Santa Barbara News-Press: November 29, 2022

Breaking records at the moon

Andy dick set to appear in SB court

Judge could set date for preliminary hearing

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Comedian Andy Dick is scheduled to appear in Santa Barbara County Superior Court today to decide a date for his preliminary hearing on a charge of felony first-degree residential burglary.

He is charged with entering an inhabited Santa Barbara house without permission.

Mr. Dick, a longtime actor in movies and TV shows, was arrested around 6 p.m. on Oct. 13 by Santa Barbara police after dispatch received a report of a burglary in progress from a homeowner in the 100 block of Conejo Road.

Several things could happen today at the Santa Barbara courtroom. It’s possible that his preliminary hearing is set, but it’s also possible the case could be continued to another date.

Another option is that Mr. Dick decides to change his plea to guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.

“The homeowner informed officers when they arrived on scene he did not know Dick nor did he have permission to be on the property or in the home,” Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale, the Santa Barbara police public information officer, told the News-Press previously.

“Probable cause was established to arrest Dick after it is believed he removed several items from the home,” Sgt. Ragsdale said. “He was booked in the Santa Barbara County Jail for 459PC — Felony Burglary with $50,000 bail.”

Mr. Dick did not appear to be

DAVID SHANKBONE / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Andy Dick

under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and he did not resist his arrest, police said.

“From what the arresting officer told me, he was cooperative,” Sgt. Ragsdale said.

The felony complaint was filed the next day, Oct. 14, alleging Mr. Dick “did willfully and unlawfully enter an inhabited dwelling house and trailer coach and inhabited portion of a building occupied by N. DUMONG, with the intent to commit larceny and any felony.”

Prosecutors also filed a special allegation against Mr. Dick in that the offense is considered a serious felony.

Mr. Dick pleaded not guilty at his Oct. 17 arraignment.

Deputy Public Defender Brian Mathis told the NewsPress previously that his office is “confident additional facts will come to light supporting Mr. Dick as this case moves forward.”

email: nhartstein@newspress.com

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Artemis, the series of missions that will bring astronauts back to the moon, has set a major record.

A couple of them actually.

The uncrewed Orion capsule on Saturday went farther from Earth than any other spacecraft designed for astronauts. It broke the 248,655-mile record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

And on Monday, Orion broke its own record when it went farther and reached its maximum distance from Earth — 268,554 miles at 1:48 p.m. Pacific time. NASA reported the craft was cruising at 1,750 mph.

Orion is scheduled to start its trip back to Earth on Dec. 5.

And on Dec. 11, the Artemis 1 spacecraft is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

NASA plans to launch its first crewed mission in the Orion craft during Artemis 2. Like the Apollo 10 astronauts, the crew will orbit the moon but won’t land there.

Artemis 3 will be the program’s equivalent of Apollo 11. The mission is designed to put the first woman and the first astronaut of

Union to push for health care minimum wage in California

By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – A union representing more than 100,000 healthcare workers is planning to make a push in the upcoming legislative session to establish a healthcare minimum wage at the state level, arguing higher wages are needed to increase retention among healthcare workers.

The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West wants legislation creating a statewide minimum wage in the health care sector by the end of next year.

The move comes after the union supported two ballot measures to set a healthcare minimum wage of $25 for certain workers in two Southern California cities this election season.

Inglewood voters look to have approved Measure HC, a measure that would raise the minimum wage to $25 for certain workers at private hospitals and dialysis clinics. The latest updated vote tally showed 54% approved the measure compared to 46% who voted against it. The measure does

not apply to workers who do the same jobs at public hospitals.

Voters in Duarte, another Southern California 35 miles from Inglewood, are on pace to reject a similar measure. The latest update shows 63% of voters oppose Measure J, which would raise the minimum wage to $25 for clinicians, nurses, maintenance workers, janitors, technicians and food service workers at covered healthcare facilities there.

The two measures represent the first of what could be a battle at the ballot box in coming years between healthcare unions and hospital associations. Three more cities – Los Angeles, Long Beach and Downey – will see a similar initiative in 2024.

Supporters of the initiatives argue a healthcare minimum wage is needed to address staffing shortages in the health care workforce and increase retention.

Union members met with lawmakers in August to discuss a potential push for a health care minimum wage at the state level, Gabriel Montoya, an EMT at Kaiser Downey and a union-wide

Artemis 1 goes farther than Apollo 13

NASA PHOTOS

Orion sets a record Saturday for the farthest point from Earth for a craft designed for astronauts. On Monday, the spacecraft broke its own record, at nearly 270,000 miles from Earth.

A mannequin rides the Orion spacecraft during its flight to the moon and back. Also in the craft is a floating Snoopy, lower right. Please see ARTEMIS on A4

Public Defender’s Office organizes drive to help the homeless

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office is organizing a drive to collect sleeping bags and warm clothing for those experiencing homelessness this winter.

More than 1,900 people are homeless in the county, according to the office.

To help these individuals and families stay warm, the Public Defender’s Office is accepting donations of sleeping bags, hats, gloves, jackets, clothing, socks, shoes, hygiene products, thermal underwear, scarves and backpacks.

New or lightly used donations are being accepted during regular business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Public Defender’s offices.

The Santa Barbara office is located at 1100 Anacapa St. The Santa Maria office is located at 312-P East Cook St., Building A.

Physical donations may be made through 5 p.m. Dec. 12.

Financial donations will also be accepted for the purchase of new sleeping bags and undergarments, and are tax-deductible through the Public Defender’s partnership with Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara.

Financial donations may be made online through the following website: 2022 Sleeping Bag Drive/Family Service Agency (givebox.com). Donations of items will not be accepted at the Family Service

Fire department conducts pile burn

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

– The Santa Barbara County Fire Department will conduct a planned pile burn of up to 7 acres of brush today through Sunday on Painted Cave Road, off State Route 154.

