mercurynews--2020-09-29--Mill Valley police investigate takeover robbery at CVS Pharmacy

Police are searching for four robbers who targeted the CVS in Mill Valley on Sunday and stole a large number of prescription drugs .
The crime happened around 1:30 p.m. at 759 E. Blithedale Ave. , Mill Valley police said .
Three masked men jumped over the pharmacy counter and ordered the staff open the safe .
The robber took the narcotics and ran to a four-door black sedan with a driver at the wheel .
• Feds arrest 12 , seize 137 pounds of meth , 33,000+ opiate pills , in bust of multi-state drug ring based in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some drug crimes , other nonviolent misdemeanors • 2 Marines at Camp Pendleton indicted over drug ring allegations after third Marine dies from fentanyl overdose The three robbers in the store were described as Black men approximately 18 years old , between 5 feet , 8 inches and 6 feet tall with slim builds .
One wore a black hoodie , another had a black puffy jacket and the third wore a black hooded jacket with white and red stripes .
The vehicle had paper license plates similar to “ AUGZ948 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is asked to call the Mill Valley Police Department at 415-389-4100 or the anonymous tip line at 415-721-4547 .

Police are searching for four robbers who targeted the CVS in Mill Valley on Sunday and stole a large number of prescription drugs.
The crime happened around 1:30 p.m. at 759 E. Blithedale Ave., Mill Valley police said. Three masked men jumped over the pharmacy counter and ordered the staff open the safe. The robber took the narcotics and ran to a four-door black sedan with a driver at the wheel.
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Massachusetts pot boss apologizes as state’s weed sales hit all-time high Crime and Public Safety | Redwood City drug deal ends in double shooting The three robbers in the store were described as Black men approximately 18 years old, between 5 feet, 8 inches and 6 feet tall with slim builds. One wore a black hoodie, another had a black puffy jacket and the third wore a black hooded jacket with white and red stripes.
The vehicle had paper license plates similar to “AUGZ948,” police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Mill Valley Police Department at 415-389-4100 or the anonymous tip line at 415-721-4547.


mercurynews--2020-09-29--Marin vigilante pulls gun at Breonna Taylor mural

San Rafael police are investigating an incident where a man pointed a gun at bystanders at a Breonna Taylor memorial in Terra Linda .
The confrontation was caught on video Thursday and posted to social media .
The man was trying to wash off a chalk mural honoring Taylor , the Black woman who was fatally shot by police in March during a raid in Louisville , Kentucky .
Last week , a grand jury declined to indict the officers for her death , setting off protests around the country .
This chalk mural at the intersection of Manuel T. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originally removed by the city on Sept. 3 .
The city deemed it graffiti because it did not go through the public approval process .
Since then , the mural has been removed several times , not by city employees , and redrawn by Taylor supporters .
The man trying to washing away the mural on Thursday tried to pose as a city worker .
Vallejo resident Jeremy Smith , 28 , recorded the incident as he was going to his job .
He noticed a commotion so he stopped and asked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bro ?
” The man replied , “ I ’ m with the city.
” The man — who was wearing a face covering , cyan T-shirt and cargo shorts — is not a city employee , said Cristine Alilovich , assistant city manager .
“ If we had a city employee out there they would be clearly marked in San Rafael apparel and I can assure you I know every single employee , ” Alilovich said .
“ We have not deployed any public works staff to that site.
” She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chalk since Sept. 3 and left a note asking for the muralist to contact the city .
San Rafael police Lt. Dan Fink said investigators do have a few leads and hope to identify a suspect soon .
He said police have the description of a vehicle that could be linked to the man .
Fink said police are aware of the video and have taken statements from witnesses .
He said investigators are not sure if the man brandished a firearm or a stun gun .
“ Either way it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I know Tasers do have yellow tips , but toy guns are supposed to have orange tips and we know people routinely take those off .
“ We have heard from multiple eyewitnesses who say they did not see a color that would indicate it ’ s a Taser and not a firearm , ” he said .
“ But we know that can be manipulated , but right now we are assuming it was a gun.
” He added that officers have been told to perform extra patrols of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is working to find an alternative location for the chalk art because of increasing concerns for public safety .
“ There have been a couple incidents where community members are having some conflicts amongst themselves , ” she said .
“ We want to make sure everything stays peaceful.
” Smith said he did not fear for his safety , but rather for the safety of a handful of bystanders , including a mother and her child in a stroller .
“ I ’ m kind of frustrated that he would even pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed premeditated , ” he said .
“ I think he knew what he was doing and he knew that could happen , so he armed himself just in case.
” He said the man might have felt threatened by the handful of people recording and demanding he stop scrubbing away the chalk , but it ’ s no excuse for brandishing a weapon .
San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips said , “ Hopefully , we determine who the perpetrator is and we will take appropriate action if that person is found to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the first confrontation at the intersection since the mural was chalked .
Several residents have shared concerns about groups of hooded and masked men washing away the mural at night .
“ We ’ ve got numerous calls over three weeks about different kinds of disturbances from people to the effect of trying to take down the mural or put it up , ” Fink said .
“ Obviously , it ’ s a very hot topic for the community .
We are taking the time to make sure we are keeping @ @ @

San Rafael police are investigating an incident where a man pointed a gun at bystanders at a Breonna Taylor memorial in Terra Linda.
The confrontation was caught on video Thursday and posted to social media. The man was trying to wash off a chalk mural honoring Taylor, the Black woman who was fatally shot by police in March during a raid in Louisville, Kentucky.
Last week, a grand jury declined to indict the officers for her death, setting off protests around the country.
This chalk mural at the intersection of Manuel T. Freitas Parkway and Las Gallinas Avenue was originally removed by the city on Sept. 3. The city deemed it graffiti because it did not go through the public approval process.
Since then, the mural has been removed several times, not by city employees, and redrawn by Taylor supporters.
The man trying to washing away the mural on Thursday tried to pose as a city worker.
Vallejo resident Jeremy Smith, 28, recorded the incident as he was going to his job. He noticed a commotion so he stopped and asked the suspect, “What are you doing, bro?”
The man replied, “I’m with the city.”
BREAKING: A man in San Rafael brandished a gun at someone who kicked over the bucket of water he was using to wash off a Breonna Taylor chalk mural. In the vid posted Thursday, he was asked, "What are you doing, bro?" The man replied "I'm with the city." Stay tuned for updates. pic.twitter.com/NkpRNO8LW7 — Lorenzo Morotti (@Enzomorotti) September 28, 2020
The man — who was wearing a face covering, cyan T-shirt and cargo shorts — is not a city employee, said Cristine Alilovich, assistant city manager.
“If we had a city employee out there they would be clearly marked in San Rafael apparel and I can assure you I know every single employee,” Alilovich said. “We have not deployed any public works staff to that site.”
She added that the city has not removed the chalk since Sept. 3 and left a note asking for the muralist to contact the city.
San Rafael police Lt. Dan Fink said investigators do have a few leads and hope to identify a suspect soon. He said police have the description of a vehicle that could be linked to the man.
Fink said police are aware of the video and have taken statements from witnesses. He said investigators are not sure if the man brandished a firearm or a stun gun.
“Either way it’s still a felony,” he said. “I know Tasers do have yellow tips, but toy guns are supposed to have orange tips and we know people routinely take those off.
“We have heard from multiple eyewitnesses who say they did not see a color that would indicate it’s a Taser and not a firearm,” he said. “But we know that can be manipulated, but right now we are assuming it was a gun.”
He added that officers have been told to perform extra patrols of the area.
Alilovich said the city is working to find an alternative location for the chalk art because of increasing concerns for public safety.
“There have been a couple incidents where community members are having some conflicts amongst themselves,” she said. “We want to make sure everything stays peaceful.”
Smith said he did not fear for his safety, but rather for the safety of a handful of bystanders, including a mother and her child in a stroller.
“I’m kind of frustrated that he would even pull the gun out, but honestly it seemed premeditated,” he said. “I think he knew what he was doing and he knew that could happen, so he armed himself just in case.”
He said the man might have felt threatened by the handful of people recording and demanding he stop scrubbing away the chalk, but it’s no excuse for brandishing a weapon.
San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips said, “Hopefully, we determine who the perpetrator is and we will take appropriate action if that person is found to be at fault.”
The incident was not the first confrontation at the intersection since the mural was chalked. Several residents have shared concerns about groups of hooded and masked men washing away the mural at night.
“We’ve got numerous calls over three weeks about different kinds of disturbances from people to the effect of trying to take down the mural or put it up,” Fink said. “Obviously, it’s a very hot topic for the community. We are taking the time to make sure we are keeping peace.”


mercurynews--2020-09-29--Editorial: Hands down, Woerner for Livermore mayor, Kiick for council

