mercurynews--2020-07-23--National League preview: All Betts still on Dodgers; Giants keep low profile

Major League Baseball is back this weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic .
For those wondering where we left off when spring training was paused in mid-March , here are our predicted National League standings .
The Dodgers , who added a superstar in Mookie Betts this offseason and reportedly inked him to a long-term deal Wednesday , are the only lock for the playoffs in the 2020 National League .
The other five playoff spots are fair game .
The champion Nationals lost All-Star third baseman Anthony Rendon .
The Braves lost Josh Donaldson , but added several solid pieces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cardinals and Cubs have talent , but were passive in the offseason .
The Brewers lost a significant chunk of their core , but still feature arguably the game ’ s best hitter .
Don ’ t forget about Arizona , New York or Philadelphia either .
This is going to be fun .
Here are our predicted results for the 60-game season : 1 .
Los Angeles Dodgers Last year : 106-56 ( 1st place ) , lost to Washington Nationals in NLDS , 3-2 Key newcomers : OF Mookie Betts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , RP Blake Treinen .
Key losses : OF Alex Verdugo , SP Hyun-Jin Ryu , SP Rich Hill , SP Kenta Maeda,1B David Freese , IF Jedd Gyorko , SP David Price ( opted out ) , SP Jimmy Nelson ( back surgery ) Best-case scenario : Betts seamlessly transitions to the National League , a deep rotation overcomes the absence of Price , Gavin Lux and Dustin May provide an influx of young talent and the Dodgers finally get the World Series monkey off their back .
Worst-case scenario : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ title and Betts ’ new contract somehow eventually turns out to be an albatross .
2 .
Arizona Diamondbacks Last year : 85-77 ( 2nd place ) Key newcomers : SP Madison Bumgarner , OF Starling Marte , OF Kole Calhoun , RP Hector Rondon , RP Junior Guerra , C Stephen Vogt Key losses : IF Wilmer Flores , OF Adam Jones , OF Steven Souza Jr. , OF Jarrod Dyson , RP Yoshihisa Hirano , C Alex Avila , SP Mike Leake ( opted out ) Best-case scenario : The additions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the existing core headlined by Ketel Marte ( no relation ) , are enough to push Arizona into a wild-card spot .
Worst-case scenario : Ketel Marte regresses after his career season and the Diamondbacks can ’ t muster enough offense from their lineup , ultimately missing the playoffs .
3 .
San Diego Padres Last year : 70-92 ( 5th place ) Key newcomers : OF Tommy Pham , RP Emilio Pagan , RP Drew Pomeranz , SP Zach Davies , OF Trent Grisham , 2B Jurickson Profar , 2B Jorge Mateo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , OF Hunter Renfroe , 2B Ian Kinsler , SP Eric Lauer , 2B Luis Urias , RP Andres Munoz ( elbow surgery ) .
Best-case scenario : Fernando Tatis Jr. and Chris Paddack continue to serve as pillars of San Diego ’ s future , 3B Manny Machado returns to form and the additions of Pham and Grisham solidify the top of the lineup and the outfield .
Worst-case scenario : Tatis Jr. regresses after his amazing freshman campaign , Wil Myers and Eric Hosmer ’ s contracts become albatrosses , further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the Padres finish below .500 for a 10th consecutive season .
4 .
Colorado Rockies Last year : 71-91 ( 4th place ) Key newcomers : C Drew Butera , RP Tyler Kinley Key losses : 1B Yonder Alonso , SP Tyler Anderson , RP Chad Bettis , OF Ian Desmond ( opted out ) Best-case scenario : The Rockies generate enough offense from Nolan Arenado , Trevor Story , Charlie Blackmon , David Dahl and Ryan McMahon to be somewhat competitive , with top prospect Brendan Rodgers emerging to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado ’ s inactivity in the offseason results in another wasted season and Arenado ’ s relationship with the front office continues to sour .
5 .
GIANTS Last year : 77-85 ( 3rd place ) Key newcomers : SP Kevin Gausman , SP Drew Smyly , OF Hunter Pence , IF Wilmer Flores , RP Jerry Blevins Key losses : SP Madison Bumgarner , C Stephen Vogt , OF Kevin Pillar , RP Will Smith , C Buster Posey ( opted out ) , SP Tyler Beede ( elbow surgery ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mauricio Dubon , Steven Duggar and Jaylin Davis , among others , emerge as building blocks of the future .
The team ’ s veteran arms , namely Jeff Samardzija , Gausman and Smyly , generate interest at the trade deadline and are dealt for prospects .
Worst-case scenario : Various members of the Giants ’ youth struggle in full-time roles and members of their veteran infield continue to regress with age .
1 .
Cincinnati Reds Last year : 75-87 ( 4th place ) Key newcomers : OF Nicholas Castellanos , IF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SP Wade Miley , RP Pedro Strop Key losses : IF Jose Peraza , SS José Iglesias Best-case scenario : Castellanos , Moustakas and Akiyama provide additional firepower and Joey Votto bounces back , giving the Reds enough offense to complement a very respectable starting rotation and win the division .
Worst-case scenario : Cincinnati ’ s starting rotation can ’ t replicate its production from last season , the crowded outfield creates problems with getting everyone playing time and the Reds ’ postseason drought lives on .
2 .
Chicago Cubs Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Key newcomers : OF Steven Souza Jr. , RP Jeremy Jeffress , RP Casey Sadler Key losses : OF Nicholas Castellanos , SP Cole Hamels , IF Addison Russell , RP Pedro Strop , OF Tony Kemp , RP Derek Holland , OF/IF Ben Zobrist Best-case scenario : Kris Bryant and Javier Báez play at an MVP level , the pitching staff overachieves as Jon Lester and Yu Darvish reverse recent trends and the Cubs find their way back into the playoffs .
Worst-case scenario : Chicago ’ s pitching staff becomes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t score enough runs to make up the difference .
The championship window further closes as the Cubs miss the playoffs and the team ’ s relationship with Bryant continues to deteriorate .
3 .
St. Louis Cardinals Last year : 91-71 ( 1st place ) , lost to Washington Nationals in NLCS , 4-0 Key newcomers : SP Kwang Hyun Kim , OF Austin Dean Key losses : OF Marcell Ozuna , SP Michael Wacha , 1B/OF Jose Martinez , OF Randy Arozarena , RP Jordan Hicks ( opted out ) Best-case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Paul DeJong , Tommy Edman and Harrison Bader translate their first taste of the playoffs into career years at the plate .
