STREET

6:20 p.m. — Drunk and disorderly, 1300 block of HOLIDAY LANE

7:11 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, HICKORY AVENUE

8:03 p.m. — Fight with a weapon, 900 block of OHIO STREET

8:49 p.m. — Shots fired, 500 block of VINELAND MARINA COURT

9:08 p.m. — Battery, 300 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE

9:53 p.m. — Shots fired, DIGERUD DRIVE

9:59 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 1500 block of OLIVER ROAD

10:42 p.m. — Battery, 1100 block of DOVE WAY

11:20 p.m.

— Battery, 1000 block of WEBSTER STREET

4:37 p.m. — Grand theft, 1700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

5:01 p.m. — Fight with a weapon, 800 block of TAYLOR STREET

5:12 p.m. — Battery, 1400 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD

5:45 p.m. — Battery, 1500 block of PHOENIX DRIVE

7:21 p.m. — Trespassing, 2000 block of CADENASSO DRIVE

9:50 p.m. — Reckless driver, EASTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12

5:35 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 3100 block of REDWOOD DRIVE

6:25 a.m. — Battery, 1000 block

In brief

morning and evening.

n Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.

Stay informed

5:33 p.m. Grand theft, 800 block of GOLDEN EYE WAY

8:33 p.m. Assault, 400 block of SARAH WAY

Mega Millions jackpot jumps to $560 million

The Mega Millions jackpot prize has grown to $560 million ahead of Friday’s drawing.

The prize is the seventh-largest in game history, according to Mega Millions, and the cash value is estimated to be more than $281 million.

Friday’s drawing with be the 25th in the current sequence.

Drawings are 10 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, according to a Mega Millions release.

This record-breaking Mega Millions prize is happening as the Powerball jackpot is also one of the largest in game history.

— Tribune Content Agency

California Lottery | Thursday

Match all five for top prize. Match at least three for other prizes. Daily 4

Pill

From Page One

“Birth control is essential health care,” Alexis McGill Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to see the FDA follow the science and remove an unnecessary barrier to accessing basic health care.”

Early 2024

While Americans have

From Page One

a statement. For a full list of cooling centers, go to www.solano county.com/depts/oes/ cooling_centers.asp.

Solano County Public Health and Solano County Office of Emergency Services also released some safety tips:

Stay cool

n Stay in air-conditioned buildings and shelters, including the mall, library or public cooling center.

n Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device.

n Limit outdoor activities, especially during mid-day, and avoid direct sunlight.

n Reschedule strenuous activities to the early

Table

From Page One

take five minutes to resolve the issue.

Police learned the women employed at that location sit in their cars as long as possible, fearing the individual. “The person refuses any and all services,” he said.

The incident took about five hours to resolve, he said.

In 2022, Fairfield Police and Fairfield Fire got about 6,000 calls for service. The majority involved the homeless. About 370 calls for service involved the same 37 people, he said. Fewer than 10 accepted help.

LaTanna Jones, director of Housing Services for the city, shared the story of Sharryl Carter,

Bases

From Page One

will help identify foreign actors who are seeking to purchase land near military installations while maintaining food security throughout our country.”

Gallagher is the chairman of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

GARAMENDI

An attorney for Flannery, cited in a recent Wall Street Journal article, states that 97% of Flannery Associates are U.S. investors and the other 3% are British and Irish investors.

The Wall Street Journal article quotes Garamendi, who formerly represented the Travis AFB area, as saying the identities of those investors are unknown, and that the pattern of land purchases so close to Travis raises questions.

The Flannery Group, in a letter to the county, said it “is owned by a group of families looking to diversify their portfolio from equities into real assets, including agricultural land in the western United States.”

n Take cool showers or baths to lower body temperatures.

n Do not leave children or pets unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

n Wear sunscreen –sunburn affects the body’s ability to cool down and can add to dehydration.

Stay hydrated

n Drink more fluids than usual and do not wait until you’re thirsty to drink.

n Drink two to four cups of water every hour while working or exercising outside.

n Avoid alcohol or liquids containing high amounts of sugar.

n Make sure your family, friends and neighbors drink enough water.

who is on her way to home ownership after participating in Fairfield’s Housing Authority programs, Tenant-Based Rental Assistance and and Housing Choice Vouchers.

Now, she’s earning sweat equity as she prepares for her own abode on Woolner Avenue, in connection with Habitat For Humanity. The goal is to be in her new home by Christmas. She worked multiple low-paying jobs, went to school and raised her child, but could never quite “catch up” financially.

Four years ago, she became a TBRA participant. Since participating in the program, she’s graduated from college, paid off her auto loan, repaired her credit, and provided a healthy living environment for her child.

In May, she relin-

The Flannery investment, according to the statement released by Thompson’s office, exceeds $1 billion over the past five years.

Flannery has purchased in excess of 52,000 acres in the Montezuma Hills and Jepson Prairie areas of the county – including about 6,100 acres of SMUD’s Solano 4 Wind Project land for $45 million. The group, in May, sued at least 60 other landowners in the region for $510 million claiming a conspiracy of illegal price-fixing in violation of federal and state antitrust laws.

Some of those who were sued have reportedly settled with Flannery.

Travis officials have only said they are aware of the land purchases and that other federal agencies, including the FBI, are looking into the matter. Thompson has asked the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review the Flannery purchases as well.

The Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites From Foreign Adversaries Act would:

n Give the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States jurisdiction over all land purchases (with exceptions for real estate in urban

n Keep your friends, family and neighbors aware of weather and heat safety information.

n Check your local news for extreme heat warnings and safety tips.

n Recognize the signs of a heat illness, and if you think it may be lifethreatening, call 911. Heat-related illness is a spectrum of disorders due to environmental factors, specifically heat exposure. Symptoms can be minor, with heat rash, cramps, headache and fatigue, to more severe and even life-threatening conditions like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion

n Weakness; skin is cold, pale and clammy; weak pulse; fainting and vomiting.

quished her voucher because her income had risen to such a level that she no longer needed the assistance.

Jones explained the TBRA program and its requirements. “Shelter is good, but we need to make sure we provide wraparound service,” he said.

Miranda Ramirez, a mental health services manager with Solano County, and Emily Johnson, with the county’s Homeless Outreach Partnership and Engagement program, spoke of their offerings.

Ramirez said the county is in contract talks with Abode, a Bay Area homeless housing and services provider. It operates dozens of programs that rehouse people in need as quickly as possible.

The program should go to the Solano County Board of Supervisors in

areas and single housing units) by foreign adversary entities. This would avoid a repeat of the “FuFeng incident” where, despite a clear national security concern to a military installation in North Dakota, CFIUS claimed it was unable to even review (let alone block) the transaction because the land was outside the scope of CFIUS jurisdiction.

THOMPSON

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Move to a cooler location; lie down and loosen your clothing; apply cool, wet clothes to as much of your body as possible; drink plenty of water (avoid caffeine and alcohol); and if you have vomited and it continues, seek medical attention immediately.

Symptoms of heat stroke

n High body temperature (above 103 degrees); hot, red, dry or moist skin; rapid and strong pulse; and possible unconsciousness.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Call 911 immediately if you or someone you know has these symptoms; move the person to a cooler environment; reduce the person’s body temperature with cool cloths or even a bath; and do not provide fluids.

August, with the hope Abode will be up and running in Solano County prior to Christmas.

The Homeless Outreach Partnership and Engagement team goes to homeless encampments to engage and offers mental health supports, as well as a Street Medicine outreach team with a medical prescriber, clinician, and a specialist for psychiatric intervention and engagement.

“We meet people where they are at,” Johnson said. “Its client driven, and client centered.”

It employs the critical time intervention where the homeless person, is given a list of items they wish to focus and asked to choose two. The team usually works with the person for at least six months, she said.

sary entities making land purchases near sensitive sites. This will ensure CFIUS remains apprised of ongoing real estate purchases by foreign adversary entities.

n Expand the list of sensitive national security sites designated for CFIUS jurisdiction.

n Authorize CFIUS to consider U.S. food security, including via biotechnology acquisition, as a factor in its national security reviews and require the Secretary of Agriculture have a vote in CFIUS reviews of transactions that involve farmland or agriculture technology.

n Establish a “presumption of non-resolvability” by CFIUS that raises the approval threshold for CFIUS transactions by a foreign adversary entity purchasing near sensitive sites (e.g., major military sites, acknowledged intelligence facilities, etc.) CFIUS will be required to review these transactions with the presumption that the national security concerns cannot be resolved.

n Mandatory CFIUS filing for foreign adver-

Require CFIUS to expand the list of sensitive national security sites to all military facilities, acknowledged intelligence sites, national laboratories, and defense-funded university-affiliated research centers, critical telecommunication nodes, and more. Current CFIUS regulations only cover a limited number of sensitive sites, and does not include all military facilities, national laboratories, and other sites. CFIUS is also limited to sensitive sites that are US government property.

Other representatives linked to the bill are Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, Ed Case, D-Hawaii, Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, Elise Stefanik, R-New York, Frank Lucas, R-Oklahoma, Jason Crow, R-Colorado, Rob Wittman, R-Virginia, Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, and Mary Sattler Peltola, D-Alaska.

had access to Opill with a prescription since 1973, reproductive rights advocates have long argued that oral contraception should be available over the counter, as is the case in more than 100 countries. The nonprescription version has the potential to allow women to get access to birth control without intervention from potential gatekeepers, like doctors and parents.

Perrigo expects Opill to be available for consumers to purchase over-the-counter by early 2024, Frédérique Welgryn, global vice president for women’s health, said

on a call with reporters. The shares rose 1.5% at 12:51 p.m. in New York.

Almost half of the 6.1 million annual U.S. pregnancies are unintended, according to the FDA. That reduces the likelihood of receiving early prenatal care while raising the risk of preterm delivery and other adverse health outcomes for parents and children.

Still, the price of the drug remains unknown and may be an obstacle for some users.

Safety profile

Drugstore chain Rite Aid

Corp. said it’s reviewing the FDA’s action and evaluating its OTC offerings. Rivals Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. and CVS Health Corp. didn’t respond to questions about carrying Opill. Retailers Walmart Inc., Target Corp. and Amazon. com Inc. and grocer Kroger Co., also didn’t respond to emailed questions.

Perrigo is working to get the drug listed with private insurers and Medicaid, Welgryn said. While insurers are required to cover prescription birth control, there’s no such mandate for over-thecounter versions.

In May, a group of democratic senators reintroduced a bill that would require insurers to fully cover over-the-counter birth control options without any fees or out-ofpocket costs once the FDA determines them to be safe for use. Advocates have said coverage is necessary in order to make the drug more accessible to those who need it. Perrigo said it has some “work to do to make that happen.”

Despite its strong safety profile, regulators have required a prescription for oral birth control so that doctors can screen patients

with medical conditions that may be aggravated by hormones in the drugs.

For example, one type of oral birth control contains the estrogen and progestin, hormones associated with side effects such as serious blood clots in certain populations.