Click here for a complete list of our election recommendations .
Livermore is a city that learned key financial lessons from the Great Recession and , as a result , is weathering the coronavirus downturn better than most California municipalities .
Credit the city administration and City Council .
One of the key leaders of that financial recovery effort was Councilman Bob Woerner , whom voters should elect mayor in the Nov. 3 election .
Starting this year , the other four council members will be elected by districts , with two seats this year and two in 2022 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the southwest part of the city , incumbent Robert Carling has no opposition .
In District 3 , the southeast part of the city , Brittni Kiick , a photographer and community activist , is the standout choice in a race between two political newcomers .
Despite the economic downturn , the city ’ s plans call for maintaining municipal services at current levels .
To understand how that ’ s possible , consider that Livermore had about 550 employees in 2007-2008 , when the last recession began .
To balance the budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs .
But , unlike many other cities , Livermore leaders didn ’ t try to hire them all back when the economy recovered .
Rather , they found ways to work more efficiently with the staff they had .
So the city is budgeted for 478 workers this fiscal year , and no layoffs , furloughs or hiring freezes are expected to be needed .
In addition to city finances , the national discussion of policing and racial justice has emerged as another key campaign issue here .
On both issues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor John Marchand can not run this year because he has served eight consecutive years , the maximum allowed under the city ’ s term limits .
Woerner , a physicist who also has an MBA in finance , recently retired after a career that included working for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and PG & E .
Not only was he a leader of the city ’ s financial recovery , he now co-chairs the city ’ s newly formed community Working Group on Equity and Inclusion .
The goal of the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on people of color — not only related to policing but also throughout the city .
Woerner wisely sees this as an opportunity to reimagine how the city polices its residents and how it deals with mentally ill and homeless people .
His opponent , Mony Nop , a real estate agent and former Livermore police officer , downplays the need , saying the city has already adopted the eight policies that police reform advocates say are key .
The reform group Campaign Zero says the city has not .
Neither of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have elective office experience .
The difference is that , since deciding to run , one , Kiick , has immersed herself in the details of Livermore city government , while her opponent , Peter Patterson , a pharmaceutical sales rep , clearly has not .
Kiick has been a leading organizer of events such as Livermore Pride and March for Science , an advocate for formation of the Equity and Inclusion working group , and co-creator of a group to help local businesses struggling to survive during the pandemic .
She ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with having a fiscally stable municipality – or , as she put it , “ If we don ’ t have money to pay for these great ideas , it doesn ’ t matter.
” Wise words that more-experienced politicians should heed .
Since she decided to run for City Council , she has spent time with current council members and city staff learning about city finances , which she now discusses respectably well .
But she recognizes she still has a lot to learn .
In contrast , Patterson , in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like what members of the City Council are supposed to do and what sort of retirement benefits the city provides its workers .
In the last year , he said , he has attended just one virtual council meeting .
In short , Patterson is nowhere near ready for the job .
Hands down , Woerner is the best pick for mayor and Kiick is the far superior District 3 candidate for City Council .

Click here for a complete list of our election recommendations.
Livermore is a city that learned key financial lessons from the Great Recession and, as a result, is weathering the coronavirus downturn better than most California municipalities.
Credit the city administration and City Council. One of the key leaders of that financial recovery effort was Councilman Bob Woerner, whom voters should elect mayor in the Nov. 3 election.
Starting this year, the other four council members will be elected by districts, with two seats this year and two in 2022.
This year, in District 4, the southwest part of the city, incumbent Robert Carling has no opposition. In District 3, the southeast part of the city, Brittni Kiick, a photographer and community activist, is the standout choice in a race between two political newcomers.
Despite the economic downturn, the city’s plans call for maintaining municipal services at current levels.
To understand how that’s possible, consider that Livermore had about 550 employees in 2007-2008, when the last recession began. To balance the budget, the City Council eliminated about 100 jobs. But, unlike many other cities, Livermore leaders didn’t try to hire them all back when the economy recovered.
Rather, they found ways to work more efficiently with the staff they had. So the city is budgeted for 478 workers this fiscal year, and no layoffs, furloughs or hiring freezes are expected to be needed.
In addition to city finances, the national discussion of policing and racial justice has emerged as another key campaign issue here. On both issues, Woerner and Kiick stand out.
Mayor — Woerner
Current Mayor John Marchand cannot run this year because he has served eight consecutive years, the maximum allowed under the city’s term limits.
Woerner, a physicist who also has an MBA in finance, recently retired after a career that included working for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and PG&E. Not only was he a leader of the city’s financial recovery, he now co-chairs the city’s newly formed community Working Group on Equity and Inclusion. The goal of the group is to address structural racism and its impact on people of color — not only related to policing but also throughout the city.
Woerner wisely sees this as an opportunity to reimagine how the city polices its residents and how it deals with mentally ill and homeless people. His opponent, Mony Nop, a real estate agent and former Livermore police officer, downplays the need, saying the city has already adopted the eight policies that police reform advocates say are key. The reform group Campaign Zero says the city has not.
District 3 — Kiick
Neither of the candidates in the District 3 race have elective office experience. The difference is that, since deciding to run, one, Kiick, has immersed herself in the details of Livermore city government, while her opponent, Peter Patterson, a pharmaceutical sales rep, clearly has not.
Kiick has been a leading organizer of events such as Livermore Pride and March for Science, an advocate for formation of the Equity and Inclusion working group, and co-creator of a group to help local businesses struggling to survive during the pandemic.
She’s clear that city involvement begins first with having a fiscally stable municipality – or, as she put it, “If we don’t have money to pay for these great ideas, it doesn’t matter.” Wise words that more-experienced politicians should heed.
Since she decided to run for City Council, she has spent time with current council members and city staff learning about city finances, which she now discusses respectably well. But she recognizes she still has a lot to learn.
In contrast, Patterson, in his interview, was lost on the basics, like what members of the City Council are supposed to do and what sort of retirement benefits the city provides its workers. In the last year, he said, he has attended just one virtual council meeting. In short, Patterson is nowhere near ready for the job.
Hands down, Woerner is the best pick for mayor and Kiick is the far superior District 3 candidate for City Council.


mercurynews--2020-09-29--Focus on Bills: Can Raiders slow down Josh Allen?

Josh Allen always dreamed big while growing up in the small Central Valley town of Firebaugh .
Often overlooked or disregarded , his belief in himself never wavered .
Allen knew he ’ d somehow find his way to the top .
Recently , one of those boyhood dreams came true for the Buffalo Bills quarterback .
Yes , Allen won AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for a career-high 417 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Miami , but that award wasn ’ t what excited him the most .
The Bills ’ 24-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fresno State ’ s coaching staff for two straight off-seasons to allow him to be a walk-on , had to pinch himself when he found out he now has his own cereal .
“ As a kid , that ’ s something that you kind of dream of , being an athlete and being on a cereal box , ” Allen told reporters after “ Josh ’ s Jaqs ” — as in Josh Allen Quarterback — were released in the Buffalo area .
“ It ’ s something that people get and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at me on a cereal box .
It ’ s definitely weird , but it ’ s a cool thing and something to cross off the bucket list.
” Fame , once a faraway goal for the kid who used to drive a tractor and chop cotton on his family ’ s farm near the banks of the San Joaquin River , is now coming quickly for him .
The charismatic Allen has spent the first three weeks of the season breaking records for the unbeaten Bills and making their games must-see television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose team will be challenged to try to stop Allen in Las Vegas Sunday , can ’ t help but love watching the 6-foot-5 , 245-pounder perform .
“ The quarterback is eye-opening .
He ’ s a fun guy to watch , man , ” Gruden said Monday about the man the Bills drafted seventh overall in the 2018 draft .
“ He can really throw the ball .
He ’ s got a great playing style .
He ’ s got a lot of John Elway ’ s playing style .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong , he ’ s tough .
He ’ s a big-time player.
” Allen , second in the NFL in passing yards ( 1,038 ) and touchdowns ( 10 ) and third in passer rating ( 124.8 ) , has also become the rare Buffalo quarterback to receive the stamp of approval from the noblest of Bills royalty .
“ This is the first time I ’ ve ever really , really been excited about a quarterback on our team , ” Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly told the Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 years ago , even cut short a hunting trip in Pennsylvania with friends so he could race back to his lodge in Ellicottville , N.Y. to tune in and watch Allen face the Rams .
He was able to witness Allen engineering his NFL-leading eighth fourth-quarter comeback victory over the last three years .
The last of Allen ’ s four touchdown passes — a 3-yarder to Tyler Kroft — came with 15 seconds left in a 35-32 win over the Rams .
For the Bills , though , it was more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally after blowing a 25-point second-half lead .
After failing to throw for more than 300 yards during his first two seasons , Allen has begun the season with three straight 300-yard plus performances .
He ’ s accounted for 12 touchdowns through three games , erasing Kelly ’ s old franchise record of 10 .
Allen is also now the only Bills quarterback in history to throw four TD passes in consecutive games .
Not a bad deal for a kid who couldn ’ t convince Fresno State – or any Division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that matter — to give him a shot after starring at Firebaugh High .
Undeterred , Allen enrolled in school 60 miles away from home at Reedley Junior College , where he continued to blossom while transforming a 2-win team into one that made it to the Mountain West championship game and earned a bowl berth .
Still , it only drew serious interest from two schools , including the University of Wyoming , which only noticed Allen when it came to Reedley to scout one of his teammates .
So off to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s where the strong-armed Allen finally convinced others to realize what he already knew , that he had what it takes to make it in the NFL .
“ I used that non-belief as fuel to my fire , ” Allen has said .
“ If you didn ’ t want to believe in me , that ’ s OK , because I ’ ll make a believer out of you.
” Here ’ s a closer look at what to look for when the Raiders try to defend Allen and pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new stadium : GAME ESSENTIALS : Raiders ( 2-1 ) vs. Bills ( 3-0 ) at Allegiant Stadium , Sunday at 1:25 p.m. ( PT ) on CBS-TV .
ODDS : Bills -2.5 .
The Bills ’ offensive line , ranked in the bottom third of the league by most accounts , struggled against the Rams and may be without its best player when it faces the Raiders .
Left tackle Dion Dawkins landed awkwardly on his right shoulder and sat out the final few plays Sunday .
His status for the Raiders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can ’ t go , 34-year-old journeyman Ty Nsekhe , who ’ s played with five NFL teams and five Arena League teams , will take his spot .
Ex-Raider Jon Feliciano , who has done an adequate job at right guard since last year , suffered a torn pectoral muscle in July but could return this week .
The Rams sacked Allen four times and Buffalo is now tied with the 49ers and Panthers for 10th-most sacks allowed this year with eight .
While Allen has averaged 3.07 seconds per pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s more a product of his elusiveness than his line ’ s blocking prowess .
The Bills pass defense has been the league ’ s sixth-worst in yardage permitted through the first three weeks , meaning Derek Carr could find some enticing passing lanes this week .
Both Jared Goff of the Rams and Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Dolphins topped the 320-yard mark against Buffalo ’ s defense , which has been operating without one of its starting cornerbacks this season .
However , Josh Norman ( hamstring ) has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters Monday .
Opponents have been picking on Norman ’ s replacement , Levi Wallace , rather than deal with Bills ’ No .
1 corner Tre-Davious White .
It ’ s clear the Raiders ’ offense should be able to move the ball as Buffalo ’ s defense is almost as forgiving against the run as it is versus the pass .
The Bills are allowing 4.6 yards per carry and permitted the Rams to run for 167 yards Sunday .
That was the most rushing yards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last season .
Overall , they ’ ve given up 318 yards on 69 attempts .
It ’ s clear the Bills miss hulking , run-stuffing defensive tackle Star Lotulelei , who opted out of the season because of COVID concerns .
• Raiders ’ Gruden on porous defense : ‘ We ’ ve got a lot of new faces ’ • Inside the Raiders : Should fans worry about injuries , Waller ’ s New England struggle ?
• Raiders return to earth in one-sided road loss to Patriots Too many receivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Raiders ’ pass defense has held opposing quarterbacks to the 10th-worst passer rating ( 88.9 ) so far .
But they ’ ll face their biggest challenge Sunday when the Bills unleash a dangerous trio of receivers for Allen : Stefon Diggs , Cole Beasley and ( maybe ) John Brown .
We ’ ll examine Diggs a little closer below , but it ’ s Beasley in the slot and Brown ( or rookie Gabriel Davis ) who solidify this receiving corps .
Beasley had six catches for 100 yards against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Brown ’ s calf injury , caught all four of his targets for 81 yards .
Oh , don ’ t forget about Buffalo ’ s tight ends .
The Rams did and it cost them the game — Tyler Kroft and former Raider Lee Smith combined for three TD catches , including Kroft ’ s game-winner with 15 seconds left .
After facing Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara to start the season , the Raiders defense made New England ’ s Rex Burkhead look like those two stars Sunday when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yards .
Now they ’ ll face another genuine standout in Buffalo ’ s elusive Devin Singletary .
Just like the previously mentioned backs , Singletary is a weapon in the passing game — he ’ s already caught 11 balls for 93 yards out of the backfield .
The 5-foot-7 , 203-pounder had 121 yards from scrimmage against the Rams , running 13 times for 71 yards ( 5.5 average ) and grabbing four passes for 50 yards .
Allen was a revelation the past two years when tucking the ball under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gained more than 1,100 yards and scored 17 touchdowns while defenses .
Although Allen has vowed to tone down some of his running with the ball , he ’ s still gained 84 yards on 22 attempts and scored two touchdowns with his legs .
Allen may prefer to find a receiver , but his speed is still enough to tempt him to take off when he wants to .
Diggs became the focal point of the Bills ’ passing game when he arrived in a pre-draft trade from the Vikings and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speedy wideout is fourth in the NFL with 288 receiving yards and no receiver has more catches for 20-plus yards than Diggs , who has six .
Most impressively , it hasn ’ t mattered who ’ s been guarding Diggs .
Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey tracked Diggs for most of Sunday ’ s game in which the Bills ’ receiver had four catches for 49 yards , including a slick maneuver on a TD catch .
Raiders ’ rookie first-rounder Damon Arnette , who re-aggravated a thumb injury Sunday he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp , will draw the tough assignment .
Diggs ’ eyes light up when a rookie corner lines up across from him in single coverage — he torched Miami ’ s Noah Igbinoghene with eight catches for 153 yards and a score .