Rookie OF Dylan Carson provides an extra layer to the offense after he is called up ( likely after one week so the Cardinals can secure an extra year of service time ) and the Cardinals get just enough out of their pitching staff to compete for a wild-card spot .
Worst-case scenario : The Cardinals ’ inactivity in the offseason comes back to bite them , particularly when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carpenter , Yadier Molina and , to a lesser extent , Paul Goldschmidt show signs of decline and the Cardinals miss the playoffs .
4 .
Milwaukee Brewers Last year : 89-73 ( 2nd place ) , lost to Washington Nationals in NL Wild Card Game Key newcomers : OF Avisaíl García , IF Justin Smoak , SS Luis Urias , SP Eric Lauer , SP Brett Anderson , SP Josh Lindblom , IF Jedd Gyorko , IF Ryon Healy , C Omar Narváez , UTIL Brock Holt Key losses : C Yasmani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zach Davies , RP Drew Pomeranz , IF Travis Shaw , SP Chase Anderson , IF Eric Thames , OF Trent Grisham Best-case scenario : Christian Yelich and Keston Hiura continue to punish baseballs , Lorenzo Cain bounces back and Milwaukee ’ s top-of-the-line bullpen makes up for an OK starting rotation and the Brewers compete for the division crown.. Worst-case scenario : The Brewers can ’ t find enough production to make up for the loss of Grandal , Moustakas and a plethora of others , Cain and Ryan Braun begin to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postseason .
5 .
Pittsburgh Pirates Last year : 69-93 ( 5th place ) Key newcomers : IF JT Riddle , OF Guillermo Heredia , C Luke Maile Key losses : OF Starling Marte , OF Melky Cabrera , OF Lonnie Chisenhall , C Elias Díaz , SP Francisco Liriano , SP Chris Archer ( opted out ) , SP Hector Noesi ( opted out ) , SP Jameson Tailon ( elbow surgery ) Best-case scenario : Bryan Reynolds , Josh Bell and Kevin Newman continue to provide hope for the future and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legitimate starting option alongside Joe Musgrove to anchor a patchwork rotation that has to replace Taillon and Archer .
Worst-case scenario : Pittsburgh ’ s foundational pieces regress , nobody in the rotation rises to the challenge , and the Pirates rack up another lost season .
1 .
Atlanta Braves Last year : 97-65 ( 1st place ) , lost to St. Louis Cardinals in NLDS , 3-2 Key newcomers : OF Marcell Ozuna , SP Cole Hamels , RP Will Smith , C Travis d ’ Arnaud Key losses : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , SP Julio Teheran , C Brian McCann , RF Nick Markakis ( opted out ) Best-case scenario : The additions of Oznua and d ’ Arnaud help ease the burden of losing Donaldson , Ronald Acuña Jr. , Ozzie Albies and Mike Soroka continue their ascension into stardom , the pitching staff sneakily emerges as one of the league ’ s best and the Braves make their first NLCS appearance since 2001 .
Worst-case scenario : Atlanta ’ s offensive production is weak outside of Acuña Jr. , Albies and Freddie Freeman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good as advertised and the Braves miss the playoffs .
2 .
Washington Nationals Last year : 93-69 ( 2nd place ) , won World Series over Houston Astros , 4-3 Key newcomers : RP Will Harris , IF Starlin Castro , 1B Eric Thames Key losses : 3B Anthony Rendon , OF Gerardo Parra , 2B Brian Dozier , C Welington Castillo ( opted out ) , RP Joe Ross ( opted out ) , 1B Ryan Zimmerman ( opted out ) Best-case scenario : The returning crop carries the swagger from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting rotation remains strong as ever , Juan Soto emerges as an MVP candidate and the Nationals win the division outright .
Worst-case scenario : The loss of Rendon ’ s offensive presence and Zimmerman ’ s clubhouse leadership are too much for the team to absorb , Harris isn ’ t enough to stabilize a questionable bullpen and the Nationals miss the playoffs .
3 .
New York Mets Last year : 86-76 ( 3rd place ) Key newcomers : SP Rick Porcello , RP Dellin Betances , SP Michael Wacha , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zack Wheeler , 3B Todd Frazier , OF Juan Lagares , IF Joe Panik , SP Noah Syndergaard ( elbow surgery ) Best-case scenario : New York ’ s hitting core continues to mash , Betances , Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia have bounceback seasons to form an elite bullpen and the Mets come away with the division .
Worst-case scenario : Pete Alonso , J.D .
Davis and Jeff McNeil can ’ t replicate last year ’ s offensive numbers , the bullpen is mediocre , Yoenis Céspedes and Robinson Cano ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mets miss the playoffs .
• Is this safe ?
As San Francisco Giants hit the road , MLB faces daunting challenges • A ’ s vs. Giants : Here ’ s what it feels like to watch a live baseball game in an empty stadium • Takeaways from the A ’ s loss to the Giants : Why is the offense cold ?
Who is the Opening Day second baseman ?
• Alex Dickerson outhits the A ’ s on his own , SF Giants use 18 pitchers in two-day span 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 4th place ) Key newcomers : SP Zack Wheeler , SS Didi Gregorius Key losses : OF Corey Dickerson , SP Jason Vargas , RP Pat Neshek , IF César Hernández , IF Maikel Franco , RP Seranthony Dominguez ( elbow surgery ) .
Best-case scenario : Behind incumbents Bryce Harper , Rhys Hoskins and J.T .
Realmuto , the addition of Gregorius and a healthy Andrew McCutchen , the Phillies become a formidable offensive team , scoring enough runs to mask a questionable pitching staff and compete for a wild-card spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lack of depth sinks any aspirations of postseason contention and the Harper-era Phillies once again miss the postseason .
5 .
Miami Marlins Last year : 57-105 ( 5th place ) Key newcomers : OF Corey Dickerson , IF Jonathan Villar , RP Yimi García , 1B Jesús Aguilar , C Francisco Cervelli Key losses : IF Starlin Castro , OF Curtis Granderson , IF Neil Walker , RP Wei-Yin Chen , IF Martín Prado Best-case scenario : Brian Anderson and Isan Díaz have great seasons at the plate and give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , veterans get flipped at the deadline for prospects .
SP Sixto Sanchez makes his debut and looks the part of a future ace , and the Marlins get another good pick for another last-place finish .
Worst-case scenario : Miami records another losing season without any future building blocks rising to the surface .

