Daily Republic: Monday, July 24, 2023

Heat, war, export bans

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

As scorching temperatures ravage farms from the U.S. to China, crop harvests, fruit production and dairy output are all coming under pressure. That extreme weather is just one of threats to food supplies that are once again mounting around the world.

This week, top rice exporter India banned some shipments of the commodity – a staple for about half of the world’s population – to keep domestic prices in check. Russia quit a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to flow safely across the Black Sea.

On top of that is the recent arrival of the El Niño weather pattern that may cause further damage to agriculture.

All of this is renewing concerns about food security and prices, creating a risk that rampant inflation on supermarket shelves will stick around for longer. That would be a fresh blow to consumers, who were just starting to see some

better news after a longrunning squeeze on household budgets.

“We’re all still struggling under an inflationary regime,” said Tim Benton, a food security expert at Chatham House in London. “And although inflation is tailing off, that doesn’t of course mean the prices are going down. It means they’re just going up more slowly.”

Extreme heat that’s engulfing huge swaths of Asia, Europe and North America is just the latest challenge in what’s been a rough year for farmers. They’ve had to

THE WASHINGTON POST

FRESNO — Californians were preparing for another year of unre lenting drought in 2023. Instead, they got months of incessant rain and some of the heaviest snowfall they have ever seen.

Tribune ConTenT A

As the parliament came close to voting on a contentious change in the judicial system, Prime Minister Benja min Netanyahu said he was fine after having a cardiac pacemaker inserted early Sunday.

The 73-year-old premier, who fainted a week ago, said in a video statement from the hospital that he would join the parliamentary debate on Monday morning. The weekly Sunday cabinet meeting was canceled, and trips to Cyprus and Turkey were postponed, his office said.

His health is having added significance with Israel in the midst of one

of its most controversial internal debates over his government’s plan to reduce the power of the judiciary to oversee political decisions.

On Saturday night, hundreds of thousands

They feared blasts of spring warmth would quickly turn snow into floods, adding to the havoc from a series of winter storms. But, until recently, temperatures remained mercifully cool, allowing for a slow and steady melt. The result: a return of water to California that has erased drought maps, poured into longdry irrigation systems and raised expectations that, after months with water bursting from their gates, reservoirs will end the summer melt filled to capacity.

It has been a stark transfor mation, with arid landscapes and trickling rivers replaced with swollen lakes, gushing waterfalls and snow-covered mountaintops. Instead of pumping groundwater to keep crops alive, farmers have access to brimming canals carrying more water than they could use.

The same Californians thanking the heavens for their good weather fortune are still wary, to be sure. A series of moisture-laden storms known as atmospheric rivers brought Central Valley flooding, coastal landslides and mountain blizzards – a change from years of drought and wildfires, but hazards all the same. Scientists say shifts in the Golden State’s climate could

Meanwhile, there are reminders around the globe of the sort of extreme weather California has largely dodged in recent months: Persistent record-setting heat across the southern United States, Europe and Asia; an unprecedently massive swarm of wildfires in Canada; damaging flash floods from Vermont to India to South Korea.

Californians know good weather fortune can only last so long, what with a newly accelerating El Niño

threatens more extreme flooding and landslides.

The coursing rivers and flush irrigation canals nonetheless give Sarah Woolf a sense of relief. The water consultant who works with farms like her family’s in Madera County, north of Fresno, said California needs to take maximum advantage of the precipitation when it hits.

After all, she said it’s better to

SCoTT DAnCe

Harman wins Open Championship by

I offer some heartfelt sincere apologies

“An apology is a lovely perfume; it can transform the clumsiest moment into a gracious gift.” — Margaret Lee Runbeck

You know, I think I would rather be humiliated than have to humble myself (insert your favorite Raider fan joke here). I mean, having to suck up my pride and apologize when I have erred is incredibly hard. Still, over the years I have learned just how valuable it is to do just that to preserve relationships and to grow as a person.

I’m not talking mom or publicist apologies either. You know those fake ones, right? It’s when you were a kid and were fighting with a sibling and your mom broke it up and told you to apologize to each other and to avoid more severe punishment you choked out a completely insincere “I’m sorry” through clenched teeth.

Or you are a public figure who says or does something stupid and so you have to issue the obligatory apology that protects your brand.

Then there are those that Paul McCartney offered to his Uncle Albert. He said he was sorry if he caused him any pain but then kept making weak excuses like “but there’s no one left at home and I believe it’s gonna rain” and “but we haven’t done a bloody thing all day” and “but the kettle’s on the boil and we’re so easily called away.” Too many buts.

I ain’t talking about those. I mean ones that come straight from the heart. That’s what I’m offering today.

I apologize to singer/songwriter Neil Diamond for citing

one of his tunes in my column last week about how ’70s songs lied to us. The Diamond song I referenced was “I Am…

I Said” and I implied that he was saying that chairs can hear. Daily Republic columnist Brad Stanhope pointed out that Neil actually was saying the chair he referenced in the song did not hear. My sincerest apologies Neil.

While I’m at it, I also apologize for always hating the audience participation parts of “Sweet Caroline”– the “bumbum-bum” after the words “Sweet Caroline” in the chorus and the “so good, so good, so good” after “good times never seemed so good.” The original song doesn’t have them and it doesn’t make it better to add them. I know that millions of people love the additions and think it’s great and I’m so sorry that they are all wrong.

I apologize in advance to fans of the 31 NFL teams that are inferior to the Las Vegas Raiders for the season-long smack talk you will soon have to endure from me on Facebook. I want you to know that I realize it is not a fair fight trying to counter brutal, clever, insightful and funny posts from a certified Smackologist™ and I want you to know I feel your pain. Well, not really. I am the cause of your pain, but still.

I apologize to former members of high school subsets back in the day. The nerds/geeks and stoners/ burnouts evidently were onto something way ahead of their time. Now the former own or work for hugely successful tech firms and the latter own or work

at dispensaries.

I apologize to people who follow me on Facebook for my atomic bomb barrage of posts advertising my new book, “Armijo High School: Fairfield, California.” I realize that the near-constant bombardment gets tiresome. In my defense, while traditional publishing house The History Press takes care of a lot of the things that self-published authors usually do as well as provide me with cool marketing materials, my advertising budget is approximately $0. So I use all the free

spots I can to try to get the word out. My brother Kelvin suggested I tattoo my book’s cover on the ample blank space I call a forehead and I’m considering it.

I apologize for not immediately publicly acknowledging receipt of a generous gift that’s a precious Fairfield artifact.

Neil Taylor gave me an actual Fairfield Area Rapid Transit tank top shirt from back in the day. It is probably circa 1978 and I remember cracking up seeing the FART buses around town when I was a

kid back then. I shall have it mounted behind glass, and if one day my dream of a museum in Fairfield ever comes true, I will donate it to them.

I apologize to the fourth floor staff at the Kaiser hospital in Vacaville. When my wife Beth was there for almost two weeks recently, I noticed they had a patient information board on the wall in her room. It was a whiteboard with stuff printed on it and space to add responses. I saw the dry erase marker and I tried to resist for a whole 17-and-a-half seconds, but ultimately succumbed.

Next to “Staff” I wrote: “Dr. Seuss and Dr. Strange.” Next to “Preferred language” I added “Klingon.” When it asked how many people needed to help move the patient, I wrote “a bajillion.” There were several emoji faces that depicted what pain level a patient was at from 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst and I added hairdos and facial hair to them.

Yes, it was kind of childish, but a Nurse Leader turned my foolishness back on me. When I smugly showed her that there was a typo on a sticker at the foot of the bed that misspelled “patient” as “paient” she replied, “Oh, that’s Klingon.” 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 the Channel 26 government access TV show “Local Legends.”

BRIGHT spot

CORRECTION POLICY

It is the Daily Republic’s policy to correct errors in reporting. If you notice an error, please call the Daily Republic at 425-4646 during business hours weekdays and ask to speak to the editor in charge of the section where the error occurred. Corrections will be printed here.

Tony Wade

The last laugh

illustration The Fairfield Area Rapid Transit (FART) tank top that Neil Taylor gave to Tony Wade superimposed over a downtown background.

Country Night at Rush Ranch returns Saturday

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY —

The Solano Land Trust is hosting the second annual Country Night at the Ranch.

“This fundraiser is sure to get your boots moving and to bring new boots – and maybe even some spurs – to the property,” organizers said in a statement.

The event, which includes a raffle and silent auction, is set for 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Rush Ranch. Locked-N-Loaded is the featured band.

There will be food trucks and other local vendors, plus beer and wine.

The cost is $30. Tickets are on sale at solanolandtrust.org.

Rush Ranch is located at 3521 Grizzly Island Road in Suisun City.

Saturday celebration for the boy who lived

This July, come celebrate the birthday of “the boy who lived” with a birthday party at Legendary Letters in downtown Fairfield.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at various locations in the downtown area.

Start the day with a check-in at at Legendary Letters, 707 Kentucky St., to receive a map with all the participating businesses and a card to get stamped. After the card is filled, return it to Legendary Letters to be entered into a drawing for fun prizes.

Tickets are free, but required. Cancel the tickets if you can no longer make it.

Parking will be free at the corner of Webster and Kentucky streets, another off the alley behind it, and at the library and civic

The ahead

center. Most of Kentucky Street allows street parking, too.

Bring drinking water, wear comfortable shoes to walk in and sun protection is advised.

Tickets are available at www.facebook. com/elfstacy.

Gov’t meetings on week’s calendar

FAIRFIELD — A handful of public meetings will be held this week. Some are online and in-person, check the websites for more specific information.