Josh Allen always dreamed big while growing up in the small Central Valley town of Firebaugh. Often overlooked or disregarded, his belief in himself never wavered. Allen knew he’d somehow find his way to the top.
Recently, one of those boyhood dreams came true for the Buffalo Bills quarterback. Yes, Allen won AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for a career-high 417 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Miami, but that award wasn’t what excited him the most.
The Bills’ 24-year-old breakout star, who once unsuccessfully begged Fresno State’s coaching staff for two straight off-seasons to allow him to be a walk-on, had to pinch himself when he found out he now has his own cereal.
Big weekend ahead! Football is back and Limited Edition Josh’s Jaqs will be available in @Wegmans stores starting this Sunday, September 13th. It’s always been a dream to have my own cereal, thanks @PLBSports !! Pick up a box and support Oishei Children’s Hospital @ochbuffalo pic.twitter.com/9ptDpZKSLb — Josh Allen (@JoshAllenQB) September 12, 2020
“As a kid, that’s something that you kind of dream of, being an athlete and being on a cereal box,” Allen told reporters after “Josh’s Jaqs” — as in Josh Allen Quarterback — were released in the Buffalo area. “It’s something that people get and they start their day and they look at me on a cereal box. It’s definitely weird, but it’s a cool thing and something to cross off the bucket list.”
Fame, once a faraway goal for the kid who used to drive a tractor and chop cotton on his family’s farm near the banks of the San Joaquin River, is now coming quickly for him.
The charismatic Allen has spent the first three weeks of the season breaking records for the unbeaten Bills and making their games must-see television. Even Raiders coach Jon Gruden, whose team will be challenged to try to stop Allen in Las Vegas Sunday, can’t help but love watching the 6-foot-5, 245-pounder perform.
“The quarterback is eye-opening. He’s a fun guy to watch, man,” Gruden said Monday about the man the Bills drafted seventh overall in the 2018 draft. “He can really throw the ball. He’s got a great playing style. He’s got a lot of John Elway’s playing style. He can scramble, he’s strong, he’s tough. He’s a big-time player.”
Allen, second in the NFL in passing yards (1,038) and touchdowns (10) and third in passer rating (124.8), has also become the rare Buffalo quarterback to receive the stamp of approval from the noblest of Bills royalty.
“This is the first time I’ve ever really, really been excited about a quarterback on our team,” Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly told the Los Angeles Times Sunday. Kelly, who retired 24 years ago, even cut short a hunting trip in Pennsylvania with friends so he could race back to his lodge in Ellicottville, N.Y. to tune in and watch Allen face the Rams.
He was able to witness Allen engineering his NFL-leading eighth fourth-quarter comeback victory over the last three years. The last of Allen’s four touchdown passes — a 3-yarder to Tyler Kroft — came with 15 seconds left in a 35-32 win over the Rams. For the Bills, though, it was more relief than exhilaration — they had to rally after blowing a 25-point second-half lead.
After failing to throw for more than 300 yards during his first two seasons, Allen has begun the season with three straight 300-yard plus performances. He’s accounted for 12 touchdowns through three games, erasing Kelly’s old franchise record of 10. Allen is also now the only Bills quarterback in history to throw four TD passes in consecutive games.
Not a bad deal for a kid who couldn’t convince Fresno State – or any Division I college in the country, for that matter — to give him a shot after starring at Firebaugh High. Undeterred, Allen enrolled in school 60 miles away from home at Reedley Junior College, where he continued to blossom while transforming a 2-win team into one that made it to the Mountain West championship game and earned a bowl berth.
Still, it only drew serious interest from two schools, including the University of Wyoming, which only noticed Allen when it came to Reedley to scout one of his teammates. So off to Laramie, Wyoming he went. That’s where the strong-armed Allen finally convinced others to realize what he already knew, that he had what it takes to make it in the NFL.
“I used that non-belief as fuel to my fire,” Allen has said. “If you didn’t want to believe in me, that’s OK, because I’ll make a believer out of you.”
* * *
Here’s a closer look at what to look for when the Raiders try to defend Allen and pick up their second straight win at their new stadium:
GAME ESSENTIALS: Raiders (2-1) vs. Bills (3-0) at Allegiant Stadium, Sunday at 1:25 p.m. (PT) on CBS-TV. ODDS: Bills -2.5.
THREE REASONS FOR RAIDERS’ OPTIMISM:
Troubles down the line
The Bills’ offensive line, ranked in the bottom third of the league by most accounts, struggled against the Rams and may be without its best player when it faces the Raiders. Left tackle Dion Dawkins landed awkwardly on his right shoulder and sat out the final few plays Sunday. His status for the Raiders isn’t known yet. If he can’t go, 34-year-old journeyman Ty Nsekhe, who’s played with five NFL teams and five Arena League teams, will take his spot. Ex-Raider Jon Feliciano, who has done an adequate job at right guard since last year, suffered a torn pectoral muscle in July but could return this week. The Rams sacked Allen four times and Buffalo is now tied with the 49ers and Panthers for 10th-most sacks allowed this year with eight. While Allen has averaged 3.07 seconds per pass attempt, fourth best in the league, it’s more a product of his elusiveness than his line’s blocking prowess.
Green light for air attack?
The Bills pass defense has been the league’s sixth-worst in yardage permitted through the first three weeks, meaning Derek Carr could find some enticing passing lanes this week. Both Jared Goff of the Rams and Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Dolphins topped the 320-yard mark against Buffalo’s defense, which has been operating without one of its starting cornerbacks this season. However, Josh Norman (hamstring) has a chance to return this week, Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters Monday. Opponents have been picking on Norman’s replacement, Levi Wallace, rather than deal with Bills’ No. 1 corner Tre’Davious White.
Buffalo’s troubles against the run
It’s clear the Raiders’ offense should be able to move the ball as Buffalo’s defense is almost as forgiving against the run as it is versus the pass. The Bills are allowing 4.6 yards per carry and permitted the Rams to run for 167 yards Sunday. That was the most rushing yards the Bills have allowed since Week 8 last season. Overall, they’ve given up 318 yards on 69 attempts. It’s clear the Bills miss hulking, run-stuffing defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, who opted out of the season because of COVID concerns.
THREE REASONS FOR RAIDERS’ PESSIMISM:
Too many receivers to defend?
The numbers tell us the Raiders’ pass defense has held opposing quarterbacks to the 10th-worst passer rating (88.9) so far. But they’ll face their biggest challenge Sunday when the Bills unleash a dangerous trio of receivers for Allen: Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley and (maybe) John Brown. We’ll examine Diggs a little closer below, but it’s Beasley in the slot and Brown (or rookie Gabriel Davis) who solidify this receiving corps. Beasley had six catches for 100 yards against the Rams and Davis, stepping in after Brown’s calf injury, caught all four of his targets for 81 yards. Oh, don’t forget about Buffalo’s tight ends. The Rams did and it cost them the game — Tyler Kroft and former Raider Lee Smith combined for three TD catches, including Kroft’s game-winner with 15 seconds left.
Another troublesome back
After facing Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara to start the season, the Raiders defense made New England’s Rex Burkhead look like those two stars Sunday when he scored three touchdowns and had 98 all-purpose yards. Now they’ll face another genuine standout in Buffalo’s elusive Devin Singletary. Just like the previously mentioned backs, Singletary is a weapon in the passing game — he’s already caught 11 balls for 93 yards out of the backfield. The 5-foot-7, 203-pounder had 121 yards from scrimmage against the Rams, running 13 times for 71 yards (5.5 average) and grabbing four passes for 50 yards.
A real dual-threat quarterback
Allen was a revelation the past two years when tucking the ball under his arm and taking off. He gained more than 1,100 yards and scored 17 touchdowns while defenses. Although Allen has vowed to tone down some of his running with the ball, he’s still gained 84 yards on 22 attempts and scored two touchdowns with his legs. Allen may prefer to find a receiver, but his speed is still enough to tempt him to take off when he wants to.
Some QBs are just more comfortable being uncomfortable… in other words, when they are playing on the move, out of structure of play – they are at their best!! #JoshAllen is one of those guys – never looks comfortable in pocket, but once he leaves I expect a big play every time! — Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) September 28, 2020
PROBABLE DIFFERENCE-MAKER: Stefon Diggs.
Diggs became the focal point of the Bills’ passing game when he arrived in a pre-draft trade from the Vikings and he’s delivered for Buffalo. The speedy wideout is fourth in the NFL with 288 receiving yards and no receiver has more catches for 20-plus yards than Diggs, who has six. Most impressively, it hasn’t mattered who’s been guarding Diggs. Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey tracked Diggs for most of Sunday’s game in which the Bills’ receiver had four catches for 49 yards, including a slick maneuver on a TD catch.
Jalen Ramsey set up to take away this exact route. Diggs didn't care. Just went the long way around, got position back with a little fake. So smooth pic.twitter.com/jo6RuxG8n6 — Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) September 27, 2020
Raiders’ rookie first-rounder Damon Arnette, who re-aggravated a thumb injury Sunday, would ordinarily draw the tough assignment, but a team source said Tuesday he may be placed on injured reserve. Backup Nevin Lawson would take his place. Diggs’ eyes light up when a rookie or backup corner lines up across from him in single coverage — he torched Miami rookie Noah Igbinoghene for eight catches for 153 yards and a score.