Opill contains only progestin, and research has shown it doesn’t raise clotting risk. It isn’t recommended for people with certain conditions like breast cancer or liver disease, and shouldn’t be used together with another hormonal birth control product.

Tournament starting to heat up for Area 1 teams

M att Miller MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Enjoy some competitive baseball, but don’t forget the suntan lotion, portable fans and water.

Dylan Burke is ready to be dual threat as QB-1 with Rodriguez

FAIRFIELD — Dylan Burke is taking his responsibility as QB-1 seriously this offseason for the Rodriguez High School varsity football team. Burke is up by 5:30 a.m. and working out twice a day for a junior year that is just over a month away. Head coach Myles King is ready to put the ball in his hands full-time after a sophomore season where he split time under center with then-senior

Kenen Jones. “Dylan was too good not to come up last year,” King said. “He has the mental toughness and ability to be a three-year starter. He’s been working hard constantly. I think he is out on the field right now as we speak.” Burke was 58-for-88 for 860 yards to go with 12 touchdowns. He proved to be a valuable dual threat by rushing 35 times for 139 yards and a pair of scores. Burke displayed that breakaway

Are Giants true contenders for playoff position?

evan Webeck BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SAN FRANCISCO —

As the San Francisco Giants embark on the second half of their season, the answer will inevitably reveal itself: What is the true version of this team?

Is it the one that reeled off 10 straight wins, the one that went 18-8 in June?

Or is it something closer to the middling squad that didn’t own a winning record until Memorial Day weekend?

Farhan Zaidi, head of baseball operations, leans toward the former.

“I think (the first half) sort of validated our belief in spring training that this

was a good team,” Zaidi said. “We’ve had our ups and downs health-wise and performance-wise, but I think we are a playoff team, a playoffcaliber team.”

The projection models back up Zaidi’s confidence.

They are much more bullish on the Giants’ postseason chances than they were on Opening Day. Both Baseball Prospectus (62.5%) and FanGraphs (58.4%) give them better than 50-50 odds after rating their chances between 20% and 40% entering the season. At 49-41, they sit 2½ games back of the NL West lead, in a virtual tie for the final

speed when he cut loose on a 40-yard run.

Jones was equally effective. He was 70-of-177 for 905 yards and nine touchdowns. The senior rushed 41 times for 103 yards and two scores. Burke work jersey No. 8 and Jones No. 9, so onlookers and opponents had to pay attention who was at the helm.

Rodriguez had a winning record in 2022 at 6-4 overall and 3-2 in the Monticello Empire League. But the

Mustangs did not receive a playoff bid from the Sac-Joaquin Section because of a stacked Division II field.

“There is always unfinished business, no matter how far you went,” Burke said. “I’m here to work, get better along with everybody else and try to win a state championship. Losing is not an option.”

King is impressed with Burke’s mix of smarts, poise in the pocket and elite speed that has put

MLB: SECOND-HALF PREVIEWS

The American Legion Area 1 Tournament began Thursday at Laurel Creek Park with a 7-3 victory by Napa Valley over Yolo Post 77 and a 10-0 triumph by Yuba-Sutter over Vallejo. Two other games followed, including an evening matchup between the host Fairfield Expos and the Chico Nuts.

Temperatures are headed for an Excessive Heat Warning Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The National Weather Service has expected highs of 102, 107 and 101, respectively, in Fairfield. A cooler 94 degrees is forecast for championship Monday.

“We’ve planned for it,” tournament director and Expos leader Brad Hanson said. “It’s not unusual. It might get a little rough this weekend, but there is a little shade for the fans in the bleachers and the players in the dugouts. We also have lots of water.”

The tournament features many of the best American Legion teams from throughout North-

ern California. Fairfield, Chico, Yuba-Sutter, Vallejo, Petaluma, Humboldt, Napa and Yolo are all participating. The tournament’s top two teams qualify for next week’s state tournament in Westwood.

Friday’s games feature Yolo against Humboldt at 10 a.m., Yuba-Sutter against Chico at 1 p.m., Napa Valley and Petaluma squaring off at 4 p.m. with the day’s action finishing up with a game at 7 between Fairfield and Vallejo. Saturday has Humboldt against Napa Valley at 10 a.m., Chico versus Vallejo at 1 p.m., Yolo against Petaluma at 4 p.m. and Fairfield with a matchup at 7 against Yuba-Sutter.

“Playing at 7 p.m.is going to be a lot better than playing at 1,” Hanson said.

The Expos entered the tournament with a 41-12 record. The players got three extra days of work putting down 24 tons of dirt to make the playing field perfect for all participating teams.

Pool play games will be Sunday with the top two teams in each division squaring off at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The championship game will be Monday at 6:30 p.m.

Can A’s avoid historically bad season in 2023?

Jerry McDonalD BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

OAKLAND —

Forgive manager Mark

Kotsay for the unrestrained optimism that often accompanies baseball at the close of spring training.

wild card slot.

However, to stay in the playoff race, they will have to provide answers to a few outstanding questions.

Who is pitching?

The Giants have utilized openers more often than any other team in the majors this season, at times deploying up to six

traditional starting pitchers in relief roles. Zaidi indicated the Giants would like to return to a more traditional five-man rotation. Manager Gabe Kapler, however, suggested bullpen games wouldn’t be going away for good. While Ross Stripling appears set to join Logan

Kotsay was sitting in the Athletics’ dugout at the Coliseum on March 26 before their Bay Bridge Series game against the Giants, talking about his team’s 102-loss 2022 season and having come through a “transition period” that gave young players some opportunity.

“Our expectation

this year is we’re going to go compete and find ourselves in a position to hopefully add at the break and surprise people,” Kotsay said. Fast forward to the All-Star break, with the A’s a major leagueworst 25-67 as they open a 10-game homestand Friday night with a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at the Coliseum.