The meetings will include:

n Fairfield Suisun Sewer District Executive Committee special meeting, 5 p.m. Monday, 1010 Chadbourne Road, executive conference room, Fairfield. Info: fssd.com.

n Fairfield Suisun Sewer District Executive Committee, 6 p.m. Monday, 1010 Chadbourne Road, executive conference room, Fairfield. Info: fssd.com.

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

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

n Suisun City Council, 7 p.m. Tuesday, City Council chamber, 701 Civic Center Blvd. Info: www.suisun.com/ government/city-council.

Schumer, Pelosi aim to make Aug. 3 ‘Tony Bennett Day’

tRibune content agency

Aug. 3 would become Tony Bennett Day across the U.S. under a resolution set to be introduced in Congress, Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday, two days after the death of the beloved Queensborn singer.

Schumer, a Brooklyn Democrat and the majority leader, said he would introduce the resolution in the Senate, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, would bring it to the House.

The duo whipped up the plan to honor the 20-time Grammy winner in a phone call Saturday night, Schumer’s office said. The special day would fall on Bennett’s birthday.

In summer 2021, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo deemed the date Tony Bennett Day in New York as the singer turned 95.

Bennett’s death at 96 in Manhattan on Friday met with both sadness and praise for the renowned music stylist, whose syncopated, soaring interpretations of the American songbook earned him a reputation as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. His allure was espe-

‘Barbie’ beats ‘Oppenheimer’ in summer movie showdown

tRibune content agency

weekThis “Barbie” just scored the biggest domestic opening weekend of 2023.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Barbie” debuted in first place at the box office this weekend, earning a whopping $155 million in the United States and Canada.

The PG-13 comedy easily defeated Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer,” which opened in second place with $80.5 million, accordingtostudioestimates.

In addition to notching the biggest launch of the year – ahead of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($146.4 million) – Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” also marks the best domestic debut of all time for a title directed by a woman, surpassing 2019’s “Captain Marvel” ($153 million).

The film industry received a much-needed shot in the arm this weekend thanks to the cinematic, cultural phenomenon that is “Barbenheimer.” For months, people around the world have eagerly anticipated the simultaneous releases of Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” – two auteur-driven studio tentpoles so thematically opposed, movie fans have been unable to resist fusing them in memes, posters, T-shirts, TikTok videos and now, theaters.

“There’s certainly some cross-pollination going on,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at measurement firm Comscore.

“Film buffs will be created this weekend after maybe some people who had no intention to see ‘Barbie’ will now see that. Others who had no intention see ‘Oppenheimer’ – because of ‘Barbenheimer’ – are going to want to see both. And that’s really cool.”

As of Sunday morning, it was clear that many thousands of moviegoers indeed saw both – often back to back. AMC Theaters reported on Friday that more than 60,000 loyalty program members had reserved tickets to see “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” on the same day.

these two films, linked together in this way ... rival studios but yet having this sort of baked-in camaraderie here.”

Undoubtedly boosted by the popularity of the “Barbenheimer” double feature, both the feminist flick about a doll come to life and the historical drama about the father of the atomic bomb over-performed in the United States and Canada. It also doesn’t hurt that both features boast ridiculously stacked A-list casts headlined by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”) and Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”).

momentum of 2023. More

importantly, it proves once again that America loves going to the movies to see great films. People recognized that something special was happening and they wanted to be a part of it.”

And it’s not just ticket sales that matter in this industry-revitalizing moment.

“If you’re going to see that double feature ... you’re going to be at the theater for a long time,” Dergarabedian said.

different type of summer style movie. This feels like a movie that’s certainly gonna be recognized come awards season. So it’s going to have a very long life in the public consciousness.”

cially strong in New York. He grew up in Astoria, Queens, and spent his last years living in Midtown Manhattan, near Central Park, often decamping to a bench there to embrace his second artistic love: painting.

Bennett helped found and finance the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, a public school for artists that opened in 2001.

Schumer, speaking Sunday by Bennett’s favorite Central Park bench and toting a picture of the singer snuggling with his dog, described the late New Yorker as the “King of Croon” and a “true American icon” who stood up for civil rights, pointing to his participation in the 1965 voting rights march from Selma, Ala.

“He cared deeply about other people,” Schumer said of Bennett. “His decency and honor showed through in just about everything he did.”

Schumer regaled reporters with a brief singing performance of his own, modifying a line from Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” The line became, “He left his heart in New York City” in Schumer’s version.

Cinemas across the country were packed with moviegoers dressed in bubblegum pink and/or charcoal costumes to celebrate the movie event of the summer. On social media, fans fervently debated which film they should watch first. (A selfprofessed Nolan “fanatic,” Dergarabedian opted to start with the bracing “Oppenheimer” and chase it with “Barbie.”)

“It’s so rare,” said Dergarabedian, who couldn’t remember a dual-opening weekend generating this much collective buzz since 2000’s “The Patriot” and “The Perfect Storm.”

“I mean, this is marketing catnip. ... To have this situation where you have

The blockbusters’ combined revenue helped secure this weekend a spot in the top five highest-grossing weekends of all time at the domestic box office, according to Warner Bros. It also marks the first time two competing films have opened to more than $100 million and $80 million in the same frame, as well as the fourth time a weekend has amassed more than $300 million.

That’s a huge deal, especially when you consider that – pre”Barbenheimer” – the domestic box office was lagging 16.1% and 6.6% behind the year-to-date earnings of 2019 and 2022, respectively, according to Comscore.

“This was a phenomenal experience for people who love movies on the big screen,” said Michael O’Leary, president of the National Assn. of Theatre Owners, in a statement.

“It was a truly historic weekend and continues the positive box office

“That’s a lot of popcorn, a lot of soda, a lot of drinks, a lot of food, a lot of exposure to in-theater marketing and trailers. ... It’s like the Super Bowl for movie theaters this weekend. And that’s going to be a really good thing ... for the business moving forward.”

It’s worth noting that “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are more than commercial successes. Both movies also fared exceedingly well with critics and audiences, which in turn bodes well for their box-office futures.

“Barbie” notched a stellar 90% fresh rating on review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, while “Oppenheimer” came in even higher at 94%. Each film received an A grade from audiences polled by CinemaScore.

“We need to look at the long term playability of both of these films, because they’re going to have ... very different journeys to their final box-office result,” Dergarabedian said.

“ ‘Barbie’ certainly will be more front-loaded ... But ‘Oppenheimer’ is going to build on it being a

Of course, there’s no point in mentioning awards season without acknowledging the elephant in the room: The ongoing Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes, which will more than likely hinder Oscar campaigns for “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” – if not their immediate boxoffice results.

While the Writers Guild of America has been on the picket lines for weeks, Warner Bros. and Universal lucked out with plenty of time to promote their respective titles before the Screen Actors Guild dropped the other shoe. (Backed by Mattel, “Barbie” had a particularly robust marketing strategy involving viral character posters, custom dolls, a star-studded soundtrack and a real-life Malibu Dreamhouse.)

“They really got in under the wire in a sense, because their marketing message was so strong and so amplified,” Dergarabedian said.

“Not having that message available right now, it’s got a momentum that’s going to go through the weekend. Then the focus is going to shift from the pre-release marketing to the postrelease response by the actual fans.”

Opening in wide release next weekend are A24’s “Talk to Me,” GKIDS’ “The First Slam Dunk” and Disney’s “Haunted Mansion.”

Flash floods kill at least 30 in Afghanistan

tRibune content agency

ISLAMABAD — At least 40 people have died over the past three days in disasters unleashed by heavy rainstorms in Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to local officials in both countries. Devastating flash floods in Afghanistan struck areas in eight provinces across the country, killing at least 31 people and leaving scores more missing, civil defence officials told dpa.

In the Pakistani border province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, thunderstorms

and strong winds over the weekend caused landslides that damaged roads and buildings, according to the newspaper Dawn. At least nine people were killed.

More than 100 people have died in Pakistan since the monsoon rains began at the end of June.

In Afghanistan's central Maidan Wardak province, numerous residents were killed in their sleep by rapidly rising floodwaters. Dozens more are missing, according to disaster response authorities, after hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed and roads closed by the

flash floods.

In a statement, Afghanistan's militant Islamist Taliban government called on aid agencies to provide emergency support to the victims.

Flash floods usually catch people by surprise as there is no alarm system in the mountainous country.

Extreme weather events occur regularly in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, which are badly affected by the consequences of climate change.

The situation is particularly dire in Afghanistan, which is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe

following several decades of war and conflict.

The conflicts, coupled with environmental degradation and insufficient investment in disaster risk reduction, have contributed to the increasing vulnerability of Afghans to natural disasters, according to the United Nations.

On average, natural disasters affect 200,000 people in Afghanistan each year.

In 2022, record floods in the monsoon season temporarily flooded a third of the country, killing around 1,700 people.

Warner Bros. Pictures/TNS

Margot Robbie stars in “Barbie.”

THE RIGHT STUFF

PTSD is more than a military problem

Some who have never experienced combat or other traumatic events may think post-traumatic stress disorder is all in someone’s head. You’re right, it is; but you cannot just dismiss it.

I have heard people say, “crank up your willpower, guy” or “man up and snap out of it.” I remember thinking this to an extent also, until I had a nephew return after two tours in Iraq, where he was caught in explosions up by improvised explosive devices.

He experienced the first IED while driving an uparmored Humvee. The second was in an armored personnel carrier. Both incidents resulted in sustained firefights where he was wounded.

The young man who went to war was not the same one who came home. He has never been the same, nor has our family. I decided I needed to understand this better. It took some time and a bit of research before gaining some understanding of the long-term effects of PTSD. I spoke with a counselor I know who treated military PTSD, and also civilian first responders. He said, in his experience, often people experiencing PTSD, which is excessive fear or anxiety, had difficulty articulating their feeling and the commensurate levels of distress and anxiety attached.