Prescribed burns can help prevent the spread of wildfires and can reduce impacts to watersheds that can result in soil loss and sedimentation. The burn will be conducted when the meteorological conditions are highly favorable to direct smoke away from population centers.

The prescribed burn is planned and coordinated by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department with the Santa Barbara County

Agency. To receive donated goods, homeless individuals will need to attend a distribution event from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 15 or until supplies last at each office of the Public Defender.

the event.

For more information, contact the County Public Defender’s

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

Air Pollution Control District and the California Air Resources Board.

If you smell smoke, take precautions and use common sense to reduce any harmful health effects by limiting outdoor activities, officials advise. When you can smell smoke or when it is visible in your area, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and remain indoors as much as possible.

These precautions are especially important to children, older adults, and those with heart and lung conditions. If you are sensitive to smoke, consider temporarily relocating and closing all doors and windows on the day of the burn, according to officials.

Symptoms of smoke exposure can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or difficulty

breathing, chest tightness or pain, nausea, and unusual fatigue or lightheadedness. Officials advise using caution when driving near prescribed burns.

This burn depends on weather and air quality conditions that are favorable for smoke dispersal. If the conditions are not as desired, the burn will be rescheduled.

For more information, visit the Prescribed Fire Information Reporting System website: ssl.arb. ca.gov/pfirs/firm/firm.php.

— Neil Hartstein

Road closures planned for parade

LOMPOC — The public will encounter road closures for the Lompoc Children’s Christmas

office. In Santa Barbara, call 805568-3470; in Santa Maria, call 805346-7500.

For more information, go to www.countyofsb.org. email: nhartstein@newspress.com

Parade, set for 3 to 9 p.m. Friday. The following locations are scheduled to be closed.

State Route 1 (H Street) will be closed to through traffic from North Avenue to F Street.

State Route 246 (H Street) will be closed to through traffic from J Street to SR 1.

Signage will be in place notifying the public of the road closures.

Caltrans stressed the importance of drive slowly and carefully in all work zones, to keep workers safe.

For traffic updates on other state highway projects in Santa Barbara County, call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805549-3318 or dot.ca.gov/caltransnear-me/district-5/district-5current-projects.

– Neil Hartstein

DP cross country places 14th at State Championship

The Dos Pueblos High School cross country team competed at the Div. 3 State Championship on Saturday, finishing in 14th of

25 teams.

Accomplishing

bests were

33 seconds.

“There were team-wide health complications beyond our control, so we refocused on things we could control,” said Coach David Jackson. “This setback puts in

perspective the high value of good rest and recovery. Most importantly, they all came out of season uninjured and our staff unwavering in our mission of empowering athletes and fostering community. We’ll recover and celebrate our whole team’s accomplishments at our end of season banquet next Sunday night.”

Homeless outreach teams and community partners are currently working to inform clients of the donations that will be made available to them at

NEWS-PRESS FILE

A transient sits on a bench in downtown Santa Barbara. The Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office is organizing a drive to provide sleeping bags and warm clothing for the homeless.

COURTESY PHOTO

From top left, Coach Budd Jamieson, senior Luci Koroshec, senior Tyler Jamieson, senior Orlando Ye, sophomore Andrew Brennan, freshman Cullen Gully, sophomore Eli Richardson, Coach David Jackson, sophomore Eamon Gordon, freshman Ashton Smedley, Coach Michael Smedley, junior William Matthews and freshman Oliver Saleh of the Dos Pueblos cross country team.

personal

senior Luci Koroshec, senior Tyler Jamieson and Ashton Smedley. Smedley improved his personal best by

- Matt Smolensky

Biden’s student loan deferment will cost taxpayers $40 billion, group says

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The Biden administration is again deferring repayment of student loans until President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness executive action makes its way through the courts, but a new analysis found that decision will cost taxpayers billions of dollars in unpaid interest.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released the analysis, which said President Biden’s changing the repayment restart date from Dec. 31 until 60 days after litigation is decided will cost tens of billions of dollars in lost interest collection.

“We estimate extending the pause for 60 days beyond June 30, 2023 would cost $40 billion – the equivalent of 18 months of the Pell Grant program,” the group said. “That would bring the total cost of the student debt pause to $195 billion; continuing to extend the pause through the end of 2024 would increase the total cost of the pause to $275 billion. Every month the pause is extended costs the federal government $5 billion, due mainly to lost interest collection.”

President Biden said in a video posted to

Twitter last week that “it isn’t fair to ask tens of millions of borrowers eligible for relief to resume their student debt payments while the courts consider the lawsuit.”

“I’m confident that our student debt relief plan is legal,” President Biden said. “But it’s on hold because Republican officials want to block it.”

Critics have said the student loan forgiveness significantly increases the deficit and helps more affluent Americans significantly more at the expense of less educated, poorer Americans.

“With inflation at a 40-year high and unemployment near historic lows, there is absolutely no justification for extending the student debt pause yet again. The pause was put in place as an emergency measure early in the pandemic. As the President has repeatedly pointed out, the pandemic recession is long over,” Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget President Maya MacGuineas said. “Whether or not the courts allow the Administration to unilaterally cancel $10,000 to $20,000 per person of student debt should have no bearing on whether we should collect the debt that is currently owed. Why are we continuing to cancel billions of dollars of interest for wealthy doctors and lawyers?”

Rescued trafficked victim: It takes 5 to 13 years to buy freedom

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – A letter in possession of a woman rescued from a sex trafficking ring in Texas says it takes roughly five to 13 years to buy freedom. Law enforcement officers have told The Center Square it can take longer if the victims are sold more than once and owe multiple debts.

The letter was obtained by The Center Square from a law enforcement officer involved in rescuing trafficked Asian women in Rockport, Texas. Her name isn’t being disclosed for safety reasons. Two witnesses involved in the case were beheaded in Houston, law enforcement officers say, and others are afraid to expose a violent, extensive criminal trafficking ring operating out of Houston.