Major League Baseball is back this weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic. For those wondering where we left off when spring training was paused in mid-March, here are our predicted National League standings.
The Dodgers, who added a superstar in Mookie Betts this offseason and reportedly inked him to a long-term deal Wednesday, are the only lock for the playoffs in the 2020 National League. The other five playoff spots are fair game.
The champion Nationals lost All-Star third baseman Anthony Rendon. The Braves lost Josh Donaldson, but added several solid pieces. The Reds were aggressive while the Cardinals and Cubs have talent, but were passive in the offseason. The Brewers lost a significant chunk of their core, but still feature arguably the game’s best hitter.
Don’t forget about Arizona, New York or Philadelphia either. This is going to be fun.
Here are our predicted results for the 60-game season:
NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Last year: 106-56 (1st place), lost to Washington Nationals in NLDS, 3-2
Key newcomers: OF Mookie Betts, SP Alex Wood, RP Brusdar Graterol, RP Blake Treinen.
Key losses: OF Alex Verdugo, SP Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP Rich Hill, SP Kenta Maeda,1B David Freese, IF Jedd Gyorko, SP David Price (opted out), SP Jimmy Nelson (back surgery)
Best-case scenario: Betts seamlessly transitions to the National League, a deep rotation overcomes the absence of Price, Gavin Lux and Dustin May provide an influx of young talent and the Dodgers finally get the World Series monkey off their back.
Worst-case scenario: The Dodgers fall short of a World Series title and Betts’ new contract somehow eventually turns out to be an albatross.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
Last year: 85-77 (2nd place)
Key newcomers: SP Madison Bumgarner, OF Starling Marte, OF Kole Calhoun, RP Hector Rondon, RP Junior Guerra, C Stephen Vogt
Key losses: IF Wilmer Flores, OF Adam Jones, OF Steven Souza Jr., OF Jarrod Dyson, RP Yoshihisa Hirano, C Alex Avila, SP Mike Leake (opted out)
Best-case scenario: The additions of Bumgarner and Marte, combined with the existing core headlined by Ketel Marte (no relation), are enough to push Arizona into a wild-card spot.
Worst-case scenario: Ketel Marte regresses after his career season and the Diamondbacks can’t muster enough offense from their lineup, ultimately missing the playoffs.
3. San Diego Padres
Last year: 70-92 (5th place)
Key newcomers: OF Tommy Pham, RP Emilio Pagan, RP Drew Pomeranz, SP Zach Davies, OF Trent Grisham, 2B Jurickson Profar, 2B Jorge Mateo.
Key losses: OF Manuel Margot, OF Hunter Renfroe, 2B Ian Kinsler, SP Eric Lauer, 2B Luis Urias, RP Andres Munoz (elbow surgery).
Best-case scenario: Fernando Tatis Jr. and Chris Paddack continue to serve as pillars of San Diego’s future, 3B Manny Machado returns to form and the additions of Pham and Grisham solidify the top of the lineup and the outfield.
Worst-case scenario: Tatis Jr. regresses after his amazing freshman campaign, Wil Myers and Eric Hosmer’s contracts become albatrosses, further restricting San Diego’s financial flexibility, and the Padres finish below .500 for a 10th consecutive season.
4. Colorado Rockies
Last year: 71-91 (4th place)
Key newcomers: C Drew Butera, RP Tyler Kinley
Key losses: 1B Yonder Alonso, SP Tyler Anderson, RP Chad Bettis, OF Ian Desmond (opted out)
Best-case scenario: The Rockies generate enough offense from Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon, David Dahl and Ryan McMahon to be somewhat competitive, with top prospect Brendan Rodgers emerging to provide some additional juice.
Worst-case scenario: Colorado’s inactivity in the offseason results in another wasted season and Arenado’s relationship with the front office continues to sour.
5. GIANTS
Last year: 77-85 (3rd place)
Key newcomers: SP Kevin Gausman, SP Drew Smyly, OF Hunter Pence, IF Wilmer Flores, RP Jerry Blevins
Key losses: SP Madison Bumgarner, C Stephen Vogt, OF Kevin Pillar, RP Will Smith, C Buster Posey (opted out), SP Tyler Beede (elbow surgery).
Best-case scenario: Young players such as Mauricio Dubon, Steven Duggar and Jaylin Davis, among others, emerge as building blocks of the future. The team’s veteran arms, namely Jeff Samardzija, Gausman and Smyly, generate interest at the trade deadline and are dealt for prospects.
Worst-case scenario: Various members of the Giants’ youth struggle in full-time roles and members of their veteran infield continue to regress with age.
NL Central
1. Cincinnati Reds
Last year: 75-87 (4th place)
Key newcomers: OF Nicholas Castellanos, IF Mike Moustakas, OF Shogo Akiyama, SP Wade Miley, RP Pedro Strop
Key losses: IF Jose Peraza, SS José Iglesias
Best-case scenario: Castellanos, Moustakas and Akiyama provide additional firepower and Joey Votto bounces back, giving the Reds enough offense to complement a very respectable starting rotation and win the division.
Worst-case scenario: Cincinnati’s starting rotation can’t replicate its production from last season, the crowded outfield creates problems with getting everyone playing time and the Reds’ postseason drought lives on.
2. Chicago Cubs
Last year: 84-78 (3rd place)
Key newcomers: OF Steven Souza Jr., RP Jeremy Jeffress, RP Casey Sadler
Key losses: OF Nicholas Castellanos, SP Cole Hamels, IF Addison Russell, RP Pedro Strop, OF Tony Kemp, RP Derek Holland, OF/IF Ben Zobrist
Best-case scenario: Kris Bryant and Javier Báez play at an MVP level, the pitching staff overachieves as Jon Lester and Yu Darvish reverse recent trends and the Cubs find their way back into the playoffs.
Worst-case scenario: Chicago’s pitching staff becomes a weak link and the offense can’t score enough runs to make up the difference. The championship window further closes as the Cubs miss the playoffs and the team’s relationship with Bryant continues to deteriorate.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
Last year: 91-71 (1st place), lost to Washington Nationals in NLCS, 4-0
Key newcomers: SP Kwang Hyun Kim, OF Austin Dean
Key losses: OF Marcell Ozuna, SP Michael Wacha, 1B/OF Jose Martinez, OF Randy Arozarena, RP Jordan Hicks (opted out)
Best-case scenario: St. Louis’ young core of Paul DeJong, Tommy Edman and Harrison Bader translate their first taste of the playoffs into career years at the plate. Rookie OF Dylan Carson provides an extra layer to the offense after he is called up (likely after one week so the Cardinals can secure an extra year of service time) and the Cardinals get just enough out of their pitching staff to compete for a wild-card spot.
Worst-case scenario: The Cardinals’ inactivity in the offseason comes back to bite them, particularly when it comes to the pitching staff, Matt Carpenter, Yadier Molina and, to a lesser extent, Paul Goldschmidt show signs of decline and the Cardinals miss the playoffs.
4. Milwaukee Brewers
Last year: 89-73 (2nd place), lost to Washington Nationals in NL Wild Card Game
Key newcomers: OF Avisaíl García, IF Justin Smoak, SS Luis Urias, SP Eric Lauer, SP Brett Anderson, SP Josh Lindblom, IF Jedd Gyorko, IF Ryon Healy, C Omar Narváez, UTIL Brock Holt
Key losses: C Yasmani Grandal, IF Mike Moustakas, SP Zach Davies, RP Drew Pomeranz, IF Travis Shaw, SP Chase Anderson, IF Eric Thames, OF Trent Grisham
Best-case scenario: Christian Yelich and Keston Hiura continue to punish baseballs, Lorenzo Cain bounces back and Milwaukee’s top-of-the-line bullpen makes up for an OK starting rotation and the Brewers compete for the division crown..
Worst-case scenario: The Brewers can’t find enough production to make up for the loss of Grandal, Moustakas and a plethora of others, Cain and Ryan Braun begin to show their age and they miss the postseason.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
Last year: 69-93 (5th place)
Key newcomers: IF JT Riddle, OF Guillermo Heredia, C Luke Maile
Key losses: OF Starling Marte, OF Melky Cabrera, OF Lonnie Chisenhall, C Elias Díaz, SP Francisco Liriano, SP Chris Archer (opted out), SP Hector Noesi (opted out), SP Jameson Tailon (elbow surgery)
Best-case scenario: Bryan Reynolds, Josh Bell and Kevin Newman continue to provide hope for the future and Mitch Keller gets comfortable and emerges as a legitimate starting option alongside Joe Musgrove to anchor a patchwork rotation that has to replace Taillon and Archer.
Worst-case scenario: Pittsburgh’s foundational pieces regress, nobody in the rotation rises to the challenge, and the Pirates rack up another lost season.
NL East
1. Atlanta Braves
Last year: 97-65 (1st place), lost to St. Louis Cardinals in NLDS, 3-2
Key newcomers: OF Marcell Ozuna, SP Cole Hamels, RP Will Smith, C Travis d’Arnaud
Key losses: 3B Josh Donaldson, SP Dallas Keuchel, SP Julio Teheran, C Brian McCann, RF Nick Markakis (opted out)
Best-case scenario: The additions of Oznua and d’Arnaud help ease the burden of losing Donaldson, Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies and Mike Soroka continue their ascension into stardom, the pitching staff sneakily emerges as one of the league’s best and the Braves make their first NLCS appearance since 2001.
Worst-case scenario: Atlanta’s offensive production is weak outside of Acuña Jr., Albies and Freddie Freeman, the bullpen isn’t as good as advertised and the Braves miss the playoffs.
2. Washington Nationals
Last year: 93-69 (2nd place), won World Series over Houston Astros, 4-3
Key newcomers: RP Will Harris, IF Starlin Castro, 1B Eric Thames
Key losses: 3B Anthony Rendon, OF Gerardo Parra, 2B Brian Dozier, C Welington Castillo (opted out), RP Joe Ross (opted out), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (opted out)
Best-case scenario: The returning crop carries the swagger from last season’s championship, the starting rotation remains strong as ever, Juan Soto emerges as an MVP candidate and the Nationals win the division outright.
Worst-case scenario: The loss of Rendon’s offensive presence and Zimmerman’s clubhouse leadership are too much for the team to absorb, Harris isn’t enough to stabilize a questionable bullpen and the Nationals miss the playoffs.
3. New York Mets
Last year: 86-76 (3rd place)
Key newcomers: SP Rick Porcello, RP Dellin Betances, SP Michael Wacha, OF Jake Marisnick
Key losses: SP Zack Wheeler, 3B Todd Frazier, OF Juan Lagares, IF Joe Panik, SP Noah Syndergaard (elbow surgery)
Best-case scenario: New York’s hitting core continues to mash, Betances, Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia have bounceback seasons to form an elite bullpen and the Mets come away with the division.
Worst-case scenario: Pete Alonso, J.D. Davis and Jeff McNeil can’t replicate last year’s offensive numbers, the bullpen is mediocre, Yoenis Céspedes and Robinson Cano’s contracts become sunk costs and the Mets miss the playoffs.
4. Philadelphia Phillies
Last year: 81-81 (4th place)
Key newcomers: SP Zack Wheeler, SS Didi Gregorius
Key losses: OF Corey Dickerson, SP Jason Vargas, RP Pat Neshek, IF César Hernández, IF Maikel Franco, RP Seranthony Dominguez (elbow surgery).
Best-case scenario: Behind incumbents Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto, the addition of Gregorius and a healthy Andrew McCutchen, the Phillies become a formidable offensive team, scoring enough runs to mask a questionable pitching staff and compete for a wild-card spot.
Worst-case scenario: The pitching staff’s lack of depth sinks any aspirations of postseason contention and the Harper-era Phillies once again miss the postseason.
5. Miami Marlins
Last year: 57-105 (5th place)
Key newcomers: OF Corey Dickerson, IF Jonathan Villar, RP Yimi García, 1B Jesús Aguilar, C Francisco Cervelli
Key losses: IF Starlin Castro, OF Curtis Granderson, IF Neil Walker, RP Wei-Yin Chen, IF Martín Prado
Best-case scenario: Brian Anderson and Isan Díaz have great seasons at the plate and give the Marlins’ offense some long-term clarity, veterans get flipped at the deadline for prospects. SP Sixto Sanchez makes his debut and looks the part of a future ace, and the Marlins get another good pick for another last-place finish.
Worst-case scenario: Miami records another losing season without any future building blocks rising to the surface.