I started to wonder if PTSD behavior, to some extent, also applied to another critical social problem, chronic homelessness.

We see the “homeless” daily everywhere. In a previous column I showed this isn’t a monolithic group. It’s as diverse as society itself. Therefore, perhaps we should approach the problem using different tools for different subsets of this group. As has been widely reported, we have veterans among the “homeless,” but also the mentally ill, families, drug and alcohol addicts, and many who are just plain down and out, all operating under stress. They are all different. So, perhaps new approaches and tools are needed.

One tool that was explained to me was something called the 10-step Subjective Units of Distress Scale. This is a tool for measuring the intensity of your feelings such as anxiety, anger, agitation, stress or other issues. This helps the person deal with not only specific issues but life stresses in general. This tool was created by Dr. Joseph Wolpe. He was a South African psychiatrist and one of the world’s foremost behavior therapists.

Dr. Wolpe said his most formative experiences was his time spent as a medical officer in the South African army in World War II. He was assigned to treat soldiers who were diagnosed with what they labeled “war neuroses,” now called PTSD. He found the accepted standard treatment based upon Freudian psychoanalysis wasn’t successful, so he searched for more effective options. This led him to create what he called “systematic desensitization.” This process incorporates counter-conditioning principles.

These aggregate things like muscle relaxation, meditation (where you go through the 10 steps of SUDS as a private behavior or what he called “covert conditioning”) and facing your fear itself.

From a psychological perspective, cognitions and feelings precede behavior, so it initially uses cognitive restructuring of feelings and reactions to situations in life.

OK, if applied to the subsets, what would this do? Well, the goal is to teach the person how to cope and deal with their fears as delineated within the SUDS exposure hierarchy. This is, in essence, systematic desensitization to the “triggers” causing the reactions and is a three-step process. First, you identify the hierarchy of fear(s) the person has. Second, you learn coping techniques. Finally, the person uses the techniques to manage their fear(s) during real life situations. This system works. We must do something better for people as a civil society perhaps this can be a productive step forward.

Jim McCully is a former chairman of the Solano County Republican Central Committee and former regional vice chairman of the California Republican Party.

COMMENTARY

China’s missing foreign minister exposes Beijing’s secrecy under Xi

In most countries, it would be unthinkable for a top government official to vanish for 26 days with no explanation. But that’s exactly what has happened in China, where Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s disappearance highlights just how secretive Xi Jinping’s regime has become. This is a problem not only for China itself but also for all who engage with the government in Beijing.

Qin, a close confidant of Xi who rose swiftly through the diplomatic ranks, hasn’t been seen in public since June 25. After he missed several highlevel diplomatic meetings, China’s foreign ministry said in a July 11 news conference that Qin was suffering from “a physical condition.” That explanation is missing from the ministry’s transcript of the news conference. Responding to reports that Qin was caught having an extramarital affair with a Chinese reporter while he was ambassador to Washington, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on July 17, “I have no information to offer.”

On Wednesday, China’s new ambassador to Washington, Xie Feng, told the Aspen Security Forum he couldn’t say if Qin would see Henry Kissinger, who was in Beijing meeting with his “old friend” Xi and several other top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. Pressed on Qin’s whereabouts, Xie referred questioners back to the foreign ministry’s non-answer.

Inside the U.S. government there is a lot of speculation and intrigue about the issue but little hard information. U.S. officials initially guessed Qin had caught covid, but now he’s been gone longer than any bout of the illness would normally last. Several U.S. officials told me they thought the allegations of Qin’s affair were credible but not confirmed. Several said that, either way, he likely fell victim to infighting inside China’s top leadership clique, which is notoriously fratricidal.

“Qin has a huge number of enemies inside the government,” one senior U.S. official told me. “He was a marginally talented person, who, just through being close with Xi, catapulted up.”

Many of Qin’s rivals had good

COMMENTARY

reason to be jealous of his meteoric rise. After Qin’s wife gave Xi’s wife homemade mooncakes, the story goes, Qin won entrance into Xi’s inner social circle. He was elevated from ambassador to foreign minister and made a member of the Politburo last year, and this year appointed state councilor as well. That made him one of the most powerful people in China. Qin’s predecessor as state councilor Wang Yi, now director of the CCP’s Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission, is seen as Qin’s top rival. He did meet with Kissinger this week.

“The question is who released this information, accurate or not, and who benefits? Wang Yi is at the top of that list,” another U.S. official told me.

Officially, Beijing has not given the Biden administration any explanation for Qin’s absence. And the Biden team isn’t pressing for one because they don’t believe the CCP would tell them the truth anyway. After all, Beijing never explained why Xi himself vanished from public view for large periods during the pandemic.

Typically, in cases where top Chinese officials are accused of sexual impropriety, the party circles the wagons and goes after the woman. When Chinese tennis champion Peng Shuai’s relationship with a top official was exposed, she was the one who was disappeared and harshly punished. But last month, a top Chinese executive was forced to resign in the face of public outrage after being caught on video with his mistress.

Qin’s prolonged absence may indicate that he’s being set up to take the fall this time. He may be ultimately brought up on corruption charges, which would allow Xi to get rid of Qin without establishing a precedent that the CCP will now start punishing officials for extramarital affairs. Or he might just reappear and pretend like nothing happened. There’s no way to know. But now the world will get to see what Xi does when one of his handpicked allies gets into trouble.

Qin’s case also reflects a bigger problem: Xi’s government is not just

secretive about officials and their scandals. Beijing is also pulling back on basic transparency across the board –and that has huge implications for the U.S. government, international businesses and anyone else who needs information from inside China.

The Chinese government is now restricting the release of basic economic and financial data that businesses and governments depend on. U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly recently warned of a “tragic miscalculation” unless Beijing lifts the veil of secrecy over its military and nuclear weapons expansion. The Chinese government initially concealed the outbreak of the covid-19 virus and continues to withhold crucial covid-related information from the world. China’s persecution of journalists and academics who tell unapproved truths has skyrocketed.

What’s worse, China is exporting this model of secrecy and unaccountability. In its dealings with international organizations and countries where it has influence, the Chinese government is trying to co-opt others into accepting extreme secrecy as a new normal in governance.

“Countries striking deals with Beijing are discovering that they are expected to follow China’s lead, limiting transparency and accountability just as Chinese leaders do at home,” National Endowment for Democracy Vice President for Studies and Analysis Christopher Walker wrote in Foreign Affairs. “The result of this pattern of engagement is a gradual erosion of global norms of transparency and open government – and the rise of new ones of concealment and opacity.”

Ultimately, the fate of Qin Gang is inconsequential; Xi can always elevate another one of his yes men. But what is very consequential is that Xi doesn’t seem to feel compelled to explain to the world what’s going on. The CCP’s growing secrecy adds more risk to dealing with China on every level. Josh Rogin is a columnist for the Global Opinions section of The Washington Post. He writes about foreign policy and national security. Rogin is also a political analyst for CNN.

Russia weaponizing wheat won’t hurt the world

Javier Blas BLOOMBERG OPINION

Wheat is the world’s most important staple – and so, perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s also been wielded as a powerful weapon. Luckily for the world, this time around it’s mostly proving to be a dud.

The U.S. weaponized the cereal against the Soviet Union in 1980, when President Jimmy Carter imposed a wheat embargo on its Cold War rival in response to the invasion of Afghanistan. Four decades and another Russian invasion later, it’s Vladimir Putin who’s dragging wheat into war, imposing an embargo on Ukrainian grain exports that could cost the nation as much as $800 million a month in badly needed hard currency.

The West has limited options to respond. Short of NATO nations providing escorts for Ukrainian grain shipments and risking direct confrontation with Moscow, Russia has the upper hand.

When Putin agreed last year to a deal restarting Ukrainian grain and oilseeds shipments via the Black Sea, the Kremlin’s calculation was that it had much to lose from blocking the agreement, but something to win at only a small cost.

In mid-2022, the Russian president desperately needed to keep the Global South onboard, so diverting the blame for rising global food prices was essential. Back then, the cost of wheat had surged to a record of $13.40 a bushel, nearly three times above the 2000-2020 average of $4.95. That risked alienating Russia allies in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Putin also wanted to nudge the U.S. and Europe into facilitating Russia’s own grain exports by easing banking sanctions.

For Moscow, the costs – Ukraine would make several hundred million dollars each month exporting foodstuff – were outweighed by the potential benefits. And, in any case, Kyiv was already exporting its agricultural commodities into Eastern Europe in great quantities, so the sense in

Moscow probably was that the accord would simply reroute existing Ukrainian exports to sea from overland.

A year later, the calculation has changed. Wheat prices have fallen nearly 50% from their 2022 peak, easing pressure in the Global South. Despite a spike this week, wheat is changing hands at around $7.50 a bushel. On the propaganda front, Moscow can show that Ukrainian shipments have been largely flowing into wealthy European nations and China, rather than hungry countries in Africa. Meanwhile, Russia’s own wheat exports have surged to an all-time high, limiting any extra gains for the Kremlin in continuing with the deal, formally known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, even if Western nations were to accept Moscow demands for more sanctions relief.

In another development in the past year, Kyiv is also struggling with the overland route as several Eastern European nations have imposed their own bans on Ukrainian foodstuff exports to protect domestic farmers. The de facto embargoes are in response to a flood of Ukrainian grain depressing local prices in Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. Russia isn’t the only country handicapping Ukrainian farming.

So Putin canceled the agreement earlier this week and has since doubled down, first bombing the port of Odessa, its agricultural export hub, and then warning that any ship involved with Ukrainian foodstuffs would be deemed a legitimate military target. Ukraine retaliated on Thursday by making the same threat to vessels heading to Russian ports.