In this case, officers first rescued women being held in a sex-trafficking operation at a Korean foot spa in Victoria, Texas, where forced prostitution was occurring. They later discovered the same people were being moved and forced into prostitution in multiple locations. Victoria is a few hours south of Houston; Rockport is north of Corpus Christi.

The letter translated into English, reads, “Dearest Daughter, in USA we sometimes have something like a slave boy and slave girl. We call it indentured servant. “A person goes to the job center to come to USA to work. That person is poor and has no money. They sign control to visas for a given length of time in exchange. They work for 5 to 13 years to pay back. Lots of these jobs are like housekeeping, farm worker, etc.

“Lots of women that come to the USA legally from Nicaragua [with work visas] come as indentured servant. I believe that it is wrong to own another person. If I thought Annie owned you or others until they paid back the cost to come to USA I would want to pay the debt.”

Annie likely refers to the boss controlling the trafficked victims, a law enforcement officer explained to The Center Square.

“Please forgive me I do not want you to think that I believe China is not a great country and a proud nation. Please forgive me,” the letter reads. Chinese traffickers were involved in the case, the law enforcement officer said.

Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd, who worked in law enforcement for years in Victoria County and has been thwarting criminal activity along the Highway 59 corridor, told The Center Square, “many people think slavery ended after the Civil War but slavery is actually larger today. It just looks different. Those smuggled into the country may work at hotels, but they won’t work for the hotels, they work for cartels.”

Sheriff Boyd said that cartel and gang operatives not only hold their victims’ passports but also control their movements, overseeing their forced labor and living arrangements. They control where they live and transport them to and from their jobs.

“They charge their modern-day slaves for rent and for food,” he said, “acting as contractors, divvying

up money to workers. As many as 15 people may be staying in a one-bedroom apartment.” Those trafficked into forced labor, Sheriff Boyd said, “may work for one group and just as they are about to pay off what they owe they are sold to another group and their debt starts all over again.”

Sheriff Boyd launched an Operation Lone Star task force working in multiple counties thwarting criminal activity along the Highway 59 corridor stemming from the southern border to Houston. The more than 90 people held inside a Houston neighborhood house who were rescued last April, he said, were traced back to a smuggling ring and stash house he and his deputies uncovered in Goliad County.

Texas law enforcement working through Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star continue to thwart human smuggling operations stemming from the southern border. They’re interdicting smugglers using 18-wheelers, dump trucks, moving trucks, cars and vans, private planes and train cars to move people brought into Texas illegally north to major Texas cities and then into the rest of the U.S. The FBI also has warned that El Paso has become a major human smuggling and trafficking destination for cartel and gang operatives.

“Human smuggling involves bringing noncitizens into the United States via the deliberate evasion of immigration laws, as well as the unlawful transportation and harboring of noncitizens already in the country illegally,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement states. It’s “a gateway crime for additional criminal offenses, including illegal immigration, identity theft, document and benefit fraud, gang activity, financial fraud and terrorism.”

Gov. Abbott recently increased the reward for anyone providing information about stash houses being used by transnational criminal organizations. Last year, he and the state legislature increased penalties for human smugglers and Texas became the first state to make buying sex a felony.

According to an annual report by the Texas Attorney General’s Office, while many criminal enterprises in Texas slowed down because of COVID19 in 2020, “human trafficking flourished.” During the first 11 months of 2020, there were more than 1.5 million unique commercial sex advertisements posted in the state of Texas, over 20% of which advertised suspected children, the report found.

Human trafficking, a separate crime from human smuggling, relies on smuggling, involves adult sex trafficking, adult labor trafficking, child sex trafficking and child labor trafficking.

Adult sex trafficking involves trafficking adults for commercial sex by force, fraud, or coercion; labor trafficking involves trafficking adults for labor by force, fraud, or coercion. Child sex trafficking involves trafficking children under age 18 for commercial sex by any means; labor trafficking involves trafficking children under age 18 for labor by force, fraud or coercion.

New York doctors urge Gov. Hochul to veto wrongful death bill

By STEVE BITTENBENDER THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Medical professionals have joined a coalition of businesses and local elected officials in calling for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to veto a bill that would reform the state’s law for wrongful death litigation, which dates back more than 170 years.

Opposition to the bill has grown larger, with two prominent OBGYN’s saying they fear it could impact healthcare in the state.The doctors penned separate guest editorials in The Buffalo News and the Albany Times Union over the weekend, arguing liability insurance premiums could rise by as much as 45%. It would be a $60,000 annual increase for some New York OBGYN’s, if the governor signs Assembly Bill A6770/Senate Bill S74-A into law.

The bill would allow plaintiffs in wrongful death cases to sue for noneconomic losses. If signed into

law, New York would join more than 40 states allowing people to seek financial compensation for emotional loss.

Proponents say the bill covers children, seniors, non-traditional families, and those whose households have little or no income. They say the current law only allows courts to measure an alleged victim’s worth by how much they made.However, Dr. Christine Herde, who chairs the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District II, said in The Buffalo News, the bill could threaten reproductive freedom in the state.

“The Empire State has solidified itself as an access state for abortion care, and I am proud of that,” Dr. Herde wrote. “But if A.6770/S.74-A were enacted without comprehensive reform to reduce liability exposure and costs, our efforts to expand access to reproductive health care may be thwarted.”

In the Times Union, Dutchess County Medical Society President

Dr. Adele El-Kareh said the bill was “well-intended,” but would incentivize litigation and larger settlements.

“An actuarial analysis finds that annual liability premiums for medical professionals are projected to increase by 40-45 percent,” Dr. El-Kareh wrote.

“In some parts of New York, this means an additional cost of $60,000 a year for OBGYNs. That’s enough to deter anyone from entering the field or practicing obstetrics in this state.”