mercurynews--2020-09-29--Oakland A’s history of heartbreak — a stroll down (painful) memory lane

The A ’ s were saying all of the right things in the days before the start of the American League playoffs .
“ I don ’ t think that too many teams in the league can stack up against us if we ’ re playing our baseball , ” closer Liam Hendriks said last week .
“ It ’ s all about who gets hot right now , ” shortstop Marcus Semien said Monday .
“ We didn ’ t play well at the end , but if we get hot now , it ’ s our series.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Chicago White Sox starts Tuesday at noon , and the organization is hoping to exorcise their recent and not-so-recent postseason demons .
Oakland has won one playoff series in the past 29 years — a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Divisional Series in 2006 .
Otherwise , in 11 postseason appearances from 1992 to 2019 , Oakland has lost in the AL championship series twice , the divisional series six times and the wild card game three times .
There is a consensus that a best-of-three series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario , will be helpful to the A ’ s .
They certainly hope that ’ s the case , anyway .
“ It ’ s a different scenario going in there knowing that it ’ s not a do-or-die in the first game , ” Hendriks said .
“ I think that could take the pressure off a lot of guys .
It changes the dynamic a little bit .
It ’ s just going out there and making sure we take care of business on the first day.
” Here ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s postseason heartbreak over the last 29 years , if you care to remember .
RECAP : The A ’ s still had several players left over from their 1989 World Series champion roster , but this series signaled the end of that era .
Game 4 was the defining moment , as the A ’ s blew a 6-1 lead over the eighth and ninth innings , with Roberto Alomar famously hitting a two-run home run off Dennis Eckersley in the ninth to tie the game .
Toronto took the lead for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3-1 in the series .
The Jays won the ALCS in six games and advanced to their first World Series .
RECAP : Back in the playoffs for the first time in eight years , the A ’ s pounded Roger Clemens and Dwight Gooden in an 11-1 win in Game 4 and sent things back to the Coliseum .
Gil Heredia , who out-dueled Clemens in Game 1 , retired just one of the seven batters he faced in Game 5 and the A ’ s trailed 6-0 before they had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was huge because Jason Giambi and Co. chipped away to make it 7-5 in the fourth inning , but they managed just three baserunners the rest of the way .
RECAP : After a 102-win regular season , the A ’ s were finishing up a sweep of the Bronx Bombers when they were tripped up by moment that came to be a defining moment in Derek Jeter ’ s career .
With the A ’ s trailing 1-0 with two outs in the seventh , Jeremy Giambi tried to score from first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right field corner .
Shane Spencer ’ s throw home missed two cutoff men , seemingly , allowing Giambi to score easily .
But , of course , he didn ’ t .
Jeter came out of nowhere and shoveled a bare-hand toss to catcher Jorge Posada , who swiped the surprised Giambi a split second before he crossed the plate .
The Yankees won 1-0 , and completed the reverse sweep with 9-2 and 5-3 victories in Games 4 and 5 .
RECAP : After winning 103 games , including a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular season , the A ’ s were heavily favored over the Twins and took a 2-1 series lead .
But the A ’ s lost Game 4 in a Minneapolis 11-2 stinker to send things back to Oakland for a deciding Game 5 .
In true heartbreaking fashion , Mark Ellis hit a three-run homer in the ninth to cut the Twins ’ lead to 5-4 .
Then Randy Velarde singled with two outs .
But the season ended with the potential tying run on first .
RECAP : The A ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Coliseum before the series shifted to Fenway Park .
It was all downhill from there .
Game 3 was decided by Trot Nixon ’ s walk-off two-run homer in the 11th in a game that saw , in the same inning , Eric Byrnes forget to touch home plate and Miguel Tejada called out for interfering with Bill Mueller while rounding third .
Boston won the next two games by one run , with Game 5 being especially tough for the A ’ s , who , down 4-3 in the ninth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but failed to score .
RECAP : Back in the playoffs for the first time in three years , the A ’ s swept the Twins in the three-game ALDS , then were swept in four by the Tigers .
The A ’ s led for a total of two innings until a glimmer of hope emerged in Game 4 .
The Tigers dashed that and the series on Magglio Ordonez ’ two-out , three-run homer off Huston Street in the bottom of the ninth .
RECAP : After winning the West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the A ’ s lost two in a row in Detroit before Brett Anderson and Co. kept hope alive with a four-hit shutout in Game 3 .
A three-run bottom of the ninth against Tigers closer Jose Valverde , including a tying two-run double by Seth Smith and Coco Crisp ’ s two-out , winning single save the season .
But Justin Verlander ended it in Game 5 , allowing four hits in a 6-0 complete-game victory .
RECAP : Another one that got away .
The A ’ s had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the seventh inning when the Tigers scored a combined five runs in the seventh and eighth innings and went onto a 8-6 win .
Verlander then broke the A ’ s hearts one more time , out-dueling Sonny Gray in what became a 3-0 Tigers win in Game 5 .
RECAP : The A ’ s had leads at three different times against the Royals and lost them all , including an 8-7 lead in the 12th inning .
But both starter Jon Lester and closer Sean Doolittle struggled mightily , allowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innings .
In the 12th , Alberto Callaspo ’ s RBI single gave the A ’ s the lead again , but the Royals got two in the bottom of the inning , the winning single by Salvador Perez getting past the dive of third baseman Josh Donaldson .
• Kurtenbach : Oakland A ’ s are World Series caliber — if they get past White Sox , first-round demons • With free agency looming , Marcus Semien takes third swing at helping A ’ s out of wild card round • Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early start times for A ’ s-White Sox series RECAP : Was never close .
After a 97-win regular season that included a huge second half , the A ’ s lost at Yankee Stadium in one of the few elimination game losses that wasn ’ t competitive .
Mike Judge hit a homer off Hendriks , then the A ’ s “ opener , ” and the Yankees added four more in the sixth .
RECAP : More than 50,000 fans were silenced at the Coliseum , as the Rays hit three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first three innings to take a 4-0 lead .
Two came off the bat of infielder Yandy Diaz .
Ramon Laureano drove in the A ’ s lone run , but otherwise , Oakland was 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base .