From French President Emmanuel Macron to the White House, the West has denounced the Russian move in apocalyptic terms. “The continued weaponization of food harms millions of vulnerable people around the world,” U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said in a statement.

They may be correct about the moral argument, but their commoditymarket analysis is wrong. Thankfully

for global food security, 2023 isn’t 2022, and bumper crops over the past year should put a lid on wheat, corn and soybean prices. Ironically, Russia is contributing to keep prices under control thanks to those record wheat exports. In the 2023-24 season year, Moscow is expected to ship 47.5 million metric tons of wheat, more than double the amount it exported a decade ago.

Global food prices are down more than a fifth from their 2022 peak, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. Wheat prices have halved; the cost of corn has fallen 33%, and soybean prices are down 15%. The only worry is the cost of rice, which has surged to a twoyear high, up 30% from a year ago. But Ukraine doesn’t export any rice, and the jump is being prompted by worries about bad weather hurting crops, rather than war.

In 1987 to 1988, President Ronald Reagan sent the Navy into the Persian Gulf to create an humanitarian corridor for oil tankers during the Iran-Iraq War. Could be the same done now in the Black Sea for grain shipments? The risk would be huge. If sending NATO warships is too risky, what else the West can do? Frustratingly, its best hope is that global food prices rally, and the Global South – particularly the likes of India, Saudi Arabia and Egypt – put pressure on the Kremlin.

If wheat prices don’t surge, Washington and Brussels will either have to accept the Russian blockade, offer concessions to Moscow, or pay Eastern European nations large subsidies to accept Ukrainian wheat. None of those is a good option, but Kyiv is going to need help. The collapse of the grain corridor, alongside the overland route to its Eastern European neighbors, will cost Ukraine dearly. More is at stake than just the cost of breakfast.

Javier Blas is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Josh Rogin

Jim McCully

We service all makes and models of RV motorhome, 5th Wheel and Trailer Chassis, brakes, lights, engine, HVAC, transmission, steering, axles, bearings, suspension, tires etc. We also repair and service all trucks from a pick up truck to a Class 8 Big Rig. Our team of Technician’s have over 150 years combined repair and diagnostic experience. We treat your vehicle like it is ours. There is no job too big or small, we invite them all.

Give 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 service.

Skull fragments believed to be

The WashingTon PosT

LONDON — Ludwig van Beethoven, wracked by deafness and ill health throughout much of his life, asked for his body to be studied when he died.

This week, an American businessman returned fragments of a skull that scientists believe belong to the famed German composer for research at the Medical University of Vienna, where he lived and worked.

Medical and DNA experts will study and store the bones, known also as the Seligmann fragments, to find out what ailed the classical music maestro who died in 1827 after gaining international fame.

“It’s about finding the right balance between comprehensible public interest and respect for

a deceased person,” University Rector Markus Müller said in a statement. “We gratefully accept these fragments and will store them responsibly.”

The remains were donated by Paul Kaufmann, who, according to the statement, inherited the fragments from his Austrian-born mother, who in turn received them from the estate of her great-uncle Franz Romeo Seligmanna Viennese physician and medical historian who was involved with the reburial of Beethoven in 1863. (Beethoven’s body was exhumed multiple times to better preserve his remains and change his burial site.)

“I feel very privileged to be able to return my inherited Beethoven skull fragments to where they belong,” Kaufmann 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

1 dead, 3 injured after shooting in Dallas

Four people were shot early Sunday in northwest Dallas, leaving at least one person dead and a suspect at large.

About 3:45 a.m., officers responded to the 3300 block of Sheila Lane, near the West Northwest Highway and Bachman Lake Park, and found four people with gunshot wounds, police said.

One person died, a second was in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon and two others were treated and in stable condition, according to police. Their identities have not been released.

— Tribune Content Agency

Vote

From

have too much water than not enough: “With water, you have more options.”

Snowpack at astounding depths

The Sierra Nevada snowpack is the backbone of California’s water system. It runs most of the length of the state, stabilizing a supply of water that has always been known for boomand-bust cycles.

In the years when it is thinnest, there are few options once it quickly melts. In 2015, a snowpack at only 5% of its normal size meant farmers and ranchers had to drill ever deeper to tap the groundwater supply.

Sierra, Haugen said snowpack records dating back to 1895 show only a single July snow measurement taken at a single location – ever.

But at the start of this month, teams deployed by helicopter found snow at 10 sites, Haugen said. At two of them, snowbanks were still holding as much water as the teams would normally expect to find in April.

Reservoirs could end the season nearly full

When the first of California’s series of atmospheric river storms hit in late December, those tasked with managing the state’s precious water supply had reason for optimism. For years, their jobs were relatively simple: maximizing what little water supply flowed downstream.

That job got a lot more complicated in 2023.

drainage systems to keep water flowing safely, while dam operators maintained massive flows from many dams to prepare for any sudden surge of snowmelt into reservoirs.

Their worst fears never came to pass.

trict has rights to enough water to cover its farms 2.6 feet deep, but the last time it was allowed to take that much was in 2017. In 2020, its farms got 20% of that allocation; in 2021 and 2022, there wasn’t enough water flowing for them to receive a drop.

of Israelis took part in demonstrations opposing the plan, notably a bill due for final passage in coming days that would ban judges from invalidating a government decision or appointment because it is “unreasonable.”

The bill’s supporters, led by Netanyahu’s religious, right-wing coalition, say “reasonableness” leads to abusive activism by judges; opponents say it is a vital tool of a branch of government needed to rein in populist political moves.

Thousands of reservists – vital to military operations – have said in recent days that they will refrain from their volunteer service if the bill becomes law. More than 100 top former heads of various security services, many of whom worked directly for Netanyahu, have called on him to halt the legislation.

Yossi Cohen, who was once Netanyahu’s chief of the Mossad spy agency, and widely seen as among his closest and most trusted aides, wrote a column in Yediot Aharonot newspaper on Sunday calling on him to stop the bill in the name of national security.

Key members of the governing coalition have been pushing back, saying that to do so would be yielding to blackmail, and the reservists should be condemned. Parliament is due to debate the bill Sunday for passage as early as Monday.

A compromise proposal put forward by the Histadrut Labor Federation was rejected by both sides.

The fight over the judiciary is complicated by the fact that Netanyahu himself is under indictment for fraud and bribery and his government includes extremists on the right who advocate policies that the courts, using reasonableness, would be able to stop.

If the bill does become law, the Supreme Court will be asked to invalidate it, posing what many believe will be a constitutional crisis.

From Page One California

But this year, snow accumulated at depths that astounded even the most seasoned surveying teams. Sean de Guzman, manager of snow surveying for the California Department of Water Resources, said teams prepared to measure snow as deep as 20 feet found themselves needing extra equipment in many spots.

“This is by far some of the deepest pack they’ve ever measured,” he said in April, when a key survey revealed this year’s deluge of snow tied a record set in 1952.

Data suggest that, as a consequence of climate change, California’s precipitation patterns are becoming ever more volatile, said Dan McEvoy, an associate research professor at the Western Regional Climate Center. But global warming is also translating to earlier and warmer springs, he added, melting snowpack more quickly.

In light of that, McEvoy said it wasn’t the snowpack’s enormity that astonished him.

“I think the surprise was how cold it stayed,” McEvoy said.

Indeed, the sheer amount of snow had raised fears of a rapid, surging melt when the first early spring and summer heat waves hit. Only, they never did.

Sustained stretches of triple-digit heat are common for California’s Central Valley in June, if not May. But in communities from Sacramento to Fresno to Bakersfield, it wasn’t until the end of June that the mercury topped 100 degrees.

As a result, the snowpack remains deep well into the heart of summer – so deep that some were still measuring it in early July. Steve Haugen, executive director of the Kings River Water Association, said snow depth information is still needed as he works to prevent any flooding impacts as the final slugs of snowmelt flow downstream.

In the mountains of the Kings River watershed, in the southern

Food

From Page One

grapple with bouts of extreme weather, including prolonged droughts, heavy rain and floods.

Right now, it’s so hot in southern Europe that cows are producing less milk and tomatoes are being ruined. Grain harvests will be much smaller too after struggling with drought.

In Asia, the yields from China’s rice fields are at risk, and US conditions for growing crops were at their worst in more than three decades in June, before the Midwest got some rain relief.

Prices for rice in Asia recently reached a two-year high as importers built up inventories.

While the full extent of the damage will depend on how long the unfavorable conditions persist, there are already clear signs of destruction in fruit and vegetables in southern Europe, which supplies much of the continent.

In Sicily, some tomatoes have ominous-looking black rings, the result of a so-called blossom end rot, when extreme weather renders plants calcium-deficient.

“They’re like burnt on the bottom,” said Paddy Plunkett, head of global sourcing at importer Natoora who was sent a photo by a grower. “I’ve never seen it before.”

Across Italy, weather-related damage to agriculture will exceed last year’s losses of 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion), according to farmers group Coldiretti.

The temperatures have sped up ripening or caused heat burns on everything from grapes to melons, apricots and aubergines.

It now means careful measurements of the snowpack, and forecasts and calculations of how much will melt, and how fast, as temperatures warm. At reservoirs, water managers and dam operators must take that into account as they determine how quickly to drain the lakes to make room for snowmelt that just keeps coming.

Some of the state’s largest reservoirs, including Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, were little more than half-full at their lowest points last December, but are now approaching the end of the snowmelt season nearly full.

Some reservoirs filled so quickly that, as the parade of storms continued into early spring, some began to worry: Could this be more water than California could handle?

For Calvin Foster, that moment came when perhaps the worst of the winter storms hit in early March. Dumping as much as a year’s worth of rain at elevations as high as 8,000 feet, the storm sent runoff racing down the Sierra slopes toward California’s Central Valley, where Foster oversees several dams for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Late that night at Schafer Dam near Porterville, he watched as water begin trickling into a spillway, and then gushing through it. The Army Corps was already in the process of expanding the spillway so that Success Lake could better handle large storms.