In July, more than 30 New Yorkbased industry organizations wrote to Gov. Hochul urging her to veto the bill, citing the liability insurance hikes would lead to higher prices, and either reduced wages or pink slips for workers. The same month, the New York State Association of Counties, the state Conference of Mayors, and the Association of Towns also wrote to Gov. Hochul, saying municipalities would face greater financial risk if the bill became law.

COURTESY PHOTO

President Joe Biden

‘Humans will return to the lunar surface, and this time to stay’

ARTEMIS

Continued from Page A1

color on the moon.

“Artemis builds on the experience of Apollo,” NASA said. “With Artemis, humans will return to the lunar surface, and this time to stay.”

Artemis is designed to place Gateway, a space station in orbit around the moon, and the Orion craft will dock there. Astronauts will live and work on the station and take a lander from Gateway to the moon, where there will be the Artemis base camp. Astronauts will live at the camp as well.

“NASA will lead the way in collaboration with international and commercial partners to establish the first long-term presence on the Moon,” the space agency said at blogs.nasa. gov/artemis. “Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.”

Although the current Artemis mission is uncrewed, the Orion capsule is far from empty. Three mannequins, dressed with sensors measuring acceleration, vibration and radiation levels, are along for the ride. One mannequin is wearing an Orion spacesuit, and the other two are in passenger seats.

The mannequin in the spacesuit has a name: Commander Moonikin Campos. The name is in honor of Arturo Campos

Washington woman fraudulently obtained $337,267 in COVID relief

By RAELYNN RICARTE THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Jimia Rae Cain, 52, of West Richland, Wash., has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining $337,267 in federal COVID-19 relief funding to benefit a construction business that did no work and employed no people.

According to records from the U.S. District Court of Eastern Washington, Ms. Cain has agreed to reimburse the federal government for the money given to her purported business, Americore Construction.

The maximum penalty for the crime is five years in prison and three years of probation. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend to U.S. Judge Mary Dimke that Ms. Cain receive three years of probation.

Judge Dimke has set sentencing for 1:30 p.m. on June 1 in Richland. Federal court documents show

that Ms. Cain told the Small Business Administration in a loan application that she had only been convicted for minor traffic violations. However, her criminal history includes fraud and multiple gross misdemeanor offenses that would have made her ineligible for federal loans.

“COVID-19 relief programs quickly ran out of money due to the number of businesses that requested funding, meaning that struggling, deserving small businesses were not able to obtain critically needed funding to keep their businesses afloat during the shutdowns and disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref in a written statement.

She said the Paycheck Protection Program provided forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to retain jobs and maintain payroll during the pandemic. The funding came from the Coronavirus Aid,

Relief and Economic Security Act signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2020.

Ms. Cain applied for PPP assistance in 2020, submitting false tax and payroll documentation to qualify. She later tried to get another $280,000 through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, but was turned down, records show.

Ms. Cain became one of the subjects of an investigation by a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that was launched in 2022 to look into potential abuses of federal dollars, according to Ms. Waldref.

The Strike Force consists of agency officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, , U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, and others. Ms. Waldref said cases investigated and prosecuted by the Strike Force have resulted in numerous indictments and convictions, and have recovered millions of dollars in penalties and restitution for the public.

The cases against Ms. Cain and two other defendants from the east side of Washington were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter, Frieda K. Zimmerman, Tyler HL Tornabene and Brian Donovan.

Due to be sentenced in about three months for fraudulent PPP applications are Stephen Murphy, 42, and Stephanie Murphy, 37, both of Davenport, Wash. They recently pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining $60,000 in COVID-19 relief in 2021.

healthcare workers,

HEALTH CARE

Continued from Page A1

executive committee member with SEIU-UHW, told The Center Square. The union attempted to push for an end-of-session deal in August to establish a health care minimum wage by coordinating with the hospital industry, but the deal fell through.

“We have seen the largest net loss of health care workers in California than we’ve ever seen before following and during this pandemic,” Mr. Montoya said. “We’ve seen California hemorrhaging healthcare workers, and we think this is one of the ways to stop that hemorrhaging.”

Union members acknowledge that the push for a statewide ballot initiative or legislative measure likely won’t come without opposition from the California Hospital Association and others in the hospital industry.

Both Measure HC and Measure J were opposed by the hospital industry, including the Hospital Association of Southern California. Groups in opposition claimed the measures would result in “unequal pay” for workers with the same jobs who work in public hospitals. The “No on HC” campaign was specifically concerned that the measure excludes the majority of healthcare workers in Inglewood.

George Greene, president and CEO of the Hospital Association of Southern California,

said in a statement that hospitals “support fair wages for health care workers,” but criticized both measures.

“Measure J and Measure HC were deeplyflawed, unequal and unfair measures – picking winners and losers among health care workers while excluding workers at the vast majority of healthcare facilities in each city,” Mr. Greene said.

“We support continued conversations at the state or regional level to determine the most appropriate and equitable approaches to addressing worker compensation,” he added.

Opponents of Measure HC also claimed the initiative would raise health care costs and increase insurance premiums for families. Union representatives, however, say ordinances at the local level are written to target the profits of hospital systems and prevent them from raising premiums.

“These hospital systems are raising premiums while they’re still paying their workers just above minimum wage, and many of them are making billions of dollars while doing it,” Mr. Montoya said. “We believe that a lot of these hospital systems are in a perfect place to be able to afford to pay these workers without raising premiums on the patients.”

The SEIU-UHW made a push to advance a $25 minimum wage ordinance in 10 California cities, and while not all the cities ended up adopting the ordinance, an analysis commissioned by the California Hospital

Association estimated the ordinances would result in increased costs of more than $392 million per year at covered facilities across all 10 cities – a nearly 7% increase.

The analysis also noted that if the ordinances had been enacted in all 10 cities, it would increase the cost of providing care at covered facilities. The report estimates 26% of covered facilities in the 10 cities are already experiencing low margins, “making it difficult to absorb a 2% increase in costs.” As a result, covered facilities could look to private insurers to increase payments, which could mean patient’s premiums or out-of-pocket costs are increased, according to the analysis.