The A’s were saying all of the right things in the days before the start of the American League playoffs.
“I don’t think that too many teams in the league can stack up against us if we’re playing our baseball,” closer Liam Hendriks said last week.
“I feel like we’re ready,” utility player Chad Pinder said Sunday.
“It’s all about who gets hot right now,” shortstop Marcus Semien said Monday. “We didn’t play well at the end, but if we get hot now, it’s our series.”
The A’s wild card series with the Chicago White Sox starts Tuesday at noon, and the organization is hoping to exorcise their recent and not-so-recent postseason demons. Oakland has won one playoff series in the past 29 years — a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Divisional Series in 2006.
Otherwise, in 11 postseason appearances from 1992 to 2019, Oakland has lost in the AL championship series twice, the divisional series six times and the wild card game three times.
There is a consensus that a best-of-three series, instead of a single-game, winner-take-all scenario, will be helpful to the A’s. They certainly hope that’s the case, anyway.
“It’s a different scenario going in there knowing that it’s not a do-or-die in the first game,” Hendriks said. “I think that could take the pressure off a lot of guys. It changes the dynamic a little bit. It’s just going out there and making sure we take care of business on the first day.”
Here’s a look at the A’s postseason heartbreak over the last 29 years, if you care to remember.
1992 — ALCS vs. Toronto Blue Jays
OUTCOME: Blue Jays win series 4-2
RECAP: The A’s still had several players left over from their 1989 World Series champion roster, but this series signaled the end of that era. Game 4 was the defining moment, as the A’s blew a 6-1 lead over the eighth and ninth innings, with Roberto Alomar famously hitting a two-run home run off Dennis Eckersley in the ninth to tie the game. Toronto took the lead for good in the 11th to go up 3-1 in the series. The Jays won the ALCS in six games and advanced to their first World Series.
2000 — ALDS vs. New York Yankees
OUTCOME: Yankees win series 3-2
RECAP: Back in the playoffs for the first time in eight years, the A’s pounded Roger Clemens and Dwight Gooden in an 11-1 win in Game 4 and sent things back to the Coliseum. Gil Heredia, who out-dueled Clemens in Game 1, retired just one of the seven batters he faced in Game 5 and the A’s trailed 6-0 before they had a chance to bat. That early hole was huge because Jason Giambi and Co. chipped away to make it 7-5 in the fourth inning, but they managed just three baserunners the rest of the way.
2001 — ALDS vs. New York Yankees
OUTCOME: Yankees win series 3-2
RECAP: After a 102-win regular season, the A’s were finishing up a sweep of the Bronx Bombers when they were tripped up by moment that came to be a defining moment in Derek Jeter’s career. With the A’s trailing 1-0 with two outs in the seventh, Jeremy Giambi tried to score from first on Terrence Long’s double to the right field corner. Shane Spencer’s throw home missed two cutoff men, seemingly, allowing Giambi to score easily. But, of course, he didn’t. Jeter came out of nowhere and shoveled a bare-hand toss to catcher Jorge Posada, who swiped the surprised Giambi a split second before he crossed the plate. The Yankees won 1-0, and completed the reverse sweep with 9-2 and 5-3 victories in Games 4 and 5.
2002 — ALDS vs. Minnesota Twins
OUTCOME: Twins win series 3-2
RECAP: After winning 103 games, including a record 20-game winning streak, during the regular season, the A’s were heavily favored over the Twins and took a 2-1 series lead. But the A’s lost Game 4 in a Minneapolis 11-2 stinker to send things back to Oakland for a deciding Game 5. In true heartbreaking fashion, Mark Ellis hit a three-run homer in the ninth to cut the Twins’ lead to 5-4. Then Randy Velarde singled with two outs. But the season ended with the potential tying run on first.
2003 — ALDS vs. Boston Red Sox
OUTCOME: Red Sox win series 3-2
RECAP: The A’s won the first two games at the Coliseum before the series shifted to Fenway Park. It was all downhill from there. Game 3 was decided by Trot Nixon’s walk-off two-run homer in the 11th in a game that saw, in the same inning, Eric Byrnes forget to touch home plate and Miguel Tejada called out for interfering with Bill Mueller while rounding third. Boston won the next two games by one run, with Game 5 being especially tough for the A’s, who, down 4-3 in the ninth, loaded the bases with three walks, but failed to score.
2006 — ALCS vs. Detroit Tigers
OUTCOME: Tigers win series 4-0.
RECAP: Back in the playoffs for the first time in three years, the A’s swept the Twins in the three-game ALDS, then were swept in four by the Tigers. The A’s led for a total of two innings until a glimmer of hope emerged in Game 4. The Tigers dashed that and the series on Magglio Ordonez’ two-out, three-run homer off Huston Street in the bottom of the ninth.
2012 — ALDS vs. Detroit Tigers
OUTCOME: Tigers win series 3-2.
RECAP: After winning the West with the second-best record in the AL, the A’s lost two in a row in Detroit before Brett Anderson and Co. kept hope alive with a four-hit shutout in Game 3. A three-run bottom of the ninth against Tigers closer Jose Valverde, including a tying two-run double by Seth Smith and Coco Crisp’s two-out, winning single save the season. But Justin Verlander ended it in Game 5, allowing four hits in a 6-0 complete-game victory.
2013 — ALDS vs. Detroit Tigers
OUTCOME: Tigers win series 3-2.
RECAP: Another one that got away. The A’s had a 2-1 series lead and were up 4-3 in the seventh inning when the Tigers scored a combined five runs in the seventh and eighth innings and went onto a 8-6 win. Verlander then broke the A’s hearts one more time, out-dueling Sonny Gray in what became a 3-0 Tigers win in Game 5.
2014 — AL wild card game vs. Kansas City Royals
OUTCOME: Royals win 9-8 in 12 innings.
RECAP: The A’s had leads at three different times against the Royals and lost them all, including an 8-7 lead in the 12th inning. But both starter Jon Lester and closer Sean Doolittle struggled mightily, allowing a combined seven earned runs in nine innings. In the 12th, Alberto Callaspo’s RBI single gave the A’s the lead again, but the Royals got two in the bottom of the inning, the winning single by Salvador Perez getting past the dive of third baseman Josh Donaldson.
2018 — AL wild card game vs. New York Yankees
OUTCOME: Yankees win 7-2.
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A’s suffer historic ninth-inning collapse while getting swept in Washington Oakland Athletics | A’s fall again as Nationals win on Ruiz’s walkoff home run RECAP: Was never close. After a 97-win regular season that included a huge second half, the A’s lost at Yankee Stadium in one of the few elimination game losses that wasn’t competitive. Mike Judge hit a homer off Hendriks, then the A’s “opener,” and the Yankees added four more in the sixth.
2019 — AL wild card game vs. Tampa Bay Rays
OUTCOME: Rays win 5-1
RECAP: More than 50,000 fans were silenced at the Coliseum, as the Rays hit three home runs off Sean Manaea in the first three innings to take a 4-0 lead. Two came off the bat of infielder Yandy Diaz. Ramon Laureano drove in the A’s lone run, but otherwise, Oakland was 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.


mercurynews--2020-09-29--California’s ancient “asbestos” forests no longer seem immune

In the annals of California ’ s wildfire history , so much is happening now that seems unfathomable : The number and size of this year ’ s fires — and their maddingly erratic behaviors — have created the worst season in the state ’ s modern history .
Nearly 4 million acres have already burned , killing 26 people .
But what has stunned officials most about the state ’ s 8,000 fires is the location of the largest blazes : sizzling deep in stands of redwoods along what should be a fog-shrouded rainforest .
The state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was gutted by fire .
Researchers now worry that historic fire cycles are so far off kilter that even California ’ s “ asbestos forests ” — its millenia-old , misty coastal forests — have lost their limited immunity .
“ This idea that there are places that we can live in California that are safe from fire is a pipe dream , ” said Crystal Kolden , a wildfire researcher at UC Merced .
“ The only places in California that are ‘ safe ’ from ( wild ) fire are places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ core , the middle of Death Valley .
That ’ s it.
” The North Coast ’ s trees — redwoods , oaks and sequoias — stand as a metaphor for power and resilience .
Novelist John Steinbeck called redwoods “ ambassadors from another time.
” It ’ s not hyperbole : Coastal redwoods are the tallest living things on the planet , soaring up to 300 feet and living 1,000 years or more , and only growing in the ridges and valleys facing the Pacific , running from Big Sur in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north .
Home to mountain lions , bears , salmon and rare spotted owls and seabirds , the dense stands are now under attack from the same menace that stalks much of the state : wildfire .
“ There is a collective sensation that we are reaching a tipping point , ” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson , a fire specialist with the University of California Cooperative Extension .
“ This year was not just the fluke burning horrifically .
This is 3.2 million acres of fire that burned in a month .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the six largest fires in California history have occurred this summer .
Climate change has been amplifying these extreme fires , abetted by extended drought , record heat waves and an epidemic of millions of dying trees , according to climate and fire scientists .
August was the hottest month in California history .
The coastline is experiencing less fog and higher summer temperatures , especially at night .
Lightning was responsible for sparking the state ’ s largest fire , which has already charred more than 1,300 square miles of the North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still burning .
But rather than an anomalous freak of weather creating once-in-a-decade wildfires , experts say the recent blazes provide a vision of a future with much more fire endangering the North Coast ’ s pine and oak forests .
“ We ’ re starting to see fires and devastating type of activities in the redwoods , which doesn ’ t happen .
In our lifetimes , this has not happened , ” Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter recently told CNN .
The ancient conifers and oaks of the North Coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are known as “ asbestos forests.
” Fire has long been part of the coastal landscape , yet the typical low-intensity burns don ’ t permanently harm redwoods because they are armored in two-foot-thick bark .
But uncontrolled fire among giant trees is a more urgent matter that poses a new danger to the forests .
“ There ’ s a long-held belief that redwood forests just don ’ t burn or are resistant to fire .
Not true , ” said Angela Bernheisel , a Cal Fire Division Chief in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires are burning in coastal zones .
Even the recent high-severity fires are not likely to kill entire forests .
Older , larger trees can withstand scorching .
Park officials at Big Basin Redwoods said that flames burned the understory but the tallest trees are expected to recover .
But Bernheisel said the ferocity of this year ’ s fires in the big trees should sound an alarm about the changes underway in California ’ s forests .
“ My hope is that this fire and the new awareness that people have of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually move people to action , ” she said .
“ There ’ s a big backlog of work to do.
” The “ work ” is the expensive and time-consuming task of burning or cutting through millions of acres of overgrown tracts , some of them untouched by any modern management .
The forests holding towering redwoods and pines are many times more dense than at any time in their history , Quinn-Davidson said .
Based in Eureka , in the heart of Humboldt County ’ s rainy , gloomy Redwood Empire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t resemble their former state .
“ They are suffering from the same things that the rest of the state forests are , they are poorly managed and have fuels buildup.
” “ We are now entering a new regime , the climate is changing and we are seeing drier conditions and we are seeing a longer fire season .
We are not getting that fall precipitation , ” she said .
The state ’ s 2018 Fourth Climate Assessment delivered a trifecta of dire conclusions for the North Coast : “ Future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an increase in wildfire frequency , and an expansion of the area susceptible to fire.
” The long-range forecast for the North Coast projects that rain will fall in shorter , more intense storms , which means the water flows over hillsides rather than soaking into soil to nourish the trees and protect against fire .
Average annual maximum temperatures in Mendocino , Humboldt , Del Norte , Lake , Trinity and Siskiyou Counties could increase by as much as 9 degrees through the end of the century , the report concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impacting these areas .
Last year we were at 60 % of average precipitation .
We ’ re drier than normal , ” said Scott Stephens , a fire scientist at UC Berkeley .
“ So when lighting strikes , you get an overwhelming number of ignitions in fuels that have been preconditioned to burn.
” Drought has primed diseased trees to burn , especially in the fire-prone Sierra , where more than 163 million dead trees litter the landscape .
But coastal species have been fallen by disease , too , decimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Monterey pines .
Even the fog that reliably blankets the North Coast is dissipating .
Research from University of California , Berkeley found that fog frequency has declined by a third compared with a century ago .
Because the oceans have warmed , their cold , deep water can ’ t mix with warmer surface water , which weakens the upwellings that create the coast ’ s fog .
“ Coast redwood and other ecosystems along the United States west coast may be increasingly drought stressed under a summer climate of reduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the study found .
Fog is critical to tree health because coastal forests receive as much of a third of their water from fog banks , absorbing moisture through their leaves or needles .
A decline in the marine layer that tempers the sun ’ s radiation also results in dry soils and stressed , fire-ready vegetation .
“ The piece of this that is associated with climate change is that the redwoods were drier than normal to start with because of a coastal drought , how hot it was this summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Kolden .
“ The same high pressure system that produced high heat across California causing power emergencies is what kept the marine layer offshore.
” • ‘ It feels so demoralizing ’ : Wine country residents forced to flee again , this time from the Glass Fire Racing through rugged , remote Mendocino and Humboldt counties , the record-breaking , lightning-sparked August Complex fire is only 43 % contained despite a month of firefighting .
To the south , hundreds of miles away in another coastal range , a barrage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by rain , lit up an unusually dry and overgrown landscape .
The smaller fires quickly merged , creating the SCU Lightning Complex , which has so far scorched nearly 400,000 acres in six counties north of the Bay Area .
“ For all of that to happen at once was unprecedented , ” said Bernheisel of Cal Fire .
The fires are causing North Coast residents to wonder if their homes and beloved forests are in jeopardy .
“ Even here in Humboldt County — we are right on the ocean , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to look around and say , ‘ Is my house ready for a wildfire ?
’ I ’ m hearing those conversations , ” Quinn-Davidson said .