Just to the north, at Pine Flat Dam on the Kings River, Pine Flat Lake rose 18 feet within 24 hours. Flows from even downstream of the dam were so intense, the Army Corps had to delay releases from the reservoir for days.

Over the following three months, concern simmered that a sudden heat wave could create yet another water crisis for the state. Water authorities constantly inspected and repaired levees and cleared debris from

“Mother Nature’s cooperated with us,” Foster said.

The unusual season means that, by the end of this month, reservoirs up and down the Golden State may sit filled to the brim. By that point, snowmelt will taper off enough to meet downstream irrigation and drinking water demands without much, if any, drain on reservoir levels.

Until then, it is hard for water managers like Jenny Fromm to relax. With so much snowpack lingering so late into the summer, “We’re not out of the woods yet,” Fromm, chief of the water management division in the Army Corps’ Sacramento office, said in June.

But the historic year of snow was expected to end, at last, with another new extreme: a recordsetting heat wave that set in last week and probably will melt the last traces of it. Hydrologists at the California Nevada River Forecast Center said that while the heat could send some rivers surging on the eastern side of the Sierra, any rise in California rivers was forecast to be minor.

In the valleys, enough water to plan for the future

On the valley floor, water has returned to canals and irrigation ditches that were dry for years. For crops long watered only with pumped groundwater, there is an abundance to be diverted from coursing rivers.

“It’s been a wild year,” said David “Mas” Masumoto, a Fresno County farmer and author. “We forget, November and December, it looked like another drought. We all braced for that and planned for that.”

In the Westlands Water District west of Fresno, for example, virtually no water has flowed into irrigation canals in years. The area is home to some 700 farms, each nearly 900 acres, on average.

In a year like this one, the dis-

“Everyone was bracing for a third year of a zero percent allocation,” said Elizabeth Jonasson, a spokeswoman for the district.

Instead, most farms are not only irrigating their crops without pumping an ounce of groundwater, but are putting water back into sapped aquifers.

Under a decade-old state law designed to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2042, farmers have been required to track how much of it they’re withdrawing. This is the first year they’ve gotten a chance to make deposits into sapped aquifers, spreading surplus water across fallow fields and into basins so it can percolate into the ground.

“It’s very nice to have this option,” said Woolf, the irrigation consultant. “It’s a change in thinking for everyone.”

What that means for groundwater remains to be seen, though U.S. Drought Monitor data suggests some impact. A year ago, more than 97% of California was in severe to exceptional drought; now, moderate drought covers about 6% of the state.

It’s also not a sure thing that the abundance of water will translate into gains in crop yields. All that moisture can mean increased insect and weed pressures, Woolf said.

And Masumoto counts himself lucky. For other farmers, flood impacts were grave. Some of the storms inundated fields – including those now beneath Tulare Lake, which dried up more than a century ago – or hit during key stretches for pollination of almond and pistachio blossoms.

But the return of water to California over the past six months at least provides some hope for dry years ahead, so long as the state can figure out how best to capture the deluges when they occur.

That’s how Masumoto sees it when, on a clear day, he can see snowy peaks in the distance.

“It’s like seeing the future for years to come,” he said.

encing similar strains.

While rainfall levels have improved after hot and dry conditions earlier this year, the weather is expected to flip again across the Midwest next week and into early August, just as corn and soybean crops go through critical development stages, said Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at brokerage StoneX.

Khaled Ziad/AFP via Getty Images/TNS file (2022) Yemenis displaced by conflict receive food aid and supplies to meet their basic needs at a camp in Hays district in the war-ravaged western province of Hodeida, March 29, 2022. Food prices have doubled since last year, and the fact that Ukraine supplies nearly a third of Yemen’s wheat imports has heightened fears of a deepening famine.

affected and wheat production is down, it said.

“This is not a just a regular hot summer,” said Lorenzo Bazzana, an agronomist at Coldiretti. “They say plants should adapt to the climate changes, but we are talking about cultures that evolved slowly over thousands of years, they cannot adjust to a climate that keeps changing so quickly and so dramatically.”

Beyond Europe’s vegetable stalls, the good news is the grains market – key to food security of the poorest and import-dependent nations – is still well supplied, thanks to record harvests of soy and corn in Brazil. Top wheat exporter Russia is set for another bumper crop.

But uncertainties are piling up. In an apt illustration, wheat fluctuated throughout the week in response to a flurry of news from the Black Sea. It rose on the collapse of export deal, before slipping back, then

is

rose again as Russia threatened ships sailing to Ukraine ports. On Friday, it declined as Ukraine sought to restore the export deal.

More concerns stem from India’s steps to ban exports of non-basmati white rice to put a lid on inflation.

Retail rice prices in Delhi are up about 15% this year while the average nationwide price has gained 9%, according to data from the food ministry. The government may extend the restrictions to other rice varieties, Nomura Holdings Inc. warned.

Elsewhere in Asia, Thailand is asking farmers to limit rice planting to only one crop this year amid drought risks. In China, high temperatures will likely force the early ripening of the crop, impacting yields.

President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for greater efforts to secure grain security, state television reported.

Parts of the U.S. are experi-

The Department of Agriculture forecasts that durum wheat output will fall 16% this year, with other spring varieties down 1%. The market will know just how bad the situation is when crop scouts hit the fields for the annual spring wheat tour in North Dakota next week.

Transport issues may compound the food security concerns. Water levels on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are falling for a second straight year, raising the prospect of shipping problems on crucial freight routes.

“I would be surprised if global food prices do not start increasing again after over a year of decreasing,” said Caitlin Welsh, a food expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “We’re experiencing multiple threats to agriculture markets.”

Back in Europe, droughts have meant that grains production in Italy, Spain and Portugal will be as much as 60% lower than last year, contributing to possibly the EU’s worst grain harvest in 15 years, according to farm lobby Copa and Cogeca.

It’s called the situation “extremely worrying.”

“Prices are always stickier down than up,” said Tom Halverson, chief executive of CoBank, a cooperative bank that works with rural businesses across the US. “It takes a lot longer and it’s a lot harder to squeeze inflation out.”

Josh Edelson/The Washington Post file Homes buried in snow in Soda Springs, March 2.

Boos greet Hamlin’s win at Pocono

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Give Denny Hamlin

credit: He doesn’t mind being the villain.

And that’s especially true when it comes with a trip down Victory Lane.

The driver of the 11 car, whose longevity, talent and outspokenness have made him a household name in the NASCAR Cup Series, emerged from his car at the end of Sunday’s race to a showering of boos. In response, Hamlin shrugged his shoulders,

showed seven fingers to signify each time he’s won at Pocono Raceway – and then addressed the cantankerous crowd’s reaction with a sneer.

“I love it,” Hamlin told NBC Sports when asked about the crowd’s reaction. “They can boo my rock out here in a few years.”

Hamlin picked up his 50th win of his career and contributed Toyota’s 600th win in NASCAR on Sunday. But he did so in a way that antagonized fans in the grandstands.

His popularity plummet truly began late in Stage 3, on Lap 149 of 160, when he appeared to be involved in an incident with Alex Bowman. Hamlin didn’t make contact with the 48, but Bowman was still mad in the moment with how Hamlin raced him. (Bowman’s radio after the run-in: “Sorry man, I don’t know what his {expletive} problem is.”)

Then, a few laps later on Lap 153, Hamlin entangled with fan-favorite Kyle Larson. On a restart, the

11 car appeared to push Larson up the racetrack and out of the outside groove. That move allowed the 11 to clear.

A yellow flag emerged shortly thereafter because a car in the back of the field spun out, and out of frustration, Larson ran all the way up to Hamlin and rammed him into the wall. As far as Hamlin is concerned, he didn’t do anything wrong in either instance.

“Both guys wrecked themselves,” Hamlin said.

“There was a line. He missed the corner first, and evidently he didn’t have his right-side tires clean, and when he gassed up, he just kept going again. You have an option in those positions to either hold it wide open and hit the fence, or lift and race it out. But those were choices they made. I didn’t hit either one of them. Didn’t touch them.”

Larson shed a different perspective on the incident post-race.

“I’ve been cost a lot of good finishes by him

throughout my career,” said Larson, who finished P21 after leading Sunday’s penultimate restart. “And I know he says I race a certain way, but I don’t think I’ve ever had to apologize to him about anything. Not that I’m sure he’s going to say sorry after this.”

Larson added: “It is what it is. Yeah, we’re friends. Yes, this makes things ... awkward. But, you know, whatever.

Giants swept by Nationals, limp away from capital

ribune ConTenT AgenCy

Beaten up by injuries, battered by travel, the Giants limped away from the nation’s capital Sunday with their tail between their legs.

For all the progress gained with five straight wins out out of the AllStar break, they have given it all back over the past five games against two of MLB’s bottom dwellers.

gone silent, San Francisco has almost solely relied on the long ball, and the same was true Sunday. Joc Pederson provided their lone run with a pinch-hit solo shot that barely cleared the left-field wall in the seventh inning; all but two of the Giants’ eight runs over the losing streak have come via homers – four of them without anyone on base.

Brian Harman celebrates after putting on the 18th green to win The Open as they throw their match balls into the

Brian Harman wins Open Championship by 6 shots at rainy Hoylake

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

LONDON — American

Brian Harman survived an early scare to claim his first major title in dominant fashion on a rain-soaked final day of the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Harman’s five-shot overnight lead was briefly cut to three as he covered the first five holes in two over par in miserable conditions, but the 36-year-old responded superbly to regain his vice-like grip on the Claret Jug.