mercurynews--2020-07-24--No mask, pay a fine? Bay Area starts moving to enforce coronavirus rules

As California ’ s coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise , some Bay Area officials are threatening to crack down on those who refuse to wear masks and practice social distancing — hoping to stop the virus before it overwhelms our health systems .
Napa and Marin counties were the first to approve fines of up to $ 500 for people who refuse to comply with state and local health orders , but officials in some other jurisdictions now say they ’ d like to see that extended throughout the region .
That would be a significant shift — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on voluntary compliance , with very little enforcement .
For others , the existing rules aren ’ t enough .
Sen. Steve Glazer , D-Orinda , on Thursday called on Gov .
Gavin Newsom to reinstate his original shelter-in-place order .
He urged the governor to close down all nonessential businesses in counties that have had a positive test rate of more than 2 % over two weeks .
“ It ’ s clear that we have lost control of the coronavirus plight , ” Glazer said , “ and you don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see it in the numbers.
” It ’ s been a dismal week for the Golden State .
California on Wednesday surpassed New York as the state with the country ’ s highest COVID-19 case count .
On Thursday , the state reported its highest ever seven-day average for deaths , according to an analysis of data compiled by this news organization .
With experts warning of overwhelmed hospitals and sky-high body counts , Marin County will start handing out fines of $ 25 to $ 500 to people who , after multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or social distance .
Businesses can be fined between $ 250 and $ 10,000 for failing to comply with health orders , though county officials still intend to focus on education first .
These new fines are actually less punitive than those in other parts of the region .
Throughout the rest of the Bay Area , violating a health order is grounds for a misdemeanor citation , a criminal charge that comes with a hefty fine and possible jail time .
“ That ’ s a clunky mechanism , ” said Katie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board of Supervisors , which voted Tuesday to authorize the new administrative fines .
“ It ’ s slow .
It ’ s resources-intensive .
And frankly , it was probably overly punitive.
” Law enforcement officers are reluctant to hand out such heavy punishments for mask and social distancing violations , particularly now with cries of “ defund the police ” ringing in the streets , said Sgt .
Ray Kelly , a spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff ’ s Office .
“ Law enforcement as a whole is not jumping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have our communities get any angrier at us than they might already be , ” he said .
“ We ’ re not interested in being the mask police.
” Alameda County hasn ’ t prosecuted anyone for violating the health orders , said Teresa Drenick , a spokeswoman for the District Attorney ’ s Office .
Contra Costa County has prosecuted one person — a Richmond pastor who insisted on holding services Easter Sunday .
Oakland police haven ’ t issued any citations either , spokeswoman Johnna Watson said .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 26 citations .
Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern would like to see his jurisdiction follow Napa and Marin counties , Kelly said — treating health order violations as an infraction similar to a parking ticket rather than a misdemeanor .
Angela Alvarado , a deputy district attorney who helps handle COVID-related complaints in Santa Clara County , agrees .
“ Since our goal is to immediately correct behavior during this pandemic , it would definitely help !
” she wrote in a text message .
Santa Clara County ’ s health referral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranging from neighbors having barbecues to businesses operating in violation of local restrictions .
But local police departments have issued fewer than 50 citations , and none has led to charges .
In most cases , a phone call is enough to bring rogue businesses into compliance , Alvarado said .
If businesses don ’ t comply , they could be subject to misdemeanor charges carrying up to 90 days in jail and fines ranging from $ 50 to $ 1,000 per day .
“ We ’ ve had an incredible amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it mostly is because our communities have enforced it for us by reporting businesses that they see open.
” Residents and officials around the Bay Area said the same thing .
“ Most of the people are cool with wearing their masks , ” said 28-year-old David Daberdaku .
He and his father own and operate Luigi ’ s Deli and Market on Main Street in Martinez .
A small percentage of customers — no more than one in 10 — have to be reminded to put their face coverings on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 cities feds are tracking for worrisome COVID-19 uptick • Medical experts on outbreak : Shut down the US and start over • For 3rd day in a row , US coronavirus deaths top 1,000 Would increased enforcement help the Bay Area escape further coronavirus disaster ?
UCSF epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford III isn ’ t sure .
It could lead to more widespread mask adoption , he said , or just become a “ flashpoint ” in the increasingly polarized coronavirus debates .
Instead , Rutherford suggested using “ opinion leaders ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the importance of wearing a mask — like Warriors ’ darling Steph Curry has done in the past .
“ I hate to put everything off on Steph Curry , but that ’ s who you want in this area , ” Rutherford said , laughing .
“ Famous good guys say : ‘ Wear masks .
Don ’ t be a jerk.
’ ” Staff writer Evan Webeck and data reporter Harriett Blair Rowan contributed to this article .