“In general, increased taxes raise the cost of doing business and depending on the market conditions, some if not all of the increased costs are passed on to consumers. I would think since there are few substitutes for hospital care, that these higher costs will show up as higher prices and higher premiums later,” Glenn Melnick, a professor at the USC School of Public Administration and Blue Cross of California Chair in Health Care Finance, told The Center Square in an email.

Union members say their goal at the end of the coming legislative session is to have a healthcare minimum wage in place in California and hope to work with lawmakers to pass the measure through the legislative process, according to Mr. Montoya.

Obituary notices are published daily in the Santa Barbara News-Press and also appear on our website www.newspress.com To place an obituary, please email the text and photo(s) to obits@newspress.com or fax text only (no photos) to (805) 966-1421. Please include your name, address, contact phone number and the date(s) you would like the obituary to be published. Photos should be in jpeg format with at least 200 dpi. If a digital photo is not available, a picture may be brought into our office for scanning. We will lay out the obituary using our standard format. A formatted proof of the obituary and the cost will be emailed back for review and approval. The minimum obituary cost to print one time is $150.00 for up to 1.5” in length -- includes 1 photo and up to 12 lines of text, approximately 630 characters; up to approximately 930 characters without a photo. Add $60.00 for each additional inch or partial inch after the first 1.5”; up to approximately 700 characters per additional inch. All Obituaries must be reviewed, approved, and prepaid by deadline. We accept all major credit cards by phone; check or cash payments may be brought into our office located at 715 Anacapa Street.

Today Wed.

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

Cuyama 54/33/s 60/39/s

Goleta 62/43/s 63/47/pc

Lompoc 62/40/s 60/46/pc

Pismo Beach 61/39/s 59/50/pc

Santa Maria 61/41/s 60/47/pc

Santa Ynez 64/41/s 67/47/pc

Vandenberg 59/43/s 59/49/pc

Ventura 62/47/s 61/51/s

2.1’ 4:19 p.m. 4.2’ 10:50 p.m. 0.4’

Los

Ojai 62/40/s 63/45/s

Oxnard 64/49/s 64/51/s

Palm Springs 68/46/s 70/48/s

Pasadena 66/47/s 62/49/s

Paso Robles 58/34/s 60/44/pc

Sacramento 60/33/s 59/44/pc

San Diego 64/48/pc 63/51/s

San Francisco 57/42/s 57/48/c

San Jose 58/37/s 58/45/c

San Luis Obispo 63/40/s 60/49/pc

Santa Monica 66/49/s 62/50/s

Tahoe Valley 45/23/s 46/31/pc

Atlanta 69/59/s 67/32/r

Boston 43/38/pc 57/37/r Chicago 56/26/c 31/20/pc Dallas 80/35/pc 52/34/s Denver 21/5/sn 32/13/pc Houston 80/52/t 63/42/s

Miami 85/75/pc 85/72/t

Minneapolis 31/18/sn 24/10/pc

New York City 46/42/s 57/36/r

Philadelphia 50/40/pc 58/34/r

Phoenix 68/47/s 72/47/pc

Portland, Ore. 41/39/r 46/36/r

St. Louis 66/27/c 40/24/s

Salt Lake City 33/20/sf 40/32/c

Seattle 38/34/c 43/35/r

Washington, D.C. 53/45/s 62/35/r

Beijing 26/0/pc 30/9/s

Berlin 41/36/c 39/31/c

Cairo 74/58/s 75/58/s

Cancun 87/72/s 88/73/s London 48/41/c 48/42/c

Mexico City 75/53/c 75/52/c Montreal 34/28/c 47/29/r

New Delhi 83/51/pc 83/51/pc

Paris 45/35/c 45/33/c

Rio de Janeiro 81/75/r 83/75/t

Rome 57/45/c 59/41/pc Sydney 75/55/s 73/57/pc Tokyo 66/61/r 62/42/c

‘We’ve seen California hemorrhaging

and we think this is one of the ways to stop that’

NASA PHOTO

On Thursday, the Orion spacecraft took this photo looking back at the moon.

(1934-2001), an engineer who developed the electrical systems for the Apollo lunar capsules. Mr. Campos’ expertise contributed to the safe return of the Apollo

13 astronauts Jim Lovell, John Swigert and Fred Haise. With the help of Mr. Campos and others in NASA, the astronauts got back to Earth despite a malfunction

caused by an explosion and rupture of an oxygen tank in the service module.

email: dmason@newspress.com

Life theArts

CALENDAR

Winter movies preview

The late fall/winter season is feeling a lot like summer, at least inside movie theaters where superheroes and sci-fi characters are heating things up.

Often emphasized during the summer, comic bookinspired blockbusters are now doing well any time of the year.

Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” proved that by posting the best November opening of any movie in history. The sequel continues to dominate the box office.

And the recent DC Comics/ Warner Bros.’ “Black Adam” proved the drawing power of longtime heroes from the Justice Society of America. Of course, box office totals benefited from having Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson star as Black Adam.

The trend for sci-fi and fantasy continues in December with the long-awaited sequel to director James Cameron’s “Avatar.” And a long-awaited sequel with a Montecito connection, Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” will land in theaters in February.

Besides starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as Scott Lang (Ant-Man) and the Wasp (Hope Van Dyne) respectively, the film stars someone whose family has had a longtime association with Montecito — Michael Douglas as the original Ant Man, Dr. Hank Pym. The film also stars Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne, Hank’s wife who was found in the Quantum Realm in the 2018 “Ant Man and the Wasp” movie.

This time around, Scott, Hope, Hank and Janet explore the Quantum Realm, where they meet some unusual creatures.

Peyton Reed directs the

adventure, which also features Scott’s daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), who has grown up a bit since the last film. Bill Murray is also in this movie, as Krylar, and Randall Park reprises his role as FBI special agent Jimmy Woo (who gained more credibility in Marvel Studios’ “Wanda” series).