A victory made possible by a stunning 65 on Friday – the joint-lowest score in a Hoylake Open until Jon Rahm’s Saturday 63 – was sealed with gritty rounds of 69 and 70 for a total of 13 under par and

six-shot win over Rahm, Jason Day, Sepp Straka and Tom Kim.

Rory McIlroy and Emiliano Grillo finished another stroke back, with home favourite Tommy Fleetwood and Royal Liverpool member Matthew Jordan in a tie for 10th.

Harman, who is just the third left-hander to win the Open after Bob Charles (1963) and Phil Mickelson (2013), last tasted victory on the PGA Tour in 2017, the same year in which he led by one after 54 holes of the US Open before finishing second to Brooks Koepka.

Only two players in championship history had squandered a five-shot lead after 54 holes – Macdonald Smith in the last Open staged at Prest-

wick in 1925 and Jean van de Velde at Carnoustie in 1999.

Harman briefly looked in danger of joining that unhappy club when he dropped a shot on the second before Rahm closed the gap further with a fortunate birdie on the par-five fifth.

Rahm’s drive was pulled towards a collection of gorse bushes but somehow avoided all of them and left the world number three with a good lie and clear shot, from where he came up just short of the green and two-putted.

Harman’s tee shot on the fifth then followed the same line as Rahm, only to plunge into a bush and force him to take a penalty drop, leading to a

second bogey and cutting his lead to three.

That was just Harman’s fifth bogey of the week and for the third time he bounced back immediately with a birdie, holing from 15 feet on the sixth to edge further clear.

Another top-quality iron shot set up a birdie on the seventh, restoring Harman’s overnight cushion and effectively ending the championship as a contest.

Even when Straka briefly got within three shots thanks to a birdie on the 16th, Harman promptly holed from 40 feet for birdie on the 14th and he added another on the next before calmly parring the last three

See Open, Page B6

Raiders get good news on Garoppolo’s physical

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

After spending a bit of an anxious offseason hoping for the best with the health of new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the Raiders got some decidedly good news on Sunday morning. Upon reporting to

training camp with the Raiders’ veteran quarterbacks, Garoppolo took and passed his physical and has been given the green light to start camp unabated. Garoppolo will be on the field, with no restrictions, when the Raiders start their first full team

practice on Wednesday morning.

Garopplo, who is coming off a foot injury he suffered last December, was unable to pass a physical upon agreeing to a free-agent contract with the Raiders last March.

In fact, team doctors discovered he needed

surgery. As a result, the Raiders changed the structure of Garoppolo’s contract by converting an $11.25 million signing bonus into actual salary and hinging the $33.75 million guarantee of the deal on his ability to pass his physical.

Facing the Washington Nationals, a team 23½ games back of their division, San Francisco was swept in a series of three games for the first time this season, culminating in a 6-1 loss Sunday afternoon that wasn’t even its most meager effort of the weekend. Stretching their losing streak to five games, the Giants haven’t gotten a hit with runners in scoring position since Wednesday and have been outscored 30-8 over the past five games.

As every other part of their offense has

The offensive lapse comes at a time when they’re missing Thairo Estrada, their most valuable position player, and Brandon Crawford, one of their best hitters in scoring situations (.353 average), as well as another middleof-the-order bat in Mitch Haniger. The absences have clearly taken a toll, with the bottom three hitters in the Giants’ order going a combined 2-for-33 since the start of the losing streak, which just happened to coincide with Crawford’s left

Dubón homers in 9th to send Astros past Oakland

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

OAKLAND — Mauricio Dubón struck a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning to lift the Astros to a 3-2 win over the A’s in the finale of a four-game series Sunday at the Coliseum.

One pitch after Jeremy Peña was caught trying to steal second base, Dubón launched a slider from Chad Smith into the seats in left-center field. It was the fifth home run this season for Dubón.

The Astros took three of four games from the last-place A’s and remain three games behind the division-leading Rangers.

A Yainer Diaz homer and a bases-loaded walk produced the other runs for the Astros, who won despite stranding nine runners on base and going hitless with men in scoring position.

Houston put two men on with one out in the first. A’s starter Luis

Medina struck out Alex Bregman and retired José Abreu on a fly-out. Kyle Tucker singled and Bregman walked to open the fourth. But Abreu popped out, Bligh Madris flied out and Medina struck out Chas McCormick.

Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, they loaded the bases with one out against reliever Tayler Scott. The top of their order loomed. Scott struck out Dubón swinging at a slider. Corey Julks worked a walk to force in the game-tying run. Oakland summoned lefthander Sam Moll. Tucker swung at Moll’s first pitch and tapped it weakly to third baseman Jace Peterson to end the threat.

After Hunter Brown worked six two-run innings, Seth Martinez, Hector Neris and Bryan Abreu worked scoreless innings, with Abreu recording his third save of the season.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/TNS

air on Day Four of The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, Sunday.

See Giants, Page B6

Not looking to cause a stir

Dear Annie: I have a family problem for which I would appreciate your opinion. My wife and I are Americans living in a small village in Italy, in an area popular with tourists. Recently, I contacted my sister and her husband from the States and expressed our interest in having them visit us and stay at our house, since we haven’t seen them for many years. We’re all retired, they easily have the means to make the trip, and our house has plenty of room for visitors.

Her reply caught me unprepared. She said that they were expected by their church to do a mission outside the U.S. and, based on my invitation, they were requesting Italy as an assignment.

I am areligious, as is my wife. My sister and husband belong to one of those American evangelical religions that cropped up in the U.S. in the 19th century. By contrast, the

culture of our village and the surrounding towns is, of course, primarily Catholic, even though most of our neighbors seem to be secular.

My problem is this:

We are known in the area as the only Americans living here. Were my sister and her husband to go door to door, or set up a display at a local piazza, our neighbors would know we’re the source of the strangers hassling them with unwelcome proselytizing. I can assure you they wouldn’t appreciate it, and neither would we.

I’m at a loss of what to do. My sister and I aren’t on terrific terms, due both to our differences in lifestyle as well as typical family friction from long ago. I’m certain she would be offended if I were to suggest she not proselytize during her visit, but I’m equally certain our neighbors would be offended by her doing

Horoscopes by Holiday Mathis

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

People connect in different ways. Not every love story is romantic. Forcing a connection into one category may reduce it to something less beautiful and interesting than it would be if you simply took it moment by moment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20).

Some keep trying to lower your expectation to what they call “reality.” Reality is many things to many people. You don’t need to accept another person’s definition of it because you’re so adept at creating your own.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

This is your friendly reminder not to waste any time on the things that are resistant to your influence. There’s so much of life that will bend to your will, mold to your work and build to your specifications. Focus there.

CANCER (June 22-July 22).

Be patient. The challenge at hand is a little like the “plank” exercise. It starts easy enough and gets more difficult with every second, engaging and eventually producing results in every faculty at once. Your endurance will pay off.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The golden rule only works with those who want the same thing. When you “do unto others,” you’ll do what they want, not what you want. This is beyond the golden rule; it is the platinum rule.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You will foresee what could go wrong, which will either make you extremely valuable to a process or inspire you not to be

a part of it at all. Being knowledgeable of risk doesn’t mean you’re pessimistic. It means you’re smart.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The idleness of others bothers you, perhaps because you’re doing far more than your share of the work. You won’t be perceived as bossy if you assign a tasks to others. They will gain a sense of purpose as you gain a sense of ease.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

Everything important will be accomplished through other people. Socializing is a dance. You’ll move beautifully now as you feel the rhythms of the room, get in step with others and tune into the push and pull that keeps things interesting.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). Your whimsy is irresistible. People watch what you do and how you do it, then talk about and imitate your moves.

so, and the repercussions of that would last long after she and her husband returned to her hometown.

I can see three options: 1) ask her to not proselytize on her visit; 2) do nothing, let things run their course and deal with the repercussions; or 3) withdraw the invitation.

None of those three options is particularly appealing. I’m writing to you to see if you could suggest a fourth.

— A Fourth Answer

Dear Fourth: Tell your sister that you invited her and her husband for a family visit and not a church mission. You should let her know of your concern with being the only American couple living where you do and that her proselytizing might be offensive to your Catholic neighbors and would tarnish your reputation. Let her know that you really want to see her but only as a family visit. If she declines, so be it. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

Increased popularity means your attention and attendance will be often requested.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). The day plays out like a carnival ride. You end up back where you started, but that’s beside the point. This is about the experience, the thrill and the bragging rights. You’ll get all three.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Is it your job to provide protection, comfort and shelter from the harshness of the world? Only because you make it your job, a noble aim that gives you a permanent spot in the hearts and minds of your people.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20).

Commitments are life-changing, not because of what happens to you in them but because of the way you must grow to meet their demands. You won’t mind the work today, and you’re earning rewards of your future.

CELEBRITY PROFILES:

The Oscar, the Theatre World Award and the Golden Globe have all gone to Anna Paquin, who began fulfilling her professional destiny at the ripe age of 9 when she landed her very first role after accompanying her sister to an audition. The Leo star wasn’t planning to audition, and neither was she planning to literally give an Academy Award-winning performance, but her Leo sun and Mercury won out. Paquin’s four natal Libran influences indicate artistic and political talent. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Cryptoquotes

Sleuth

Crossword by Phillip Alder

Bridge

reading! Edgar Kaplan’s 4Cs evaluation method rates it at 13. That’s more like it! Two aces and the long suit opposite fit are good.

SORT OF, TWO PAIRS CASHED IN

As I have mentioned before, most pairs are weak at slam bidding. Having said that, there is still some luck involved. Look at today’s NorthSouth hands. How would you bid them after South opens one no-trump? What is that North hand worth?