A correction to an earlier version of this article has been appended to the end of the article
As California’s coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise, some Bay Area officials are threatening to crack down on those who refuse to wear masks and practice social distancing — hoping to stop the virus before it overwhelms our health systems.
Napa and Marin counties were the first to approve fines of up to $500 for people who refuse to comply with state and local health orders, but officials in some other jurisdictions now say they’d like to see that extended throughout the region. That would be a significant shift — so far, officials have relied mostly on voluntary compliance, with very little enforcement.
For others, the existing rules aren’t enough. Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, on Thursday called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to reinstate his original shelter-in-place order. He urged the governor to close down all nonessential businesses in counties that have had a positive test rate of more than 2% over two weeks.
“It’s clear that we have lost control of the coronavirus plight,” Glazer said, “and you don’t have to look very far to see it in the numbers.”
It’s been a dismal week for the Golden State. California on Wednesday surpassed New York as the state with the country’s highest COVID-19 case count. On Thursday, the state reported its highest ever seven-day average for deaths, according to an analysis of data compiled by this news organization.
With experts warning of overwhelmed hospitals and sky-high body counts, Marin County will start handing out fines of $25 to $500 to people who, after multiple warnings, won’t wear masks or social distance. Businesses can be fined between $250 and $10,000 for failing to comply with health orders, though county officials still intend to focus on education first.
These new fines are actually less punitive than those in other parts of the region. Throughout the rest of the Bay Area, violating a health order is grounds for a misdemeanor citation, a criminal charge that comes with a hefty fine and possible jail time.
“That’s a clunky mechanism,” said Katie Rice, president of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, which voted Tuesday to authorize the new administrative fines. “It’s slow. It’s resources-intensive. And frankly, it was probably overly punitive.”
Law enforcement officers are reluctant to hand out such heavy punishments for mask and social distancing violations, particularly now with cries of “defund the police” ringing in the streets, said Sgt. Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
“Law enforcement as a whole is not jumping to go do this kind of work and have our communities get any angrier at us than they might already be,” he said. “We’re not interested in being the mask police.”
Alameda County hasn’t prosecuted anyone for violating the health orders, said Teresa Drenick, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office. Contra Costa County has forwarded one case to its District Attorney — a Richmond pastor who insisted on holding services Easter Sunday and is still being investigated. Oakland police haven’t issued any citations either, spokeswoman Johnna Watson said. But San Francisco police have issued 123 warnings and 26 citations.
Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern would like to see his jurisdiction follow Napa and Marin counties, Kelly said — treating health order violations as an infraction similar to a parking ticket rather than a misdemeanor.
Angela Alvarado, a deputy district attorney who helps handle COVID-related complaints in Santa Clara County, agrees. “Since our goal is to immediately correct behavior during this pandemic, it would definitely help!” she wrote in a text message.
Santa Clara County’s health referral hotline has received nearly 10,000 complaints, ranging from neighbors having barbecues to businesses operating in violation of local restrictions. But local police departments have issued fewer than 50 citations, and none has led to charges. In most cases, a phone call is enough to bring rogue businesses into compliance, Alvarado said. If businesses don’t comply, they could be subject to misdemeanor charges carrying up to 90 days in jail and fines ranging from $50 to $1,000 per day.
“We’ve had an incredible amount of compliance,” Alvarado said, “and it mostly is because our communities have enforced it for us by reporting businesses that they see open.”
Residents and officials around the Bay Area said the same thing.
“Most of the people are cool with wearing their masks,” said 28-year-old David Daberdaku. He and his father own and operate Luigi’s Deli and Market on Main Street in Martinez.
A small percentage of customers — no more than one in 10 — have to be reminded to put their face coverings on, Daberdaku said.
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Long Covid cases in US adults are on the decline, but many continue to struggle with symptoms Health | COVID Q&A: Can I use an expired test? Time to get boosted? How to cope with California’s sneaky summer surge Would increased enforcement help the Bay Area escape further coronavirus disaster? UCSF epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford III isn’t sure. It could lead to more widespread mask adoption, he said, or just become a “flashpoint” in the increasingly polarized coronavirus debates.
Instead, Rutherford suggested using “opinion leaders” to speak directly to their communities about the importance of wearing a mask — like Warriors’ darling Steph Curry has done in the past.
“I hate to put everything off on Steph Curry, but that’s who you want in this area,” Rutherford said, laughing. “Famous good guys say: ‘Wear masks. Don’t be a jerk.’”
Staff writer Evan Webeck and data reporter Harriet Blair Rowan contributed to this article.