Besides the losing, the first half of the season saw the franchise cease negotiations with the city of Oakland for a proposed ballpark at Howard Terminal and

Jabeur, Vondrousova to play for Wimbledon women’s title

tribune content agency

LONDON — Ons Jabeur is through to a second consecutive Wimbledon final after coming from a set down to beat Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.

The Tunisian sixth seed, last year’s runnerup, won 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 to the delight of the Centre Court crowd, and likely to the relief of the All England Club and Buckingham Palace.

Sabalenka, banned from Wimbledon last year

over the role of Belarus in the war in Ukraine, was a point from going a set and 5-3 up.

But Jabeur’s rousing comeback spared Wimbledon chiefs the uncomfortable situation of the Princess of Wales handing a trophy to, and shaking hands with, a player from Russia’s allied nation Belarus in the women’s final.

Instead of a politicallycharged clash between Sabalenka and Ukrainian

Elina Svitolina, Centre Court will host Jabeur against Czech Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday.

Vondrousova rolled past Svitolina 6-3, 6-3 in the other semifinal.

Jabeur was devastated after losing to Elena Rybakina in last year’s final, but believes she is a different player 12 months later.

She said: “I’m working a lot with my mental coach who’s been helping me a lot and I might be writing

a book about it.

“I’m very proud of me, the old me maybe would have lost that match but I’m glad I kept digging deep and finding the strength.

“I’m learning to transform bad energy into good energy. After the anger of the first set I just tried to stay focused. I’m accepting it, digging deep to go and win this match, and hopefully this tournament.”

Jabeur led the first-set tie-break but dumped a backhand into the net and

then sent a forehand long as Sabalenka forged ahead.

At 2-2 in the second set, Jabeur slipped to 0-40 before a double fault put Sabalenka in control.

But Sabalenka, who would have clinched the world No. 1 ranking with a win, tightened up horribly and a double-fault gave Jabeur break point which she converted for 4-4.

With the Centre Court crowd right behind her, Jabeur somehow saved a break point by staying

in a ridiculous rally until Sabalenka smashed a forehand wide, and then evened the match with a return on the baseline.

The 28-year-old piled the pressure on the Sabalenka serve and won a nerve-jangling game with a third break point to go 4-2 up in the decider.

Sabalenka saved two match points on serve but Jabeur finished the job behind her own with an ace before raising her arms in triumph.

Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group/TNS file

The Giants’ Brandon Crawford, left, gets his glove from Casey Schmitt after flying out against the Mariners at Oracle Park in San Francisco, July 5.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic file (2022)

Rodriguez’ High School’s Dylan Burke runs the ball for a touchdown during a football game at Benicia, Sept. 23, 2022. Burke returns as the team’s starting quarterback for the 2023 season.

See Burke, Page B8

See Giants, Page B8

See A’s, Page B8

Growing up and growing anxious about fitting in with friends

Dear Annie: “Torn

Between Passion and Stability” reminds me of my own story. As a college freshman, I studied accounting, which seemed the destiny of many young men like me. I found it boring and totally uninspiring. However, I felt locked into this career path because of family pressure to study “business” and be successful.

During the summer after freshman year, I talked with the guard at the entrance to the food warehouse where I had a summer job. He was an elementary school principal who was working for the summer at the warehouse. We talked, and I thought about how much I loved elementary school as a child.

I returned to college and changed my major field of study to a path leading to licensure to teach in elementary schools. I was delighted with the course of study and after graduation embarked on a long and thoroughly joyful career. I am now retired but reflect daily on the happiness I experienced and the beautiful memories of a career filled with human inter-

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

Some dreams realize as if by magic, but even those come together when you’re already headed in their direction. You’ll adopt a “no-waiting” policy and start the process of moving your life toward a vision.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20).

Your mind is a time-traveling machine, though such excursions are not always in your best interest. Turn this function off for now and handle the day. If you’re stretched into the past or the future, you’ll miss the opportunity at hand.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

You’re willing to feel uneasy and unsure. You’re willing to be awkward. You can do this because you know that the prize on the other side is a more exciting life. Discomfort is the herald of opportunity for growth and improvement.

CANCER (June 22-July 22).

Desire and rejection slide along the same scale. When you want something very intensely, it’s a major victory to win it, and a pain source to be denied it. You’ll gauge desire and manage risk well today.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).

You’ll be a spontaneous volcano of good ideas and love. Some will still jump back, surprised at first, but when they see all the good you can do, they’ll gather near.

action and the rewards that come with helping others to have a more fulfilling life. — Follow the Joyful Path

Dear Follow the Joyful Path: What a beautiful letter. I’m sure you have created many beautiful memories for your students over the years as well.

Dear Annie: I’m a 16-yearold girl and I just finished my junior year of high school.

I’ve been excited for summer because it means we get a break from school and because I have a lifeguard job at the community pool. Even though summer break has been a lot of fun, I’m starting to feel pressure from my friends to drink and do drugs. I was invited to more parties during junior year than ever before, and I know of a few boys who just graduated that are planning parties these next few months before they go to college.