If you said, “Eight points,” keep

I like two ways of bidding the North hand. The first is Smolen: Respond two clubs. Then, as here, if partner rebids two diamonds, you jump to three spades to show 4=5 or 4=6 in the majors. Now South will support hearts. However, rather than bid four hearts, South should control-bid four clubs, saying that he has three hearts and really likes his hand. North could then bid four diamonds to express some slam interest without going above game, and South will use Roman Key Card Blackwood. The alternative is to sell the spades up the river, transfer with two diamonds and then jump to four diamonds as a splinter bid: at least six hearts and a singleton (or void) in diamonds. Again, South can use Roman Key Card Blackwood and sign off in six hearts when he learns that the heart queen is missing. No one online bid six. Only two out of 16 declarers took all 13 tricks. One was aided by the spade-queen lead. He later finessed the spade 10. The other, benefiting from the lucky lie, ruffed two spades in the North hand, taking two spades, six hearts, one diamond, two clubs and those two ruffs.

Shape matters.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

SORT OF, TWO PAIRS CASHED IN As I have mentioned before, most pairs are weak at slam bidding. Having said that, there is still some luck involved. Look at today’s NorthSouth hands. How would you bid them Bridge Here’s how to work it: WORD SLEUTH ANSWER Word

©

7/24/23

the digits 1 through 9, with no repeats. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

Difficulty level: BRONZE

Today’s birthday

Dear Annie

John Phillips/Getty Images/TNS file

‘Oppenheimer’ is here Is Hollywood still afraid of the truth about the atomic bomb?

GreG Mitchell, LOS ANGELES TIMES

I

In the same period, Hollywood has produced far more movies centering on D-day and the defeat of Adolf Hitler. This is unsurprising, as these narratives can focus on American valor fand ultimately deliver a stirring victory (and depict U.S. forces helping to liberate the concentration camps). The atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are a different story. Onscreen portrayals of the bombings have been incomplete at best, sanitized at worst – and leave open the question of whether our country will ever be able to fully reckon with these events on film.

Although Japan started war with the U.S. by bombing Pearl Harbor, Americans in the atomic attacks were the perpetrators, not the victims. The leading figures in this end game were not average G.I. Joes, but rather top-level Washington officials. The weapon was created by genius scientists, the mission carried out by elite bombing crews who faced no opposition from the enemy. Even the bomb’s central role in the Japanese surrender has been hotly contested by many historians, complicating any claims it was a necessary act.

Now, in July 2023, comes “Oppenheimer.” Given the fraught stories behind the three movies about the bomb

Crossword

n 1945, Hollywood set in motion its first big-budget movie drama about the making and use of the atomic bomb. Almost immediately a competing project emerged (with a screenplay by Ayn Rand, no less). Yet for over seven decades, only two other major movie dramas about this epochal event emerged from a studio. Now that is changing with Friday’s arrival of Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated “Oppenheimer,” focusing on the famed lead scientist at Los Alamos who is sometimes called “the Father of the Atomic Bomb.”that did make it to theaters, it seems unlikely that any director with less stature and box office success than Christopher Nolan could have gotten this film made. MGM launched the first Hollywood film to address the attacks, “The Beginning or the End,” in the autumn of 1945, weeks after the bombs were dropped. It was directly inspired by warnings from atomic scientists – not including Oppenheimer – about the further development of nuclear weapons.

Soon, however, both the Truman White House and Gen. Leslie R. Groves, director of the Manhattan Project, were granted script approval. They ordered dozens of revisions that barred it from questioning the attack on Japan or America’s plan to continue down the nuclear path. President Truman even ordered a costly re-shoot to portray his decision to use the bomb more favorably, and MGM fired the actor playing him after the White House complained that the original performer lacked “military bearing.”

Oppenheimer considered the script weak and its characterizations “idiotic.”

Nevertheless he signed a release, for no fee, allowing the movie to depict him as a major character and narrator. As for that rival project over at Paramount, for which Ayn Rand wrote a script she described as “a tribute to free enterprise”?

After reading her first 55 pages, producer Hal B. Wallis dropped out of the race for the first A-bomb movie.

There would not be another Hiroshima-related film, “Above and Beyond,” for more than six years. Once again MGM was the sponsor, and its message of justifying U.S. decisions was the same. This movie explored the story of Hiroshima from the perspective of Enola Gay pilot Paul Tibbets (played by Robert Taylor). Oppenheimer does not appear.

In the climatic scene, Tibbets releases the Hiroshima

bomb and, surveying a city on fire, radios his report. “Results good,” he says. Then he repeats it, this time grimly. This was not in the original script but added later, possibly to humanize the men who dropped the bomb. The real Tibbets criticized this scene, even though the film did not challenge the official narrative of the bombing in any way. Even one flicker of mixed emotions was apparently too critical.

It took nearly four decades for Hollywood to produce another film on the subject. In 1989, Roland Joffe’s “Fat Man and Little Boy” appeared, but with superstar good guy Paul Newman as Gen. Groves and relative unknown Dwight Schultz as a somewhat morally conflicted Oppenheimer. Vincent Canby of the New York Times observed that with Groves expressing his views so much more persuasively than anyone else, the film was “stunningly ineffective” in expressing qualms about the bomb that Joffe stated elsewhere. This film, at least, is the only one to depict the real-life death of a scientist at Los Alamos from radiation exposure.

And that’s it for studio films on the bomb – until now.

Near the close of MGM’s “Above and Beyond,” a reporter shouts at Paul Tibbets. Readers, he declares, “want to know how you feel” about using a city-destroying weapon. The pilot replies: “How do they feel about it?”

Hollywood has never given Americans an honest chance to confront that vital question in a world with thousands of nuclear warheads still on hair-trigger alert. Now Christopher Nolan has his chance, and his movie, which I saw at an advance screening, does provoke profound emotions about this threat today. But considering the Hollywood history, it’s no shock that even he chose to spend more time on the testing of the first bomb than on what happened when it was used against two cities.

THE ILL-ADVISED PENALTY DOUBLE

Very close penalty doubles are crazy at Chicago or international match points. Even at matchpoints, they are iffy because declarer will usually play the cards one trick better than if he isn’t doubled and warned about the choppy waters ahead. Today’s deal from an online

duplicate is a good example -- though it is true that a good declarer would make this contract doubled or undoubled. How should South play in six spades after West leads a diamond?

The auction was partly conventional. Two clubs was strong and artificial; two diamonds was weak and artificial -- this hand was a maximum. East doubled to request a diamond lead. After spades were agreed, South used Roman Key Card Blackwood. North’s response showed two key cards (either one ace and the trump king or two aces) but denied the trump queen. West, thinking he had two trump tricks, greedily doubled. Declarer won the diamond lead with dummy’s ace. Then, embarking on a plan to reduce his trump length, he ruffed a diamond at trick two (a crucial play). A spade to the king confirmed the bad news, but South continued with his plan, ruffing another diamond. South cashed the heart ace-king and ruffed the heart queen in the dummy. A third diamond ruff followed. South cashed the club ace-king, reducing West to three trumps, and then led his last club. West had to ruff and lead away from the spade Q-10 into South’s A-J. No doubt South smiled at his computer monitor and quietly thanked West. North typed “wpp.”

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne

Gould

by

level:

Yesterday’s solution:

Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh attend the “Oppenheimer” UK Premiere at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, in London, England, July 13.

Spooky ghosts haunt theaters this week

SuSan Hiland SHILAND@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — A family find themselves facing spooks and spirits in the movie “Haunted Mansion,” out in local theaters this week.

Also in local theaters, is a horror movie about friends who try to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand.

Opening nationwide are:

“Haunted Mansion,” a film based on the Disneyland theme park attraction in which a woman and her son find their home invaded by ghosts. They enlist the help of local ghost hunters to rid them of the pests. The film is rated PG-13.

“Talk To Me,” in which a group of friends use an embalmed hand to conjure spirits and find themselves unleashing a terror from the other side of the veil. The film is rated R.

“The Baker,” a film about a baker who finds out his son has done something terrible. He must smuggle a giant loaf of bread filled with drugs in order to save him. The film is rated R.

“Sympathy for the Devil,” in which a mysterious passenger forces a driver at gunpoint to take him for a ride. The film is not rated.

Opening in limited release are:

“Dead Man’s Hand,” in which Reno (Cole Hauser), a newly married gunfighter, hangs up his six-shooters when he says “I do” to his bride, Vegas. But things go terribly wrong when he kills a bandit in selfdefense. Not only is his life on the line but that of his new bride. The film is not rated.

“For the Animals,” a documentary about twin activists and philanthropists Tena Lundquist Faust and Tama Lundquist, who lead the charge to save stray dogs in Texas. As more and more strays plague the city, causing a public health crisis and attacking its residents, the sisters take to the streets for a hands-on approach. The film is not rated.

“Shrapnel,” in which Jason Patric plays a rancher who finds out

his daughter has gone missing while in Mexico. He decides to take matters into his own hands, with the help of a former Marine buddy (Cam Gigandet), after the local authorities provide little help and he discovers that they’re in cahoots with the dangerous cartel behind his daughter’s disappearance. The film is rated R. “Sons of Summer,” in which a young man marks the anniversary of his father’s death with a road trip to his favorite beach with his friends. But the friends are not who they seem, and they force him to do them a last favor and steal drugs from a local drug cartel. The film is rated R.

“The Mistress,” in which a newly married couple move into an 1890 Victorian home near downtown Los Angeles. The new bride finds love letters from the previous owner, 100 years in the past. Soon she begins to unravel the life of a mistress. It slowly becomes evident that her husband is hiding something from her. The film is not rated. For information on Edwards Cinemas in Fairfield, visit www.reg movies.com/theatres/ regal-edwards-fairfieldimax. For Vacaville showtimes, visit www. brendentheatres.com. For Vallejo showtimes, check www.cinemark. com/theatres/ca-vallejo. More information about upcoming films is available at www.movie insider.com.