In the annals of California’s wildfire history, so much is happening now that seems unfathomable: The number and size of this year’s fires — and their maddingly erratic behaviors — have created the worst season in the state’s modern history. Nearly 4 million acres have already burned, killing 26 people.
But what has stunned officials most about the state’s 8,000 fires is the location of the largest blazes: sizzling deep in stands of redwoods along what should be a fog-shrouded rainforest. The state’s oldest park, Big Basin Redwoods, was gutted by fire.
Researchers now worry that historic fire cycles are so far off kilter that even California’s “asbestos forests” — its millenia-old, misty coastal forests — have lost their limited immunity.
“This idea that there are places that we can live in California that are safe from fire is a pipe dream,” said Crystal Kolden, a wildfire researcher at UC Merced. “The only places in California that are ‘safe’ from (wild)fire are places with no flammable vegetation — the urban core, the middle of Death Valley. That’s it.”
The North Coast’s trees — redwoods, oaks and sequoias — stand as a metaphor for power and resilience. Novelist John Steinbeck called redwoods “ambassadors from another time.” It’s not hyperbole: Coastal redwoods are the tallest living things on the planet, soaring up to 300 feet and living 1,000 years or more, and only growing in the ridges and valleys facing the Pacific, running from Big Sur in the south to the Oregon border in the north.
Home to mountain lions, bears, salmon and rare spotted owls and seabirds, the dense stands are now under attack from the same menace that stalks much of the state: wildfire.
“There is a collective sensation that we are reaching a tipping point,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, a fire specialist with the University of California Cooperative Extension. “This year was not just the fluke burning horrifically. This is 3.2 million acres of fire that burned in a month. It was complete triage and disaster.”
Warmer nights and dried-out trees
Five of the six largest fires in California history have occurred this summer. Climate change has been amplifying these extreme fires, abetted by extended drought, record heat waves and an epidemic of millions of dying trees, according to climate and fire scientists. August was the hottest month in California history.
The coastline is experiencing less fog and higher summer temperatures, especially at night. Lightning was responsible for sparking the state’s largest fire, which has already charred more than 1,300 square miles of the North Coast’s forests since mid-August and is still burning.
But rather than an anomalous freak of weather creating once-in-a-decade wildfires, experts say the recent blazes provide a vision of a future with much more fire endangering the North Coast’s pine and oak forests.
“We’re starting to see fires and devastating type of activities in the redwoods, which doesn’t happen. In our lifetimes, this has not happened,” Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter recently told CNN.
The ancient conifers and oaks of the North Coast are historically so resilient to fire that they are known as “asbestos forests.” Fire has long been part of the coastal landscape, yet the typical low-intensity burns don’t permanently harm redwoods because they are armored in two-foot-thick bark. But uncontrolled fire among giant trees is a more urgent matter that poses a new danger to the forests.
“There’s a long-held belief that redwood forests just don’t burn or are resistant to fire. Not true,” said Angela Bernheisel, a Cal Fire Division Chief in the San Mateo/Santa Cruz Unit, where multiple fires are burning in coastal zones.
Even the recent high-severity fires are not likely to kill entire forests. Older, larger trees can withstand scorching. Park officials at Big Basin Redwoods said that flames burned the understory but the tallest trees are expected to recover.
But Bernheisel said the ferocity of this year’s fires in the big trees should sound an alarm about the changes underway in California’s forests.
“My hope is that this fire and the new awareness that people have of the risk that is out there will actually move people to action,” she said. “There’s a big backlog of work to do.”
The “work” is the expensive and time-consuming task of burning or cutting through millions of acres of overgrown tracts, some of them untouched by any modern management.
The forests holding towering redwoods and pines are many times more dense than at any time in their history, Quinn-Davidson said.
Based in Eureka, in the heart of Humboldt County’s rainy, gloomy Redwood Empire, Quinn-Davidson said the forests don’t resemble their former state. “They are suffering from the same things that the rest of the state forests are, they are poorly managed and have fuels buildup.”
“We are now entering a new regime, the climate is changing and we are seeing drier conditions and we are seeing a longer fire season. We are not getting that fall precipitation,” she said.
The state’s 2018 Fourth Climate Assessment delivered a trifecta of dire conclusions for the North Coast: “Future wildfire projections suggest a longer fire season, an increase in wildfire frequency, and an expansion of the area susceptible to fire.”
The long-range forecast for the North Coast projects that rain will fall in shorter, more intense storms, which means the water flows over hillsides rather than soaking into soil to nourish the trees and protect against fire.
Average annual maximum temperatures in Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Lake, Trinity and Siskiyou Counties could increase by as much as 9 degrees through the end of the century, the report concluded.
“The weather and climate is impacting these areas. Last year we were at 60% of average precipitation. We’re drier than normal,” said Scott Stephens, a fire scientist at UC Berkeley. “So when lighting strikes, you get an overwhelming number of ignitions in fuels that have been preconditioned to burn.”
Drought has primed diseased trees to burn, especially in the fire-prone Sierra, where more than 163 million dead trees litter the landscape. But coastal species have been fallen by disease, too, decimated by Sudden Oak Death and pitch canker in Monterey pines.
Where’s the fog?
Even the fog that reliably blankets the North Coast is dissipating. Research from University of California, Berkeley found that fog frequency has declined by a third compared with a century ago.
Because the oceans have warmed, their cold, deep water can’t mix with warmer surface water, which weakens the upwellings that create the coast’s fog.
“Coast redwood and other ecosystems along the United States west coast may be increasingly drought stressed under a summer climate of reduced fog frequency and greater evaporative demand,” the study found.
Fog is critical to tree health because coastal forests receive as much of a third of their water from fog banks, absorbing moisture through their leaves or needles. A decline in the marine layer that tempers the sun’s radiation also results in dry soils and stressed, fire-ready vegetation.
“The piece of this that is associated with climate change is that the redwoods were drier than normal to start with because of a coastal drought, how hot it was this summer and the increase in nighttime temperatures,” said Kolden. “The same high pressure system that produced high heat across California causing power emergencies is what kept the marine layer offshore.”
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To the south, hundreds of miles away in another coastal range, a barrage of more than 14,000 lighting strikes, unaccompanied by rain, lit up an unusually dry and overgrown landscape. The smaller fires quickly merged, creating the SCU Lightning Complex, which has so far scorched nearly 400,000 acres in six counties north of the Bay Area.
“For all of that to happen at once was unprecedented,” said Bernheisel of Cal Fire.
The fires are causing North Coast residents to wonder if their homes and beloved forests are in jeopardy.
“Even here in Humboldt County — we are right on the ocean, basically in a rainforest — people are starting to look around and say, ‘Is my house ready for a wildfire?’ I’m hearing those conversations,” Quinn-Davidson said.
CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.


mercurynews--2020-09-29--Map: Martindale fire near Santa Clarita

Map: Martindale fire near Santa Clarita

A brush fire blackened 200 acres in about 30 minutes Monday afternoon , Sept. 28 , 2020 and quickly threatened @ @ @ @ @ theCastaic Canyons area near Santa Clarita .
The Martindale Fire broke out at 3 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ Bouquet Canyon Road , about two miles southwest of the Bouquet Reservoir , and fire @ @ @ @ @ according to Franklin Lopez of the Los Angeles County Fire Department .
• ‘ It @ @ @ @ @ Wine country residents forced to flee again , this time from the Glass Fire About @ @ @ @ @ 3:25 p.m. , the fire department reported .
Evacuation orders were issued for residents who @ @ @ @ @ , south to mile marker 11.5 , and evacuation warnings were issuedfor residents who live @ @ @ @ @ Texas Canyon Ranger Station at 30800 Bouquet Canyon Road , according to the U.S. Forest @ @

A brush fire blackened 200 acres in about 30 minutes Monday afternoon, Sept. 28, 2020 and quickly threatened about a dozen structures in theCastaic Canyons area near Santa Clarita.
The Martindale Fire broke out at 3 p.m. in the 34700 block of Bouquet Canyon Road, about two miles southwest of the Bouquet Reservoir, and fire crewsarrived at 3:09 p.m., according to Franklin Lopez of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
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Evacuation orders were issued for residents who live from Bouquet Reservoir Dam, south to mile marker 11.5, and evacuation warnings were issuedfor residents who live from mile marker 11.5 to Texas Canyon Ranger Station at 30800 Bouquet Canyon Road, according to the U.S. Forest Service.


mercurynews--2020-09-29--Amazon to kick off holiday shopping with October Prime Day

Amazon is aiming to kickstart the holiday shopping season early this year .
The company is holding its annual Prime Day over two days in October this year , after the pandemic forced it to postpone the sales event from July .
It ’ s the first time Prime Day is being held in the fall , and Amazon is positioning it as a way to get people to start their holiday shopping .
Even before Amazon ’ s announcement Monday , major retailers have said they plan to push shoppers to start their holiday shopping in October and offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their stores in November and December .
Prime Day , which will run from Oct. 13 to Oct. 14 this year , is sure to put pressure on rivals to offer deals around the same time .
In past years , Walmart , Best Buy and Target have offered their own online discounts during Prime Day .
In fact , Target announced on Monday it was also holding a two-day sale event on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14 .
Amazon started the sales event in 2015 as its answer to Singles ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popularized by Chinese ecommerce company Alibaba .
Prime Day has become one of Amazon ’ s biggest shopping days , since it offers some of its deepest discounts of the year .
Amazon also sees it as a way to get more people to sign up for its Prime membership , since only those paying $ 12.99 a month or $ 119 a year can access the deals .
The company said Amazon Prime members in 19 countries will get access to deals this year , including two new ones : Brazil and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in India this summer .