mercurynews--2020-07-24--San Jose among 12 cities feds are tracking for worrisome COVID-19 uptick

SAN JOSE — San Jose is among 12 cities the White House is closely tracking after worrisome COVID-19 outbreaks , a top federal health official said in a call Wednesday — although city officials here said they were not among those invited to participate , and were not aware of the Trump administration ’ s concerns about the rise in cases locally .
In an audio clip obtained by the Center for Public Integrity , White House Coronavirus Task Force leader Dr. Deborah Birx said that the South Bay city was among those that have seen a recent surge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in other recent hotspots like San Antonio and Phoenix .
“ There are other cities that are lagging behind that , and we have seen new increases in Miami , New Orleans , Las Vegas , San Jose , St. Louis , Indianapolis , Minneapolis , Cleveland , Nashville , Pittsburgh , Columbus and Baltimore , so we ’ re tracking this very closely , ” Birx said .
Local officials , she added , should be prepared to react with “ aggressive ” efforts to stop the spread .
The warning came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however .
In an interview , Mayor Sam Liccardo confirmed that neither he nor any other city officials were on the call , and said he learned about the issue when CNN asked to interview him on an upcoming TV segment about the topic .
And as of Thursday afternoon , he and other local officials were still not clear what data Birx was relying on .
“ I literally texted every city and county official I know who had been deeply engaged in this .
Everyone collectively responded with ‘ huh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So we ’ re catching up to the White House ’ s announcement right now.
” While the mayor said he was open to learning about any additional data that the White House used to make its analysis , he added that it was unclear why San Jose was singled out among California cities , including Los Angeles , which has been much harder hit by the virus .
Santa Clara County as a whole has seen case increases comparable to the rest of the Bay Area .
According to county health department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus cases reported in the 14 days leading up to July 22 , a 63 % increase in new cases from two weeks before .
San Jose comprises 5,523 of the total 8,533 cases in Santa Clara County , or about 64 % , and makes up about half the county ’ s population .
It ’ s rate of infection — 538 cases per 100,000 residents — is the second-highest rate in the county behind Gilroy , which has a rate of 816 per 100,000 residents .
In San Jose , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first 100 deaths occurred in just four ZIP codes on the city ’ s East Side , disproportionately impacting low-income neighborhoods where many of the residents are Latinx , according to an analysis by this news organization .
Santa Clara County CEO Jeff Smith said Thursday that the county ’ s testing task force leader Dr. Marty Fenstersheib participated in the call , but that county leadership likewise wasn ’ t sure what to make of it .
“ You know , it ’ s been intriguing for a long time that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility to organize any response to the pandemic , ” Smith said .
“ Maybe this is the start of trying to do that , I don ’ t know … It ’ s hard to guess right now what it means.
” Ideally , he said , Birx and other federal officials would institute a nationwide shelter-in-place for four to six weeks this summer in anticipation of another wave of infections this fall .
But without aggressive , nationwide social distancing protocols , it ’ s likely that the Bay Area will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its economic fallout — “ for about 10 years.
” “ The real solution is a very significant , severe , acute shelter in place for six weeks , and then we focus on risk reduction , ” Smith said .