You don’t have to wait until February to see heroes in action.

Ventura native Zachary Levi continues this light-hearted approach to playing a boy in a man’s body in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which will be out later in December. For the record, Billy Batson, Mr. Levi’s character, is the original Captain Marvel, who was created long before Marvel Comics introduced its own Captain Marvel.

When Billy yells “Shazam!,” he becomes a man and a superhero with powers similar to Superman, but he has less experience, maturity and finesse. That’s clear in the humor evident in the trailer.

And Mr. Levi is perfectly cast in this role. This writer interviewed him frequently during an earlier part of his career, when he starred in the spy spoof “Chuck” on NBC, and his fun, kidlike spirit was always evident.

Mr. Levi really is a big kid in a man’s body, and that makes him the perfect choice for the “Shazam!” movies.

For those who prefer more down-to-earth stories over superhero tales, the late fall/ winter season offers that too.

Among the most anticipated films may be “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” also out in December and concerning the life of Whitney Houston.

Here’s the release schedule for movies landing in theaters. Descriptions and details are included with most of the films.

DEC. 2

“Violent Night.” This R-rated

twist on the Christmas tradition stars David Harbour as Santa Claus, and the cast includes John Leguizamo as Scrooge and Beverly d’Angelo as Getrude Ligthsteon. Tommy Wirkola directs the film, in which Santa Claus must save the day when a group of mercenaries attacks a wealthy family’s estate.

DEC. 9

“Empire of Light.” Sam Mendes directed and wrote this film, which stars “The Crown’s” Olivia Coleman as Hilary, Michael Ward as Stephen and Colin Firth as Donald Ellis. The story is set in an English coastal town during the early 1980s.

DEC. 16

“Avatar: The Way of Water.” Zoe Saldana (“Star Trek” and the “Guardian of the Galaxy” movies), Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver reprise their roles from the first film in this sequel co-written by and directed by James Cameron. Jake Sully (Mr. Worthington) is living with his new family on the planet of Pandora when a familiar threat returns. Kate Winslet is in this movie as Ronal.

“Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies.”

DEC. 21

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Naomi Ackie and Stanley Tucci star as Whitney Houston and record mogul Clive Davis in this biopic.

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” Antonio Banderas is back as the voice of the famous cat in a new adventure.

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” Zachary Levi reprises his role as the DC Comics superhero.

“Wildcat.” Harry Turner is dealing with PTSD after his time in Afghanistan when he goes to the Peruivian Amazon. There he meets scientist Samantha Zwicker, and they work together to raise

orphaned wildlife.

DEC. 25

“Babylon.” Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie star in this story about the rise and fall of people during early Hollywood. Damien Chazelle directed the film and wrote the screenplay.

“Women Talking.”

“A Man Called Otto.” Tom Hanks stars as a grumpy widower who meets his match when a young family moves next door. This movie will be in select theaters on Christmas Day before seeing its wide release on Jan. 13.

JAN. 6

“M3GAN.” Watch out as this doll comes to life, thanks to a robotics engineer. Gerard Johnston directs the story starring Allison Williams and Jenna Davis.

JAN. 13

“A Man Called Otto.” Wide release.

“House Party.” Starring Jacob Latmore and Allen Maldonado, the story is about a high school kid hosting a house party when his parents are away. This is a remake of the 1990 comedy. It’s rated R.

JAN. 20

“Fear.” “Missing.”

JAN. 27

“Distant.” A photographer has a crisis after his wife leaves him in this movie directed and written by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Stars are Muzaffer Ozdemir, Mehmet Emin Toprak and Zuhal Gencer.

“Plane.” Gerard Butler stars as a pilot caught in a war zone when he’s forced to land his commercial airplane during a storm. The film also stars Mike Colter.

“Shotgun Wedding.” Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Coolidge star in this movie directed by Jason Moore

and written by Mark Hammer. A couple’s destination wedding is hijacked by criminals.

FEB. 3.

“80 for Brady.” Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Jane Fonda star as friends determined to meet NFL star Tom Brady.

“Knock at the Cabin.” Dave Bautista and Jonathan Groff star in this thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan. A girl and her parents are taken hostage by strangers who demand the family averts the apocalypse. No pressure.

FEB. 10

“Your Place Or Mine.” Reese Witherspoon, Wesley Kimmel and Steve Zahn star in this story about two best friends. One decides to pursue her dream, and the other one agrees to keep an eye on her teenage son.

FEB. 14

“What About Love.” Sharon Stone and Andy Garcia star in this romantic drama, released, of course, on Valentine’s Day.

FEB. 17.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer star in this story that takes the heroes into the Quantum Realm.

“Of An Age.” Thom Green, Hattie Hook.

FEB. 24

“Cocaine Bear.” Keri Russell, Ray Liotta, O’Shea Jackson Jr. star.

“Jesus Revolution.” Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Kelsey Grammer and Jonathan Roumie star in this true story that involves a community of teenage hippies, living in the early 1970s in Southern California.

email dmason@newspress.com

The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Email them to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@newspress.com.

DEC. 1 5 to 8 p.m.: The First Thursday Art Walk will present an open-air Holiday Market as well as more than 20 business and gallery venues with live music, art and wine in Santa Barbara. 7 p.m. Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro will perform his “Christmas in Hawaii” concert at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. Mr. Shimabukuro will play a mix of his signature favorites, holiday classics and selections from his recent “Jake & Friends” album. Tickets for the UCSB Arts & Lectures concert cost $16 to $61. To purchase, go to granadasb.org. 7 p.m. Jazz at the Ballroom will present “Holiday ‘In’” at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. Awardwinning musicians from across the country will perform a show reminiscent of old Christmas specials with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and other singing greats. Comedian Dan Cronin is hosting this holiday revue, which features bandleader Konrad Paszkduki on the piano. Tickets cost $36 to $56 for general admission and $81 for VIP seats, which include a post-show reception. To purchase, go to lobero.org.