At these parties, I’ve noticed how many of my peers are hooking up, drinking beer and smoking pot. I’ve never been interested in any of those things and can usually brush off getting involved (I smoked a cigarette once, but I didn’t like

Today’s birthday

There’s a fire in you and you’ll find exhilaration in the act of making, solving and artfully moving through things. The thrill of production will be transcendent. What you make will become testament to your unwavering dedication to the creative spirit. More highlights: Someone will be saved by your kindness. Libra and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 7, 17, 15 and 41.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

Some meetings only accomplish half of what they set out to do and others accomplish nothing. Make a list of what you can accomplish on your own, then tackle that before you meet with others.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

You won’t get much recognition for your work today, a fact you’ll later be so glad about. It gives you a chance to figure things out and do things the way you like without worrying about pleasing anyone else.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

Friendship is an adventure, a discovery and an art. You prepare for your interactions, both logistically and men-

it). But I’m starting to feel like I’m going to be left out if I don’t join in. I know what they’re doing can be dangerous, but I’m not sure how much longer I can keep telling my friends no. I’m worried they’ll either make fun of me or get mad at me. I feel at a loss. I don’t want to get in trouble, but I also don’t want to lose my friends. — Teen Tired of Not Fitting In Dear Tired Teen: Anyone who pokes fun at or gets mad at you for sticking to your boundaries isn’t a true friend. It’s perfectly OK to attend social functions and bond with your peers without drinking, smoking or doing anything else that makes you uncomfortable. A simple, “No, thanks, I’m not interested,” politely shuts down offers on the spot and accurately represents how you feel.

You should be proud of honoring and staying true to yourself. A lot of other kids your age would give in to the peer pressure despite how they feel deep down. It’s not always easy, but it’s the right choice to make.

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

tally, because they matter. People feel important around you because they are, in fact, important to you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). Maybe you’ll take a back seat to the main action, and this will be an ideal position, especially if there are others who share it. Playing second fiddle is mighty fine, but the orchestra sounds better with third and fourth fiddles too.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Friendship and love exist in the same relationship. It’s a time for putting the friendship first, without a worry about love. Love is soft and malleable and will always find its own shape.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). There are things you can do that no one around you can, and even those at a distance who are similarly abled still can’t do it like you. Therefore, the helping hand you need is at the end of your own arm.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20).

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,” said author Sir Walter Scott. Telling the truth at a late stage might untangle things, though the best way to keep it simple is honesty from the start.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Crossword by Phillip

Bridge

KEEP THE WINNERS THAT YOU BEGAN WITH

One quote sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein goes, “One should guard against preaching to young people success in the customary form as the main aim in life. The most important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the value of the result to the community.”

Alder

Or, in bridge, the value of the result to your partnership. In this deal, South must guard against losing one of his winners. How should he play in four hearts after West leads the club two to East’s ace and East returns the club queen?

When South described a balanced 22-24 points, North pushed optimistically into four hearts via a Texas transfer bid.

South can see 10 tricks: two spades, five hearts, two diamonds and one club. So, at trick two, he covers East’s club queen with his king. When West ruffs, though, that is a bad blow. Now South has to take the diamond finesse to try for a 10th trick, but that fails also, and he goes down one.

In an unbid suit, the lead of a two is either fourth-highest from a suit headed by at least one honor or a singleton. Maybe West started with 10-fourth, but a singleton is more likely.

To guard his club king, declarer should play a low club from his hand at trick two. East will continue with a third club, but South plays low again, ruffs or overruffs on the board and plays on trumps. Since West has the heart ace, declarer takes the 10 tricks he saw at the start.

Finally, note that this duck is also successful when West has three or four clubs.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

7/14/23

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: SILVER

Yesterday’s solution:

Horoscopes by Holiday Mathis

Annie Lane

Dear Annie

Hollywood actors’ union SAGAFTRA to strike at midnight

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

LOS ANGELES — SAG-

AFTRA’s national board of directors on Thursday voted unanimously to approve a strike action by tens of thousands of Hollywood actors, widening the scope of labor unrest in an entertainment industry that is already facing numerous headwinds.

The vote came after negotiations between the actors’ union and the major studios failed to reach an agreement on a new film and TV contract.

Actors – similarly to screenwriters already on picket lines – have been battling studios for a pact that would deliver far better pay and residuals from streaming and address other issues, including the use of artificial intelligence, that have been roiling the entertainment landscape.

Despite the last-minute involvement of a federal mediator, the 160,000-member union was unable to secure a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios in labor dealings. The old collective bargaining agreement expired Wednesday night without a deal in place.

Union leaders announced the board’s vote at a noon press conference in Los Angeles.

“What is happening to us is happening to all fields of labor,”

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said during a fiery speech at the union’s headquarters. “I’m shocked by the way the people we have been in business with are treating us. It is disgusting. Shame on them.”

“We are the victims here,” Drescher added. “We are being victimized by a very greedy entity.”

The board’s vote clears the way for the union to begin nationwide pickets starting Friday and deepens the labor strife that has disrupted Hollywood since scribes represented

by the Writers Guild of America went on strike on May 2. The actors’ strike begins at midnight.

It would mark the first time in 63 years that both actors and writers have been on strike at the same time as Hollywood grapples with issues over how talent is compensated in the streaming era.

“The AMPTP has remained steadfast in devaluing the work of our members” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAGAFTRA’s chief negotiator. “A strike is an instrument of last resort. They have left us with no alternative.”

AMPTP said that it was disappointed and that a strike would deepen financial harm for those dependent on the industry, which includes not just writers and actors but also prop warehouses, makeup artists and set designers.

The studios said the union walked away from a offer that included “historic” increases in pay and residuals, as well as a “groundbreaking” proposal for AI protections.

“A strike is certainly not the outcome we hoped for as studios cannot operate without the performers that bring our TV shows and films to life,” AMPTP said in a Thursday statement in response to the union’s strike declaration. “The Union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry.”

AMPTP said the studios offered the union the “highest percentage increase” in guild minimums in 35 years and substantial increases in pension and health contribution caps, among other proposals.