SAN JOSE — San Jose is among 12 cities the White House is closely tracking after worrisome COVID-19 outbreaks, a top federal health official said in a call Wednesday — although city officials here said they were not among those invited to participate, and were not aware of the Trump administration’s concerns about the rise in cases locally.
In an audio clip obtained by the Center for Public Integrity (included in the video embedded below), White House Coronavirus Task Force leader Dr. Deborah Birx said that the South Bay city was among those that have seen a recent surge in cases, even as rates have stabilized in other recent hotspots like San Antonio and Phoenix.
“There are other cities that are lagging behind that, and we have seen new increases in Miami, New Orleans, Las Vegas, San Jose, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Baltimore, so we’re tracking this very closely,” Birx said. Local officials, she added, should be prepared to react with “aggressive” efforts to stop the spread.
[vemba-video id=”health/2020/07/23/dr-deborah-birx-warning-to-12-us-cities-sot-nr-vpx.cnn”]
The warning came as a surprise to San Jose leaders, however. In an interview, Mayor Sam Liccardo confirmed that neither he nor any other city officials were on the call, and said he learned about the issue when CNN asked to interview him on an upcoming TV segment about the topic. Santa Clara County CEO Jeff Smith said Thursday evening that no county officials were invited to participate on the call.
“I literally texted every city and county official I know who had been deeply engaged in this. Everyone collectively responded with ‘huh?'” Liccardo said. “So we’re catching up to the White House’s announcement right now.”
The mayor said he was open to learning about any additional data that the White House used to make its analysis, but added that it was not clear why San Jose was singled out among California cities, including Los Angeles, which has been much harder hit by the virus. Santa Clara County as a whole has seen case increases comparable to the rest of the Bay Area.
According to county health department data, there were more than 2,500 new coronavirus cases reported in the 14 days leading up to July 22, a 63% increase in new cases from two weeks before. San Jose comprises 5,523 of the total 8,533 cases in Santa Clara County, or about 64%, and makes up about half the county’s population. Its rate of infection — 538 cases per 100,000 residents — is the second-highest rate in the county behind Gilroy, which has a rate of 816 per 100,000 residents.
In San Jose, more than a third of the county’s first 100 deaths occurred in just four ZIP codes on the city’s East Side, disproportionately impacting low-income neighborhoods where many of the residents are Latinx, according to an analysis by this news organization.
County leaders likewise weren’t sure what to make of Birx’s comments.
“You know, it’s been intriguing for a long time that the federal government has pretty much abdicated responsibility to organize any response to the pandemic,” Smith said. “Maybe this is the start of trying to do that, I don’t know … It’s hard to guess right now what it means.”
Ideally, he said, Birx and other federal officials would institute a nationwide shelter-in-place for four to six weeks this summer in anticipation of another wave of infections this fall. But without aggressive, nationwide social distancing protocols, it’s likely that the Bay Area will be dealing with the virus — and its economic fallout — “for about 10 years.”
“The real solution is a very significant, severe, acute shelter in place for six weeks, and then we focus on risk reduction,” Smith said.
Staff writer Harriet Rowan contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-07-24--Medical experts on outbreak: Shut down the US and start over

More than 150 prominent US medical experts , scientists , teachers , nurses and others have signed a letter urging political leaders to shut down the country and start over to contain the surging coronavirus pandemic .
“ The best thing for the nation is not to reopen as quickly as possible , it ’ s to save as many lives as possible , ” they wrote in the document , which was sent Thursday to the Trump administration , leading members of Congress and state governors .
“ Right now , we are on a path to lose more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet , in many states people can drink in bars , get a haircut , eat inside a restaurant , get a tattoo , get a massage , and do myriad other normal , pleasant , but non-essential activities.
” Their recommendations come as the United States crossed the 4 million mark on Thursday , with at least 4,028,741 cases of coronavirus and 144,072 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University ’ s count .
Covid-19 “ will end up as a Top 10 leading cause of death ” this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Prevention predicted in a Thursday email to CNN .
Although the CDC can not start ranking leading causes of deaths until the end of the year — in order to get a full year ’ s worth of data — agency statisticians at the agency said they expect Covid-19 will end up among the Top 10 leading causes of death in the nation .
Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the US , accounting for more than half of all US deaths each year , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change .
The recommendations come as many states are grappling with record numbers of new cases and overloaded hospitals , high unemployment rates and pressure to make decisions for the upcoming school year .
The only way to reopen the economy and the country safely is to follow a set of protocols that public health experts deem necessary for controlling the spread of Covid-19 , the letter contends .
They include : enough daily testing to test everyone with flu-like symptoms , a work force of contact tracers large enough to track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment to keep essential workers safe .
In addition , they say all non-essential businesses should be closed and restaurants nationwide should only provide takeout service .
People should only leave their homes to get food and medicine or fresh air and exercise , and masks should be mandatory in all situations , the letter urged .
Leaders should also ban interstate travel to help contain the virus .
“ If you don ’ t take these actions , the consequences will be measured in widespread suffering and death , ” the letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hit the reset button , ” said Matt Wellington , the public health campaigns director for the advocacy group U.S. PIRG , which joined with health experts to draft the letter .
“ Continuing on the path we ’ re on now will result in widespread suffering and death .
And for what ?
Health experts laid out criteria for how to reopen safely .
It ’ s time to listen to them , ” Wellington said .
The University of Pennsylvania ’ s Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel , William Hanage with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health , Northwestern University ’ s Dr. Seth Trueger and Yale School of Medicine ’ s Dr. Reshma Ramachandran are among the growing number of experts who have signed the letter .
Many Americans are at risk About 41 % of US adults have at least one underlying medical condition that may put them at a higher risk for severe Covid-19 outcomes , according to a new CDC report published Thursday .
The research , published in the agency ’ s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report , looked at five conditions that tend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more severe disease from the coronavirus : chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) , cardiovascular disease , diabetes , chronic kidney disease and obesity .
• China says it ‘ must ’ retaliate for consulate closure It did not include other conditions , such as sickle cell disease or organ transplants .
The numbers of adults with these conditions varied by county — from almost 1 in 4 adults to as many as two-thirds of adults in a county .
In half of US counties , almost 1 in 2 adults were @ @ @ @ @ @ @

By Shelby Lin Erdman, Jacqueline Howard, Jen Christensen and Katia Hetter | CNN
More than 150 prominent US medical experts, scientists, teachers, nurses and others have signed a letter urging political leaders to shut down the country and start over to contain the surging coronavirus pandemic.
“The best thing for the nation is not to reopen as quickly as possible, it’s to save as many lives as possible,” they wrote in the document, which was sent Thursday to the Trump administration, leading members of Congress and state governors.
“Right now, we are on a path to lose more than 200,000 American lives by November 1st. Yet, in many states people can drink in bars, get a haircut, eat inside a restaurant, get a tattoo, get a massage, and do myriad other normal, pleasant, but non-essential activities.”
Their recommendations come as the United States crossed the 4 million mark on Thursday, with at least 4,028,741 cases of coronavirus and 144,072 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s count.
[vemba-video id=”politics/2020/07/24/bill-gates-coronavirus-infection-rate-town-hall-sot-vpx.cnn”]
Covid-19 “will end up as a Top 10 leading cause of death” this year, statisticians from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted in a Thursday email to CNN.
Although the CDC cannot start ranking leading causes of deaths until the end of the year — in order to get a full year’s worth of data — agency statisticians at the agency said they expect Covid-19 will end up among the Top 10 leading causes of death in the nation.
Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the US, accounting for more than half of all US deaths each year, and the statisticians don’t expect that to change.
Opening the economy safely
The recommendations come as many states are grappling with record numbers of new cases and overloaded hospitals, high unemployment rates and pressure to make decisions for the upcoming school year.
The only way to reopen the economy and the country safely is to follow a set of protocols that public health experts deem necessary for controlling the spread of Covid-19, the letter contends.
They include: enough daily testing to test everyone with flu-like symptoms, a work force of contact tracers large enough to track all current cases and more personal protective equipment to keep essential workers safe.
In addition, they say all non-essential businesses should be closed and restaurants nationwide should only provide takeout service. People should only leave their homes to get food and medicine or fresh air and exercise, and masks should be mandatory in all situations, the letter urged. Leaders should also ban interstate travel to help contain the virus.
“If you don’t take these actions, the consequences will be measured in widespread suffering and death,” the letter warned.
“Our decision makers need to hit the reset button,” said Matt Wellington, the public health campaigns director for the advocacy group U.S. PIRG, which joined with health experts to draft the letter.
“Continuing on the path we’re on now will result in widespread suffering and death. And for what? Health experts laid out criteria for how to reopen safely. It’s time to listen to them,” Wellington said.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, William Hanage with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Northwestern University’s Dr. Seth Trueger and Yale School of Medicine’s Dr. Reshma Ramachandran are among the growing number of experts who have signed the letter.
Many Americans are at risk
About 41% of US adults have at least one underlying medical condition that may put them at a higher risk for severe Covid-19 outcomes, according to a new CDC report published Thursday.
The research, published in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report, looked at five conditions that tend to put people at greater risk for more severe disease from the coronavirus: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and obesity.
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The numbers of adults with these conditions varied by county — from almost 1 in 4 adults to as many as two-thirds of adults in a county. In half of US counties, almost 1 in 2 adults were estimated to have an underlying condition.