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

Walt Disney Pictures/epk.tv A promotional poster for the new film “Haunted Mansion.” SUBSCRIBE. CALL 707-427-6989.

ner:JeffreyLum,707-784-6765)

ThehearingwillbeheldonThursday,August3,2023at2:00p.m.intheDepartmentof ResourceManagementConferenceRoom,5thFloor,CountyAdministrationCenter,675 TexasStreet,Fairfield,California.

TheCountyofSolanodoesnotdiscriminateagainstpersonswithdisabilities.Ifyouwish toparticipateinthismeetingandyouwillrequireassistanceinordertodoso,pleasecall 707-784-6765atleast24hoursinadvanceoftheeventtomakereasonablearrangementstoensureaccessibilitytothismeeting.

PUBLICCOMMENTS:

In-Person:Youmayattendthepublichearingatthetimeandlocationlistedaboveand providecommentsduringthepublicspeakingperiod.Phone:Youmayprovidecommentsverballyfromyourphonebydialing1-323-457-3408andenteringConferenceID numb er293118721#.Onceenteredinthemeeting,youwillbeabletohearthemeeting andwillbecalledupontospeakduringthepublicspeakingperiod.Email/Mail:Written commentscanbeemailedtoPlanning@SolanoCounty.comormailedtoResourceManagement,ZoningAdministrator,675TexasStreet,Suite5500,Fairfield,CA94533and mustbereceivedby8:00a.m.thedayofthemeeting.CopiesofwrittencommentsreceivedwillbeprovidedtotheZoningAdministratorandwillbecomeapartoftheofficial recordbutwillnotbereadaloudatthemeeting.

Staffreportsandassociatedmaterialswillbeavailabletothepublicapproximatelyone weekpriortothemeetingatwww.solanocounty.comunderDepartments;ResourceManagement;Boards,Commissions&SpecialDistricts;SolanoCountyZoningAdministrator. Ifyouchallengetheproposedconsiderationincourt,youmaybelimitedtoraisingonly thoseissuesyouorsomeoneelseraisedatt hepublichearingdescribedinthisnotice,or inwrittencorrespondencedeliveredtotheZoningAdministratorat,orpriorto,thepublic hearing. DR#00064830 PublishedJuly24,2023

NOTICEOFMEASURETOBEVOTEDON

CityofFairfield CommunityFacilitiesDistrictNo.2023-2

(TrainStationSpecificPlanII)

Noticeisherebygiventhatthefollowingmeasureistobevotedonbymailedballottothe affectedpropertyownersinaspecialmunicipalelectiontobeheldintheCityofFairfield, onTuesday,October17,2023.

Thefollowingisthemeasuretobevotedon:

BALLOTMEASURE:Shallspecialtaxeswitharateandmethodofapportionmentasset forthinExhibi tCoftheCityofFairfieldResolutionNo.2023-204entitled“Resolutionof theCityCounciloftheCityofFairfieldEstablishingtheCityofFairfieldCommunityFacilitiesDistrictNo.2023-2(TrainStationSpecificPlanII),andanappropriationslimittherefor, authorizingthelevyofaspecialtaxtherein,andsubmittingtheestablishmentofanappropriationslimitandthelevyofspecialtaxestothequalifiedelectorsthereof”(the“ResolutionofFormation”),beleviedannuallyontaxablepropertywithintheCityofFairfield CommunityFacilitiesDistrictNo.2023-2(TrainStationSpecificPlanII),topayforpublic safetyservicesandoperationandmaintenanceofpublicopenspace,parks,cemeteries, lightingandlandscape,CFDadministration,andincidentalexpensesthereof,andshall theappropriationslimitbeestablished,allassetforthintheResolutionofFormation?

ThelastdaytosubmitargumentstotheCityClerkinfavoroforinoppositiontothe measureisAugust3,2023(10daysafterthispublication).Argumentsshallbelimitedto 300wordsandsubmittedtothefollowing,eitherinpersonorbymail.

CityofFairfield Attn:KarenL.Rees,CityClerk

1000WebsterStreet Fairfield,CA94533

Note:ArgumentsthataremailedmustbereceivedbytheCityClerkbyAugust3,2023.

Postmarksarenotaccepted.

Dated:July24,2023

KarenL.Rees,CityClerk

CityofFairfield,CA

DR#00064831

PublishedJuly24,2023

CALENDAR

Monday’s TV sports

Baseball

MLB

• San Francisco vs. Detroit, NBCSBA, 10:10 a.m.

Basketball

The Tournament

• Happy Valley vs. The Nerds, ESPN2, 1 p.m.

Soccer Women’s World Cup

• Brazil vs. Panama, FS1, 4 a.m.

• Colombia vs. South Korea, FS1, 7 p.m.

• New Zealand vs. Philippines, FS1, 10:30 p.m.

• Switzerland vs. Norway, FS1, 1 a.m. (Tuesday).

Tuesday’s TV sports

Baseball

MLB

• N.Y. Mets vs. N.Y. Yankees, TBS, 4:05 p.m.

• Oakland vs. San Francisco, NBCSBA, NBCSCA, 6:45 p.m.

Basketball WNBA

• Atlanta vs. Phoenix, ESPN, 4 p.m.

Soccer Leagues Cup

• Santos Laguna vs. Houston, FS1, 5:30 p.m.

• L.A. Galaxy vs. Club Leon, FS1, 7:30 p.m.

International Friendly

• Manchester United vs. Wrexham, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.

Women’s World Cup

• Japan vs. Croatia, FS1, 10 p.m.

• Spain vs. Zambia, FS1, 12:30 p.m.

Weather

Giants

From Page B1

knee flaring up. The Giants had their chances Sunday, no better than in the third inning with runners on second and third and no outs after leadoff hits from Patrick Bailey and Luis Matos, but once again weren’t able to capitalize.

It has been 42 innings and 22 at-bats since the Giants got a hit with runners in scoring position, including an 0-for-16 effort this series; Washington went 14-for-32.

The only time they have led since Wednesday came in the first inning of Saturday’s 10-1 loss;

Hamlin

From Page B1

He’s always right. All the buddies know that ‘Denny’s always right.’ So I’m sure he was in the right there as well. But it is what it is. I’m not going to let it tarnish a friendship, but I’m pissed. And I feel like I should be pissed.”

they immediately gave it back in the bottom of the first. On Sunday, they were once again in a hole, 2-0, by the end of the first inning.

The opener has been an effective tool for the Giants this season, but it backfired Sunday. They fell to 11-4 in games without a traditional starter.

Despite voicing an intent to establish a more consistent five-man rotation in the second half, they opted to bring Anthony DeSclafani out of the bullpen for the first time in a Giants uniform, only his 11th relief appearance in 180 career games. It wasn’t exactly the soft landing they intended.

DeSclafani was forced to enter with runners on

Larson said he feels that he has to start racing him differently considering the handful of times he feels Hamlin has wronged him on-track.

“Like he says,” Larson quipped, “you gotta start racing people a certain way to get the respect back.”

In the end, Hamlin emerged victorious in a race that saw 11 cau-

the corners and only one out after Scott Alexander struggled. Immediately pitching out of the stretch, the typically pinpoint DeSclafani walked the first batter he faced and surrendered a two-RBI single to the Dominic Smith before getting out of the inning.

Nationals right fielder Lane Thomas was a particular thorn in the Giants’ side, rookie catcher Patrick Bailey especially. In addition to going 3-for4, he accomplished the rare feat of getting the best of Bailey on the base paths, not once … not twice … but four times. He tied the Nationals franchise record for stolen bases in a game against a catcher that has thrown out more runners than anyone since

tions for 44 laps, 14 lead changes and nine different leaders – and he went on to finish ahead of the field when a caution flag emerged on the final lap.

Tyler Reddick finished second, and Martin Truex Jr. finished third –punctuating a banner day for Toyota.

But as much as he’d like for the race to be remembered for his win,

Open

From Page B1

holes to seal a convincing victory.

McIlroy, who began the day nine behind, made the ideal start with a hat-trick of birdies from the third but was unable to make any further inroads and had to settle for a closing 68, his lowest score of the week.

The world number two won the Open at Hoylake in 2014 and the US PGA Championship a month later, but has not claimed one of the game’s biggest titles since.

Six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo, commen-

being called up in May. And perhaps that’s a sign of where the Giants are at as they approach the end of this road trip, just a step slow and a foot short. It has been two weeks since their last game at Oracle Park; they don’t get to return home just yet. They must first make a pitstop in Detroit to make up a postponed game from April. The schedule doesn’t get any easier, either. The Giants’ only respite from teams with winning records for the next month is their four-game Bay Bridge series with the lowly A’s; beginning Friday against the Red Sox, 25 of their next 27 games will come against teams with winning records.

it’ll be remembered for his end-of-race tactics and how they panned out.

Larson, before departing his frontstretch interview, commented that Hamlin will find a way to explain why he’s right on his popular podcast, “Actions Detrimental.”

“Tune into Actions Detrimental,” Larson said. “He’ll have a long clip about it.”

tating for Sky Sports, said: “When he won a quick four everyone was wondering is he going to have a dozen or how close can he get to Jack (Nicklaus, who won 18).”

“People think you just roll off a log and win a major but you don’t. I said years ago he would either be ecstatic to get to five or disappointed to only end up with 12 and he’d be ecstatic to get to five now.”

“He is talented enough, he’s got the desire and he is really fit, there’s just a couple of things wrong with his short irons. You’ve got to find a way of clearing the air and finding a way with eight iron or less.”