7:30 p.m. The Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “A Christmas Carol” with a preview performance at the New Vic, 33. W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $40-$84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805965-5400.

DEC. 2 5 to 8 p.m.: A Christmas Tree Lighting & Block Party will take place in the 1300 block of State Street and will include a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus, live music with DJ Darla Bea, performances by the San Marcos High School Band and more.

DEC. 3 2 and 6 p.m. State Street Ballet Academy will perform “Rudolph” at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. For more information, go to lobero.org/events/rudolph-2022.

7 p.m. Westmont College ensembles will perform during the Westmont Christmas Festival at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The 18th annual festival will feature the Westmont Orchestra, College Choir, Chamber Singers and Choral Union. Tickets cost $22. To purchase, go to granadasb.org. 8 p.m. The Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “A Christmas Carol” at the New Vic, 33. W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $40-$84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805965-5400.

7:30 p.m. The Fall Dance Concert will take place at UCSB Hatlen Theater. The UCSB Dance Company will present new choreography. For more information, see theaterdanceucsb.edu.

DEC. 4 2 and 7 p.m. The Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “A Christmas Carol” with a preview performance at the New Vic, 33. W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $40-$84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805965-5400. Story, B2.

3 p.m. Westmont College ensembles will perform during the Westmont Christmas Festival at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The 18th annual festival will feature the Westmont Orchestra, College Choir, Chamber Singers and Choral Union. Tickets cost $22. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

7:30 p.m. Twanguero, considered one of the best guitarists in Spain, will perform at the SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, 1221 State St., Suite 205, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $25 for general admission and $67 for a dinner reservation and priority seating. To purchase, go to www.sohosb.com.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Bing Crosby performs during his annual Christmas TV special in 1976. At 7 p.m. Thursday, a live show reminiscent of Christmas specials hosted by Mr. Crosby, Frank Sinatra and other vocal greats will take place at the Lobero Theatre. Tickets for “Holiday ‘In’” can be purchased at lobero.org.

Theater season to feature superheroes, sci-fi characters and down-to-earth folks (including Tom Hanks as a grumpy widower)

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

MARVEL STUDIOS

Paul Rudd returns as Scott Lang in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” set for a Feb. 17 release.

COURTESY IMAGE

COURTESY SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES © 2022 BY 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS

COURTESY IMAGE

At left, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” will screen at theaters, starting Dec. 21. Center, Micheal Ward and Olivia Colman star in “Empire of Light” (Dec. 9). At right, the longawaited sequel, “Avatar: The Way of the Water,” will be released on Dec. 16.

‘Wings’ exhibit to soar at tennis club

The “Wings” juried exhibit will take flight Saturday through Jan. 4 at the Santa Barbara Tennis Club, 2375 Foothill Road.

Awards for the artists will be announced during a reception 4:30 to 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the club. The event is part of 2nd Fridays Art @ SBTC.

The club’s gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

For more information, contact Susan Tibbles, the gallery director and curator of exhibitions, at info@susantibbles.com.

And you can reach the tennis club at 805-682-4722.

— Dave Mason

Johnny Mathis to perform at Chumash Casino

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Grammy-winning vocalist Johnny Mathis will perform a Christmas concert at 8 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom, 3400 State Route 246, Santa Ynez

The singer/songwriter, who has entertained audiences for more than 60 years, started his career with singles of standard music before finding success as an album artist. In fact, 18 of his albums achieved gold status and, six reached the coveted platinum status.

Mr. Mathis enjoyed early success and a record deal with Columbia Records, but his big national break came with a 1957 appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Soon his second single, “Chances Are,” sold more than a million copies.

Mr. Mathis became known for his upbeat spirit and his smooth voice.

During his career, Mr. Mathis has had 34 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” debuting at No. 1 in 1978.

His album “Johnny’s Greatest Hits” spent almost 10 years on the Billboard 200, before being eclipsed by Pink Floyd’s “Dark

Side of the Moon” in 1983, when Mr. Mathis’ album reached 491 continuous weeks.

In 2003, Mr. Mathis received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for his recordings of “Chances Are,” “It’s Not for Me to Say” and “Misty.”

Tickets for the Santa Ynez concert are $69 to $109. To purchase, go to www. chumashcasino.com.

The Chumash Casino Resort is a 21-and-older venue.

email: dmason@newspress.com

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ still tops box office

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” remains king of the box office.

The Marvel Studios sequel was No. 1 again, picking up $45.9 million during the Thanksgiving weekend. It was the superhero movie’s fifth consecutive weekend at the top.

The animated “Strange World” opened in second place with $11.9 million.

“Glass Onions: A Knives Out Mystery,” with Daniel Craig reprising his detective character for the sequel, placed third in its opening weekend with $9.4 million “Devotion,” the movie about two brave American pilots during the Korean War, opened in fourth place on its opening weekend. It grossed $5.96 million.

“The Menu” dropped to fourth place, but the horror thriller still managed to scare up $5.2 million at the box office.

“Black Adam,” the DC Comics/Warner Bros. film, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the antihero, fell to sixth place with $3.35 million.

Director Steven Spielberg’s “The Fablemans,” which is about an adolescent filmmaker in postWorld War II era Arizona, leaped to seventh place from the previous weekend’s 17th place slot. The film grossed $2.22 million.

Also jumping into the top 10 was “Bones and All,” grossing $2.2 million.

“Ticket to Paradise,” a romantic comedy starring

CALENDAR

Continued from Page B1

DEC. 7 4 p.m.

5 to 7 p.m.: A free candlelight concert series takes place on the steps of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.

7 p.m. The

DEC. 9

DEC.

email: dmason@newspress.com

at

11 a.m.

“Deck the Hulls.” For more information, go to santabarbaraca.com/ events/36th-annual-holiday-parade-oflights-at-the-harbor.