Amazon is aiming to kickstart the holiday shopping season early this year.
The company is holding its annual Prime Day over two days in October this year, after the pandemic forced it to postpone the sales event from July. It’s the first time Prime Day is being held in the fall, and Amazon is positioning it as a way to get people to start their holiday shopping.
Even before Amazon’s announcement Monday, major retailers have said they plan to push shoppers to start their holiday shopping in October and offer deals earlier, hoping to avoid crowds in their stores in November and December.
Prime Day, which will run from Oct. 13 to Oct. 14 this year, is sure to put pressure on rivals to offer deals around the same time. In past years, Walmart, Best Buy and Target have offered their own online discounts during Prime Day. In fact, Target announced on Monday it was also holding a two-day sale event on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14.
Amazon started the sales event in 2015 as its answer to Singles’ Day, a shopping holiday in China popularized by Chinese ecommerce company Alibaba. Prime Day has become one of Amazon’s biggest shopping days, since it offers some of its deepest discounts of the year.
Amazon also sees it as a way to get more people to sign up for its Prime membership, since only those paying $12.99 a month or $119 a year can access the deals.
The company said Amazon Prime members in 19 countries will get access to deals this year, including two new ones: Brazil and Turkey. It already held Prime Day in India this summer.


mercurynews--2020-09-29--Doc Rivers ousted from Clippers, social media reacts to shocking decision

Clippers reporter Mirjam Swanson confirmed the bombshell news on Monday that the Clippers have fired head coach Doc Rivers .
@ @ @ @ @ series lead in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Denver Nuggets @ @ @ @ @ , but his firing was still a surprise to many .
The Clippers never advanced @ @ @ @ @ playoffs in seven years under Rivers , and there were huge expectations this season after @ @ @ @ @ George , with many pundits picking them to win the NBA title before their infamous @ @ @ @ @ Here is how social media is reacting to the news .

Clippers reporter Mirjam Swanson confirmed the bombshell news on Monday that the Clippers have fired head coach Doc Rivers. The Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, losing in Game 7, but his firing was still a surprise to many.
Doc Rivers is out as Clippers coach https://t.co/yc2hUnlhIX — Inside SoCal Sports 📰 (@InsideSoCalSpts) September 28, 2020
The Clippers never advanced beyond the second-round of the playoffs in seven years under Rivers, and there were huge expectations this season after acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, with many pundits picking them to win the NBA title before their infamous collapse against the Nuggets.
Here is how social media is reacting to the news.
Coach Doc Rivers is out with the Clippers, sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 28, 2020
Official announcement from the team: “Doc Rivers Departs” pic.twitter.com/D9lFfaC1T3 — Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) September 28, 2020
"I think it should be Mark Jackson. I think he would be a great replacement. He's got the respect of players."@Chris_Broussard reacts to Doc Rivers and the Clippers parting ways pic.twitter.com/wJk7SeWRFu — The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) September 28, 2020
New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers have already reached out to former Clippers head coach Doc Rivers in regards to their head coach openings, sources told @TheUndefeated. — Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 28, 2020
Doc Rivers had two years left on his contract, sources tell ESPN. This is a challenging coaching search for Clippers, who are the ultimate win-now team. Among top candidates in the marketplace: Clippers assistant Ty Lue and former Rockets and Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy. https://t.co/Ov02RYNbK9 — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 28, 2020
It didn’t go as planned on the court, but Doc Rivers provided one of the Orlando bubble’s most powerful moments: pic.twitter.com/mhFWYJeZnk — Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) September 28, 2020
While we are talking coaches… do you think the Celtics would trade Stevens for Kawhi, or still no? (Love ya Mannix!) — nick wright (@getnickwright) September 28, 2020
I'm not shocked over the firing of Doc Rivers, although I'm not pleased. He was a pleasure to deal with. — Mark Whicker (@MWhicker03LANG) September 28, 2020
Clippers had three head coaching candidates in their organization last season in Ty Lue, Sam Cassell and Chauncey Billups. — Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) September 28, 2020
Ty Lue and Jeff Van Gundy are among top candidates to replace Doc Rivers as Clippers head coach, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/mLRicDWraS — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 28, 2020
So much pressure on the next Clippers coach. They have to be real contenders or they run the risk of losing Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. They can both be free agents in the 2021 offseason. — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) September 28, 2020
Doc Rivers is out as Clippers coach, per @wojespn. The Clippers had the 5th-best regular-season winning percentage in the NBA since Rivers took over in 2013-14. However, Rivers is the only coach in NBA history to blow multiple 3-1 leads (2020 & 2015 with LAC, 2003 with ORL). pic.twitter.com/kerpBYlTGh — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 28, 2020
Here's what I know: @DocRivers is one of the most high-quality humans I have ever met. He is brilliant & funny & empathetic & honorable. In times of crisis, he steps up, when so many others step back. We have been lucky to have him, and I hope we continue to in some other job. — Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) September 28, 2020
I worked with 19 or 20 head coaches in my years with the Clippers. I treasure the 6 seasons with Doc Rivers more than any other. Thanks, Doc. pic.twitter.com/gAKghlZEV3 — Ralph Lawler (@Ohmeomy) September 28, 2020
Steve Ballmer has enough money to hire any head coach. Who is the perfect hire?#Clippers — Steve Mason (@VeniceMase) September 28, 2020
I suspect today's Doc news has a few teams wishing they were more patient than they were….. — BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) September 28, 2020
Surprised Doc is gone? Who does #clippernation want as his replacement? 🤔 — Rob Fukuzaki (@abc7rob) September 28, 2020
Wow. Doc Rivers meant a lot to the Clippers. Guided them through the Donald Sterling fiasco, ran the front office for some years, and won a lot of games. He’s a good man. But Steve Ballmer clearly thinks the Clippers need to do better to win it all. Pivotal decision coming up. https://t.co/dP0w9GcOou — Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) September 28, 2020
How the Clippers did Doc Rivers pic.twitter.com/4qMBNQi3gi — Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) September 28, 2020
Black head coaches remaining in the 30-team NBA: Cleveland’s JB Bickerstaff, Detroit’s Dwane Casey, Atlanta’s Lloyd Pierce and Phoenix’s Monty Williams. Black coaches fired in 2020: Doc Rivers, Nate McMillan and Alvin Gentry. Black coaches hired in 2020: 0. NBA black players 75%. — Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 28, 2020
Doc Rivers was the last remaining cornerstone from the Lob City era. pic.twitter.com/st68TOPqKk — ESPN (@espn) September 28, 2020
He’s going to be a free agent for about ten seconds — Molly Knight (@molly_knight) September 28, 2020
The game is the game, and the Clippers didn't meet expectations. But I'll remember Doc's voice in the bubble and the passion he showed on the human issues that have become so important to our national reckoning this year. https://t.co/eJx2yWcIMD — Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) September 28, 2020
How Doc Rivers pulling up to the Rockets facility pic.twitter.com/Tp9FylQaOt — Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) September 28, 2020
Doc Rivers starting the season vs. ending the season. 😬 pic.twitter.com/ApKpE2DJtN — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 28, 2020
Phil Jackson coaching the Clippers?
Come on bruh. From MJ to Kobe to…Paul George? pic.twitter.com/DiU6cm2huv — Chris Rogers (@Codename_Leo) September 28, 2020
Doc Rivers had Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford, and then Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, and didn’t make one WCF. Most overrated coach in NBA history. — Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) September 28, 2020
Ty Lue is reportedly interviewing with the 76ers for their coaching vacancy Tuesday. Have to wonder if that moved the needle for the Clippers to part ways with Doc Rivers today. https://t.co/HbEKpuRHQu — Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) September 28, 2020
So the @LAClippers just gonna fire Doc Rivers like he's the reason Paul George is trash???? — Rashawn (@DAMNhe2FLY) September 28, 2020
Ty Lue stepping over Doc Rivers to claim that Clippers job 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/evKPSolJki — BROTHER (@BrotherHQ) September 28, 2020
Doc Rivers really got fired cuz of this pic.twitter.com/yrzAal8zQJ — For Kobe (@LakersForDays) September 28, 2020
How Jason Kidd gonna be to the Lakers if he gets the Clippers job pic.twitter.com/mX8dCHjfGY — Full-Time Hoops (@FullTimeHoops1) September 28, 2020
Doc Rivers really the scapegoat for Kawhi not stepping up to the challenge defensively and guarding Jamal Murray 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/KRUTKkPJkG — 73-9 and they LIED 🏁 (@CuffsTheLegend) September 28, 2020