The union has been pushing for an increase in minimum wages to counter the effects of inflation. The actors also want increases to streaming residuals – royalties for when TV shows and films are replayed – and for

their members to participate in the success of hits. They also want their health and pension plans boosted and desire protections related to the use of artificial intelligence, which has become an increasingly prevalent tool for studios and filmmakers.

The union also pushed for curbs to the practice of selftaped auditions, which actors argue put undue pressure and costs on performers trying to get work.

Negotiations began June 7, ahead of which SAGAFTRA secured a strike authorization from members with a 98% approval margin.

Ahead of the original June 30 deadline, Drescher said that the two sides were having “extremely productive” talks. However, that triggered concern from some of the union’s most high-profile members, including A-list stars, who wrote an open letter to leadership pressuring them not to settle for anything short of a “transformative” deal.

“We are concerned by the idea that SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not,” said the letter signed by Meryl Streep, Glenn Close and Ben Stiller. “This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough.”

The union was not able to secure a deal before the deadline and extended talks until 11:59 p.m. July 12.

Earlier this week, the AMPTP requested assistance from a federal mediator, which SAG-AFTRA agreed to. But the relationship between the two sides appeared to have soured. The guild accused the AMPTP of leaking information about the mediation plan before negotiators were made of aware of it, calling the move a “cynical ploy.”

Crossword by Phillip Alder

Bridge

reality -- “we have nothing in common” -- comes to the fore. They thought they were the same, but they are different. You might feel like that if you read yesterday’s column and compare it with this one.

How should South plan the play in four spades after West leads the heart three in answer to his partner’s lead-directing double of North’s Texas transfer bid?

South thought that he saw 10 top tricks: five spades, two hearts and three clubs. So, he took the first trick and cashed his spade ace. East’s discard was a blow.

Now declarer realized that if he continued with another trump, West would win with his king and presumably shift to diamonds. The defenders would take two tricks there and a heart ruff to defeat the contract.

WATCH OUT FOR A LONELY SINGLETON

Helen Fisher, a leading anthropologist, claimed, “Research shows that couples who have a lot of similarities, including intellectual compatibility, end up staying together.”

Yes, but often chemistry keeps incompatibility hidden out of sight -until the chemistry recedes and the

It was time for a different plan. South took his three top clubs, discarding a diamond from the board. Then he led his last club, much relieved to see West follow suit. Rather than ruff, declarer discarded dummy’s remaining diamond.

Now everything was under control. South ruffed West’s diamond switch on the board, played a trump, ruffed another diamond, drew West’s final trump and claimed five spades, two hearts and three clubs.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

Bridge

7/15/23

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

Helen

Difficulty level: GOLD

Yesterday’s solution:

Enterprises Dist. by creators.com

© 2023

Fisher, a leading anthropologist, claimed, “Research shows that couples who have a lot of similarities, including intellectual compatibility, end up staying together.”

Mario Tama/Getty Images/TNS

A sign reads ‘Unions Stand Together’ as SAG-AFTRA members walk the picket line in

solidarity with striking WGA (Writers Guild of America) workers outside Netflix offices in Los Angeles, Wednesday.

Emily Blunt stars in one of the year’s most anticipated films. Now she wants a break

Los A ngeLes Times

Emily Blunt says she is ready for a change of pace after numerous Hollywood projects – including Christopher Nolan’s upcoming “Oppenheimer” – cut into her personal life in recent years.

The “Devil Wears Prada” star opened up about her latest efforts to strike a balance between work and family before “Oppenheimer” faces off against Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” at the box office next week.

Blunt spoke to podcast host Bruce Bozzi for the most recent episode of his “Table for Two.”

“It’s one of those things when people are like, ‘How do you balance it?;’ I never feel like I’m doing it right, you know,’” Blunt said in the episode published Monday. “But this year I’m not working.”

Blunt, who shares two children with “A Quiet Place” co-star John Krasinski, has taken on film and television gigs every year since 2020 – with even more projects on the horizon, including 2024 action film “The Fall Guy.” However, at home, the actor feels she is missing out on important moments with daughters Hazel and Violet.

Krasinski and Blunt married in 2010 and welcomed Hazel in 2014. The couple announced the arrival of Violet in June 2016.

“My oldest baby is 9.

Like we’re in the last year of single digits,” Blunt said. “I just feel there’s cornerstones to their day

that are so important when they’re little.”

She added: “I just need to be there for all of them for a good stretch. And I just felt that in my bones.”

Like many working moms, the “Mary Poppins Returns” star said she feels guilty when she pursues her ambitions and has to spend time away from her family. She also said that her Hollywood obligations varied in commitment. While she did not list productions by name, she said she’s not taking on as many “time-consuming” opportunities due to the “emotional cost on me, on the kids, on balance.”

Later in the podcast episode, Blunt admitted she struggles to find a reasonable work-life balance and often sways from one extreme end to another.

“I’ll work too much, then I’ll have a complete reaction against it and an aversion to being on a film set for a long time,” she explained. “Then I’ll want to desperately work again. So I don’t know I do [the balance] moderately.”

Since the British actor broke out in the early aughts, her career has spanned decades and genres. She has also starred in “Gnomeo & Juliet,” “ Looper,” “Sicario” and “Into the Woods.” But Blunt told Bozzi her own children couldn’t care less about her impressive resume and joked that they “have no desire to watch me in anything.”

“They just want me to be their mom,” she said.