DEC. 12

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.: The Downtown Community Holiday Mixer will take place

DEC. 14 5 to 7 p.m.: A free candlelight concert series takes place on the steps of the

DEC. 17 Noon to 3 p.m.

The Hoodlum Friends will perform at 4 p.m. at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara. The concert is free.

Grace Fisher Foundation will present “A Winter Music Showcase” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The fifth annual showcase will feature everyone from the Santa Barbara Folk Orchestra to

Jackson Gillies, WIll Breman, State Street Ballet Professional Track Dancers, the Westmont Chamber Singers, UCSB Maurice Faulkner Quintet and more. Tickets cost $18 to $60. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

11

to 9 p.m. The 36th annual Holiday Parade of Lights will feature a full day of activities at the Santa Barbara Harbor, topped with the parade of lights and its theme,

the Broad Street Oyster Co., 418 State St. The $25 ticket price includes a drink and appetizers.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.

The free Big Brass Tuba Christmas Concert will take place in Storke Placita, which is between 722 and 724 State St. and is adjacent to De la Guerra Plaza in Santa Barbara. The Youth Makers Market will be in the same block. — Dave Mason

COURTESY IMAGE

This work of art by Stan Evenson is part of the upcoming “Wings” exhibit at the Santa Barbara Tennis Club.

COURTESY PHOTO

Johnny Mathis has entertained audiences for more than 60 years.

Julia Roberts and George Clooney, fell to ninth place with $1.85 million.

And in 10th place was “The Chosen Season 3: Episodes 1 & 2,” with $1.59 million.

MARVEL STUDIOS

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” topped the box office for the fifth consecutive weekend.

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

ARIES —For goodness’ sake, decide today, Aries. The more you flounder about which way to go, the likelier it is that you will miss the boat altogether. You have all the facts you need, so don’t delay any longer. Once you make up your mind, be strong and throw all your weight behind it.

TAURUS — Mentally, you’re apt to do very well today, Taurus. You will find that you can tackle just about any cerebral challenge that comes along. The most difficult aspect of the day will be dealing with your emotions. More than likely, you will feel a great desire for attention. You just want to be loved.

GEMINI — Your heart is in the right place today, Gemini, so feel free to share your good mood with others. Keep things simple and straightforward. Try not to complicate issues with unnecessary garble. Streamline your thoughts and actions. You will find that you can be much more efficient when you cut out the aspects that aren’t pertinent or absolutely necessary. Follow your heart.

CANCER — You may find it hard to get rolling today, Cancer. It’s likely that you’re caught in a gridlock between your mind and heart. Be careful about letting this tension build. The most important thing for you today is to relax. Tackle things one step at a time and finish one project before starting another. You could get overwhelmed if you have too many things on your plate at once.

LEO — You’re apt to be spurred into action by strong forces that don’t want you to take a break, Leo. Keep in mind that the more you resist, the more you will be pushed and pulled by outside sources. If you find yourself in a bind, take a deep breath and calm down. Act from a point of neutrality instead of a point of anger or defensiveness.

VIRGO — Feel free to let it all out today, Virgo. It’s finally your turn to stand up and say what you feel. Don’t let others push you into places you don’t want to be. The key is to probe deeply with your penetrating mind and share your incredible insights with others. Don’t be surprised if

your actions cause some tension.

LIBRA — Emotionally speaking, you’re probably doing quite well today, Libra. You have extra self-confidence to draw on to tackle your projects. The one difficult aspect of the day probably has to do with some sort of mental challenge that for some reason just isn’t making sense. Don’t continue to beat a dead horse.

SCORPIO — You might be in a bit of a jam today, Scorpio, when one person or situation doesn’t work well with what you’re thinking, and another doesn’t fit well with what you’re feeling. There’s a clash taking place that may be difficult to reconcile, especially if you remain stubbornly in your position. The more flexible you are, the better off you will be.

SAGITTARIUS — Today is a good day for you to follow through, Sagittarius. Normally you’re much better at tagging along or simply going with the flow of the situation. This way of doing things has proven quite effective for you in the past. Indeed, it has gotten you far. What you have now is a different situation.

CAPRICORN — Have sympathy for those who need to vent today, Capricorn. Don’t be surprised if people line up outside your door for a chance to bend your ear for an hour or two. Your mind is sharp. You will be able to see to the core of any issue brought before you. More than likely, you will understand things intuitively.

AQUARIUS — You will probably want everyone to know how you feel today, Aquarius. You won’t be shy about expressing your emotions. Feel free to take the lead on matters, for you have the self-confidence and emotional stability to do quite well at the helm of the ship. Try not to let your mind trip over itself, however.

PISCES — Put your foot down today, Pisces. Don’t let others push you around. It could be that you’re used to letting people have their way in order to keep the peace. The problem with this is that your dreams and goals may get lost in the shuffle. Don’t lose sight of your true destination. There’s much more to life than you might see on the surface. Dig deeper.

DAILY BRIDGE

BY FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

“The best time of the day is 6:30, hands down.” — graffiti

If you’re intent on losing an easy contract, the best time is at the first trick, as today’s declarer found at 3NT. When West led a heart, South sagely played low from both hands. He won the next heart with dummy’s ace, led a club to his hand and let the ten of diamonds ride.

East took the queen and led another heart, forcing out the king. When South led another diamond, West produced the ace and cashed two hearts. Down one.

DISCARDS

After South won the third heart, he could have succeeded with an inspired guess: He could run the clubs, and West would have to find three discards. If West threw three spades, South could cash the ace; if instead West threw a heart, South could safely force out the ace of diamonds, losing only two diamonds and two hearts.

But South has an easy nine tricks if he wins the first heart with the king and leads the A-Q of spades. He is sure of two spades, two hearts and five clubs.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday-Saturday and on the crossword solutions page in Sunday’s Life section.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language.

Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance.

All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid.

Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

PUZZLE

“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” — Desmond Tutu