mercurynews--2020-09-30--Trump, Biden spar over Supreme Court, health care

By JONATHAN LEMIRE , DARLENE SUPERVILLE and WILL WEISSERT CLEVELAND ( AP ) — President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden squared off Tuesday night in their crucial first debate of the 2020 campaign , the most pivotal opportunity yet for them to outline starkly different visions for a country facing multiple crises .
It began with a contentious exchange over the Supreme Court with Trump defending his nomination of a new justice barely a month before the election .
Declaring that “ I was not elected for three years , I ’ m elected for four years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to select Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who died earlier this month .
“ We won the election .
Elections have consequences , ” said Trump .
“ We have the Senate .
We have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee , respected by all.
” Trump and Biden arrived in Cleveland hoping the debate would energize their bases of support , even as they competed for the slim slice of undecided voters who could decide the election .
It has been generations since two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such tumult , with Americans both fearful and impatient about the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 of their fellow citizens and cost millions of jobs .
The pandemic ’ s effects were in plain sight , with the candidates ’ lecterns spaced far apart , all of the guests in the small crowd tested and the traditional opening handshake scrapped .
The men did not shake hands and , while neither candidate wore a mask to take the stage , their families did sport face coverings .
“ How you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked the president as they entered .
With just 35 days until the election , and early voting already underway in some states , Biden stepped onto the stage holding leads in the polls — significant in national surveys , close in some battleground states — and looking to expand his support among suburban voters , women and seniors .
Surveys show the president has lost significant ground among those groups since 2016 , but Biden faces his own questions encouraged by Trump ’ s withering attacks .
Trump had arguably his best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a choice between candidates and not a referendum over his handling of the virus that has killed more people in America than any other nation .
Americans , according to polling , have soured on his leadership in the crisis , and the president has struggled to land consistent attacks on Biden .
Leaving the White House for Cleveland , Trump pumped his fist for supporters gathered on the White House lawn but did not address reporters .
He spent the morning in informal debate preparations while a more formal session was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ohio .
Biden held an umbrella to ward off the Delaware rain as he boarded a new , bigger campaign plane en route to Cleveland .
He , too , did not address reporters .
Though some Trump aides involved in the preparations urged the president to adopt a measured tone while selling his own accomplishments , Trump had told advisers he was preparing an all-out assault on Biden , claiming that the former senator ’ s 47 years in Washington have left him out of touch and that his family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from corruption .
Biden ’ s performances during the primary debates were uneven , and some Democrats have been nervous as to how he would fare in an unscripted setting .
But his team also viewed the night as a chance to illuminate Trump ’ s failings with the pandemic and economy , with the former vice president acting as a “ fact checker on the floor ” while bracing himself for the onslaught that was coming .
The tumult of 2020 was difficult to overstate : COVID-19 has rewritten the rules of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swept into cities after several highly publicized killings of Black people by police , and the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg allowed Trump to nominate a conservative jurist to replace a liberal voice and perhaps reshape the high court for generations .
But the impact of the debate — and the two to follow — remained unclear .
Despite the upheaval , the presidential race has seemed largely unchanged since Biden seized control of the Democratic field in March and opened a steady lead over Trump .
Both sides looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the debate .
Biden released his 2019 tax returns just days after the blockbuster revelations about Trump ’ s long-hidden tax history , including that he paid only $ 750 a year in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and nothing in many other years .
The Bidens paid nearly $ 300,000 in taxes in 2019 .
Meanwhile , trying to hammer home a claim that Biden is not up to the job of president , Trump ’ s campaign pushed out a number of pre-debate accusations , including that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the 90-minute debate and had backed out of a search meant to rule out that either man was wearing an earpiece from which he could be fed answers .
The Biden campaign denied the accusations and , in a conference call Tuesday afternoon , chided reporters for biting on a Trump gambit .
“ We ’ re in the middle of a global pandemic , ” Biden senior campaign adviser Symone Sanders said .
“ Is this what you all would really like to spend your time on , these false , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign ?
” The president ’ s handling of the coronavirus was likely to dominate much of the debate .
The pandemic ’ s effects were in plain sight , with the candidates ’ lecterns spaced far apart , all of the guests in the small crowd tested and the traditional opening handshake scrapped .
The scene in Cleveland was notably understated compared to typical election years , with none of the pomp and pageantry .
Instead of the usual auditorium , the debate was held in an atrium on Case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that had been temporarily converted into a COVID-19 hospital this spring — and signs were placed on two of every three three chairs reading , “ Thank you for not sitting here in observance of social distancing.
” Lemire reported from New York .
Additional reporting by Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Cleveland and Zeke Miller in Washington .

By JONATHAN LEMIRE, DARLENE SUPERVILLE, WILL WEISSERT and MICHELLE L. PRICE
CLEVELAND (AP) — The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden deteriorated into bitter taunts and near chaos Tuesday night as Trump repeatedly interrupted his opponent with angry — and personal — jabs that sometimes overshadowed the sharply different visions each man has for a nation facing historic crises.
In the most tumultuous presidential debate in recent memory, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists who have supported him, telling one such group known as Proud Boys to “stand back, stand by.” There were also heated clashes over the president’s handling of the pandemic, the integrity of the election results, deeply personal attacks about Biden’s family and how the Supreme Court will shape the future of the nation’s health care.
But it was the belligerent tone that was persistent, somehow fitting for what has been an extraordinarily ugly campaign. The two men frequently talked over each other with Trump interrupting, nearly shouting, so often that Biden eventually snapped at him, “Will you shut up, man?”
“The fact is that everything he’s saying so far is simply a lie,” Biden said. “I’m not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows he’s a liar.”
The presidential race has been remarkably stable for weeks, despite the historic crises that have battered the country this year, including a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans and a reckoning over race and police brutality. With just five weeks until Election Day and voting already underway in some key states, Biden has maintained a lead in national polls and in many battlegrounds.
It’s unclear whether the debate will do much to change those dynamics.
Over and over, Trump tried to control the conversation, interrupting Biden and repeatedly talking over the moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News. The president tried to deflect tough lines of questioning — whether on his taxes or the pandemic — to deliver broadsides against Biden.
The president drew a lecture from Wallace, who pleaded with both men to stop talking over each other. Biden tried to push back against Trump, sometimes looking right at the camera to directly address viewers rather than the president and snapping, “It’s hard to get a word in with this clown.”
Again refusing to commit to honoring the results of the election, Trump spread falsehoods about mail voting. Without evidence, he suggested that the process — surging in popularity during the pandemic — was ripe for fraud and incorrectly claimed impropriety at a Pennsylvania voting site.
But despite his efforts to dominate the discussion, Trump was frequently put on the defensive and tried to sidestep when he was asked if he was willing to condemn white supremacists and paramilitary groups.
“What do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name,” Trump said, before Biden mentioned the far right, violent group known as the Proud Boys. Trump then pointedly did not condemn the group, instead saying, “Proud Boys, stand back, stand by. But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not right wing problem. This is a left wing problem.”
Biden attacked Trump’s handling of the pandemic, saying that the president “waited and waited” to act when the virus reached America’s shores and “still doesn’t have a plan.” Biden told Trump to “get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap” and go in his golf cart to the Oval Office to come up with a bipartisan plan to save people.
Trump snarled a response, declaring that “I’ll tell you Joe, you could never have done the job that we did. You don’t have it in your blood.”
“I know how to do the job,” was the solemn response from Biden, who served eight years as Barack Obama’s vice president.
The pandemic’s effects were in plain sight, with the candidates’ lecterns spaced far apart, all of the guests in the small crowd tested and the traditional opening handshake scrapped. While neither candidate wore a mask to take the stage, their families did sport face coverings.
Trump struggled to define his ideas for replacing the Affordable Care Act on health care in the debate’s early moments and defended his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, declaring that “I was not elected for three years, I’m elected for four years.”
“We won the election. Elections have consequences. We have the Senate. We have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee, respected by all.”
Trump criticized Biden over the former vice president’s refusal to comment on whether he would try to expand the Supreme Court in retaliation if Barrett is confirmed to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. That idea has gained momentum on the party’s left flank but Biden tried to put distance between himself and the liberal wing, declining to endorse the Green New Deal and rejecting the assertion that he was under the control of radicals by declaring “I am the Democratic Party now.”
The scattershot debate bounced from topic to topic, with Trump again refusing to embrace the science of climate change while Biden accused Trump of walking away from the American promise of equity for all and making a race-based appeal.
“This is a president who has used everything as a dog whistle to try to generate racist hatred, racist division,” Biden said.
Recent months have seen major protests after the deaths of Black people at the hands of police. Biden said the country faces a problem with systemic racism and that while the vast majority of police officers are “decent, honorable men and women” there are “bad apples” and people have to be held accountable.
Trump in turn claimed that Biden’s work on a federal crime bill treated the African American population “about as bad as anybody in this country.” The president pivoted to his hardline focus on those protesting racial injustice and accused Biden of being afraid to use the words “law and order,” out of fear of alienating the left.
“Violence in response is never appropriate, “Biden said. “Never appropriate. Peaceful protest is.”
The attacks turned deeply personal when Trump returned to a campaign attack line by declaring that Biden’s son, Hunter, had inappropriately benefitted from his father’s connections while working in Ukraine. Biden rarely looked at Trump during the night but turned to face the president when he defended his sons, including his son Beau, an Army veteran who died of cancer in 2015, after the commander-in-chief’s reported insults of those who served in the military.
A new report from two Republican-led Senate committees alleged that Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine at the same time his father was vice president raised conflict-of-interest concerns for the Obama administration, but the report did not link Joe Biden to any wrongdoing or misconduct. Trump was impeached for pushing Kiev to investigate the Biden family.
The debate was arguably Trump’s best chance to try to reframe the campaign as a choice between candidates and not a referendum over his handling of the virus that has killed more people in America than any other nation. Americans, according to polling, have soured on his leadership in the crisis, and the president has struggled to land consistent attacks on Biden.
In the hours before the debate, Biden released his 2019 tax returns just days after the blockbuster revelations about Trump’s long-hidden tax history, including that he paid only $750 a year in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and nothing in many other years. The Bidens paid nearly $300,000 in taxes in 2019.
Trump, in the debate, insisted that he paid millions in taxes — but refused to say how much he paid in federal income taxes — and insisted that he had taken advantage of legal tax incentives, another angry exchange that led to Biden declaring that Trump was the “worst president” the nation has ever had.
___
Lemire reported from New York. Price reported from Las Vegas. Additional reporting by Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Cleveland and Zeke Miller in Washington.
___