Pickles Brian Crane

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Candorville Darrin Bell

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos

Disclaimer: F Fair Housing is the Law! T h e m i s s i o n o f t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f F a i r E m p l o y m e n t a n d H o u s i n g i s t o p r ot e c t t h e p e o p l e o f C a l i f o r n i a f r o m u nl a w f u d i s c r i m i n ation in employment h o u s i n g a n d p u b l i c a c c o m m o d a t i o n s T h e D a i l y R e p u b l i c w i l l n o t k n o w n g y accept any ad which is in violation of the F e d e r a l F a i r H o u sing Act and the Calif o r n i a F a i r E m p l o ym e n t a n d H o u s i n g A c t w h i c h b a n d i sc r i m i n a t i o n b a s e d o n r a c e c o l o r n at i o n a l o r i g i n s e x r e l i g i o n , s e x u a l o r ientation age disabi l i t y f a m i l i a l s t a t u s a n d m a r i t a l s t a t u s D e s c r i b e t h e P r o pe r t y N o t t h e T e n a n t

i e d

p a

c e i p t P

y a r e

CALENDAR

Friday’s TV sports

Baseball

MLB

• San Francisco vs. Pittsburgh, AppleTV+ (Live Streaming), 4:05 p.m.

• Minnesota vs. Oakland, NBCSCA, 6:40 p.m.

Basketball

NBA summer League

• L.A. Clippers vs. Philadelphia, ESPN2, 2 p.m.

• Dallas vs. Indiana, ESPN, 4 p.m.

• San Antonio vs. Detroit, ESPN, 6 p.m.

• Memphis vs. L.A. Lakers, ESPN, 8 p.m.

WNBA

• All-Star Skills Challenge, ESPN, 1 p.m.

Golf

• PGA, Genesis Scottish Open, GOLF, 5:30 a.m.

• Champions, Kaulig Championship, GOLF, 10:30 a.m.

• PGA, Barbasol Championship, GOLF, 1 p.m.

Motorsports

• NHRA, Mile-High Nationals, FS1, 4 p.m.

tennis Wimbledon

• Men’s Semifinals, ESPN, 5 a.m.

Saturday’s TV sports

Baseball

MLB

• Cleveland vs. Texas, FS1, 1:05 p.m.

• San Francisco vs. Pittsburgh, NBCSBA, 4:05 p.m.

• Minnesota vs. Oakland, NBCSCA, 4:07 p.m.

Basketball NBA summer League

• Teams TBA, ESPN, Noon.

• Teams TBA, ESPN, 2 p.m.

WNBA

• All-Star Game, 7, 10, 5:30 p.m.

Golf

• American Century Championship, 3,11:30 a.m.

• PGA, Genesis Scottish Open, GOLF,7 a.m.

• PGA, Genesis Scottish Open, 5, 13, 9 a.m.

• PGA, Barbasol Championship, GOLF, 1 p.m.

• Champions, Kaulig Championship, GOLF, 9 a.m.

Lacrosse

pLL

• Chrome vs. Cannon, ESPN2, 3 p.m.

Motorsports

• NASCAR Cup Series, Crayon 301, Qualifying, 9 a.m.

• NASCAR Xfinity, Ambetter Health 200, USA, Noon.

soccer ML s

• Atlanta vs. Orlando City, FS1, 4:30 p.m.

UsL

• Monterey Bay vs. Oakland, ESPN2, 7 p.m

tennis

Wimbledon

• Women’s Final, ESPN, 6 a.m.

• Men’s Doubles Final, ESPN, 8:30 a.m.

UFC

• Fight Night, ESPN, 4 p.m.

A’s

From Page B1

commit to a 30,000-seat stadium in Las Vegas and the dismissal of longtime popular television play-by-play voice Glen Kuiper for a racial epithet on the air.

The fans’ displeasure with the direction of the franchise under owner John Fisher and president/mouthpiece Dave Kaval has manifested itself with a home attendance average of 10,089, the lowest in the majors.

That included a grassroots “reverse boycott” on June 13 that drew 27,759 and pleas for Fisher to sell the franchise, with the last straw a roster purge before the 2022 season that signaled an end to a legitimate attempt to play competitive baseball.

The discontent was even audible at the AllStar game in Seattle, when fans could be heard chanting “Sell the team” when A’s representative Brent Rooker hit a ground-rule double in the sixth inning.

As impressed as A’s players were with the passion of the “reverse boycott,” they understand they’re merely along for the ride and hoping to either establish or extend careers in the sport they love.

Although the A’s lost four straight on the road going into the break, they’re much more competitive than they were in April and May, when they were 11-47 (including the season-opening win on March 31). Those

Giants

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months have contributed to the lion’s share of a negative run differential of minus-248 that is far and away the worst in the majors.

Losers of 16 of their first 17 series, the A’s are 5-6-1 in their last 12 series.

“I think over the last couple of months we’ve gotten a lot better,” pitcher Paul Blackburn said. “We started off very poor and we’ve made adjustments as a group and as individuals and gained a little confidence.”

Rooker thought things were looking up after winning two of three from the White Sox on the A’s last homestand before the break.

“Since early June, the last month or so, we’ve been playing well, winning games against some good competition and we’ve got to keep that going,” Rooker said.

Still, it’s a tall order for a team with a .272 winning percentage to avoid having the worst record since the franchise moved to Oakland in 1968. The A’s would have to go 30-40 (.429) the rest of the way to come in at

Webb and Alex Cobb in the rotation out of the break, the status of Anthony DeSclafani (fatigue) remains up in the air. It’s clear which role Alex Wood prefers (starting), but less so about the Giants’ preferences for his usage.

107 losses, one fewer than the 108 losses which came in 1979. They would need to be 36-34 to beat last year’s 60-102 record by a single game, and at least 38-32 to avoid 100 losses.

Some things to watch over the last 70 games:

Trade deadline sale

There are no huge salaries to offload, but rest assured the A’s will be on the lookout to fortify their farm system if any teams are looking for bench help for a possible postseason run as the trade deadline approaches on Aug. 1. Tony Kemp, who has recovered from a woeful start, is a potential target, as are Aledmys Diaz and Jace Peterson. Blackburn and Rooker, the last two A’s All-Stars, could be coveted as well.

Noda and Ruiz

Ryan Noda pushed Jesus Aguilar off the roster, is third in the majors with 59 walks with nine home runs, 36 RBIs and is a capable and athletic first baseman. However, he’s hitting just.

games with some relievers.”

The Giants’ bullpen has been among the best in baseball – the very best, in fact, dating back to the start of May. Their relievers have logged the second-most innings of any group in the majors (378⅔), while posting the eighth-best ERA (3.80, 2.90 since May 1). Their use of openers and bulk relievers has been effective, with an 11-3 record in those games.

229. Centerfielder Esteury Ruiz has a right shoulder subluxation which complicates a rookie year when he appeared headed for 80 stolen bases. There is no definitive word on his return. Ruiz isn’t much for drawing walks, but has been a surprisingly good hitter with runners in scoring position (.380 with 33 RBIs).

Rise of Sears

The most consistent starting pitcher has been J.P. Sears, part of the deal that sent Frankie Montas to the Yankees last August. His record is 1-6, but of late he has been landing breaking balls and cutting down his pitch count, having completed seven innings in three of his last five starts. Probably a No. 5 starter elsewhere, he’s been the A’s most durable starter.

Potential promotions

Top prospects Tyler Soderstrom (catcher, first base) and Zack Gelof (second base) are reportedly headed for the big club immediately. Soderstrom, ranked as the A’s top prospect is hitting .254 with 20 homers and 59 RBIs and an .818 OPS for Triple-A Las Vegas. Soderstrom’s hometown paper, the Turlock Journal,first reported the news. Gelof, hitting .304 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs for Las Vegas, told the Cape Gazette (Delaware) his former player called him Wednesday with the news. Outfielder/ first baseman Lawrence Butler is hitting .285 with 10 homers and 47 RBIs

Can the rookies be counted on?

The Giants have already gotten 2.0 Wins Above Replacement from 20 rookies this season.

ESPN’s Dick Vitale has cancer for a third time

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Dick Vitale has twice defeated cancer.

And at age 84, the beloved ESPN college basketball analyst fully intends to do it again.

Vitale revealed Wednesday that he has vocal cord cancer and will need six weeks of radiation.

“Though I was disappointed with the pathology report, I plan on winning this battle like I did vs Melanoma & Lymphoma !” Vitale tweeted Wednesday.

Vitale called the first college basketball game broadcast on ESPN in 1979 and has been with the network ever since, delivering one catch phrase

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• Fight Night, ESPN, 7 p.m. him on the Rodriguez 4x100 relay team in the past. It’s a dual threat that could give opponents a challenge, along with the Mustangs’ strong running and receiving corps.

“He’s an excellent decision-maker and just seems to get the team in the right situations,” King said. “He is a respected leader, even as an underclassman, and has the respect of the seniors. He watches film with me before school and is a true student of the game. He carries a 4.0 GPA.”

Burke has been able to get in some 7-on-7 work this summer and has continued to build a rapport

after another and using his unmistakable voice to exude unbridled enthusiasm for the game. Now that voice is ailing. But the man known to fans as Dickie V said his doctor gave him some excellent news, telling him that the cancer “has an extremely high cure rate.”

“I plan to fight like hell to be ready to call games when the college hoops season tips off in the Fall,” Vitale wrote. “Dr. Z feels that scenario is entirely possible.”

In November 2021, while Vitale was being treated for lymphoma and just months after overcoming melanoma, he returned to work.

with teammates. “It’s been blessing,” Burke said of stepping in to the No. 1 slot. “It’s been tremendous. We’ve had a great chemistry from the start. I wasn’t able to do many camps because I was out January to May with an injury, but I’m ready to go now. 100 percent.”

The Mustangs open the season at home Friday, Aug. 18, against Sacramento High. They’ll get a good test a week ahead with a scrimmage at Elk Grove against both the Thundering Herd and Folsom.

Burke hopes to turn his ability on the field and in the classroom into a chance to play at the next level. He wants to one day become an anesthesiologists. College recruiters, don’t fall asleep on Burke’s ability.

“We’ll do what helps us win the most games possible in the second half,” Kapler said. “It might be a rotation that’s a little bit more predictable and if that’s the case, we think the pitchers are doing a really good job and we want to see them go out there every fifth day. There’s also the possibility that we have a bullpen pitching staff construction that suggests we should start some

But is it sustainable?

“Teams that I’ve been around that have really gotten on rolls, they’ve had that, where you’ve got five starters who are sort of feeding off of each other,” Zaidi said. “Hopefully we can move more in that direction.”

However, almost all of it has been accumulated by two players: Patrick Bailey and Blake Sabol. Other first-year players will be counted on heavily down the stretch. For now, the Giants will rely on Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely to handle second base duties with Thairo Estrada still likely weeks away from returning from the injured list. It’s possible Keaton Winn or Tristan Beck fills one of their open rotation slots. Schmitt, in particular, has cooled off after a red-hot start. Batted-ball data (a .375 batting average on balls in play and an average exit velocity under 90 mph).

Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group/TNS file

A’s manager Mark Kotsay leans in the dugout during a game at the Coliseum in oakland, June 15.