mercurynews--2020-07-24--Man fatally shot in West San Jose

Man fatally shot in West San Jose

SAN JOSE – A man was fatally shot in West San Jose on Wednesday night , authorities said .
Officers @ @ @ @ @ block of Williamsburg Drive , near Winchester Boulevard , about 7:20 p.m. for a report @ @ @ @ @ said San Jose police Sgt .
Enrique Garcia .
They arrived to find a man @ @ @ @ @ gunshot wound .
Garcia said the man was taken to a hospital , where he @ @ @ @ @ time later .
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner ’ s Office will release the @ @ @ @ @ it has been confirmed and his next of kin is notified .
The death marks @ @ @ @ @ homicide of the year .
No suspects have been arrested or identified , and the @ @ @ @ @ shooting are under investigation , Garcia said .
Anyone with information about the shooting can @ @ @ @ @ Kilmer or Detective Ted Reckas at 408-277-5283 , or leave a tip with Silicon Valley @ @ @ @ @ at svcrimestoppers.org .
Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward .

SAN JOSE – A man was fatally shot in West San Jose on Wednesday night, authorities said.
Officers were called to the 3200 block of Williamsburg Drive, near Winchester Boulevard, at about 7:20 p.m. for a report of a person shot, said San Jose police Sgt. Enrique Garcia. They arrived to find a man suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
Garcia said the man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the chest a short time later.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office on identified the man as 22-year-old San Jose resident Francisco Javier Diaz-Martinez on Friday afternoon.
The death marks the city’s 21st homicide of the year.
No suspects have been arrested or identified, and the motive and circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation, Garcia said.
Anyone with information about the shooting can contact Detective Sgt. Anthony Kilmer or Detective Ted Reckas at 408-277-5283, or leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at svcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.
Staff writer Erin Woo contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-07-24--For 3rd day in a row, US coronavirus deaths top 1,000

The United States on Thursday recorded more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 , marking the third straight day the nation passed that grim milestone as the pandemic escalates in southern and western U.S. states .
Fatalities nationwide were recorded at 1,014 on Thursday , with not all states reporting .
Deaths were 1,135 on Wednesday and 1,141 on Tuesday .
Even though deaths are rising in the United States for a second week in a row , they remain well below levels seen in April , when 2,000 people a day on average died from the virus .
The United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 4 million coronavirus infections since the first U.S. case was documented in January , according to a Reuters tally , reflecting a nationwide escalation of the pandemic .
The United States took 98 days to reach one million confirmed cases of COVID-19 but just 16 days to increase from 3 million to 4 million , the tally showed .
The total suggests at least one in 82 Americans have been infected at some point in the pandemic .
The average number of new cases is now rising by more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate in the world .
As the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak has spread from New York to the South and West , federal , state and local officials have clashed over how to ease lockdowns imposed on Americans and businesses .
Requirements that residents wear masks in public have become the subject of a fierce political divide , as many conservatives argue that such orders violate the U.S. Constitution .
U.S. President Donald Trump , a Republican who has rejected a nationwide mask rule and been reluctant to wear one himself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so .
“ We have to do our mitigation steps : Wear a mask , avoid the crowds .
We won ’ t see hospitalizations and deaths go down for a couple of weeks because ( they are ) lagging indicators , but we are turning that tide , ” U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir told the Fox News Network in an interview .
Trump told a White House briefing on Thursday that hot spot states may need to delay re-opening schools by a few weeks but pushed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to classrooms in the fall .
Schools have become another point of contention .
In Florida , the state teachers ’ union has sued to stop in-class instruction .
Florida reported a record one-day increase in COVID-19 deaths on Thursday at 173 .
Florida ’ s health commissioner said earlier this month that schools must reopen , but Governor Ron DeSantis , a Republican , has since said that parents should have the option to keep their children home .
Trump administration officials have said a quicker reopening is essential to get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plank of the president ’ s re-election campaign .
Trump also said he would no longer hold part of the Republican Party ’ s nominating convention in Florida in August because of a spike in coronavirus cases in the state .
“ The timing for this event is not right , ” Trump told the White House briefing .
“ It ’ s just not right with what ’ s happened recently , the flare-up in Florida .
To have a big convention it ’ s not the right time.
” • San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for worrisome COVID-19 uptick • Medical experts on outbreak : Shut down the US and start over Trump has been holding his first coronavirus briefings in months without the experts on his task force , including Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
Fauci , who became a household name in the early days of the pandemic , threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Thursday on Opening Day of the truncated Major League Baseball season at Nationals Park in Washington , D.C. Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden , blasted his handling of the pandemic in a campaign video aired on Thursday .

By Lisa Shumaker and Katanga Johnson | Reuters
The United States on Thursday recorded more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19, marking the third straight day the nation passed that grim milestone as the pandemic escalates in southern and western U.S. states.
Fatalities nationwide were recorded at 1,014 on Thursday, with not all states reporting. Deaths were 1,135 on Wednesday and 1,141 on Tuesday.
Even though deaths are rising in the United States for a second week in a row, they remain well below levels seen in April, when 2,000 people a day on average died from the virus.
The United States on Thursday also passed a total of more than 4 million coronavirus infections since the first U.S. case was documented in January, according to a Reuters tally, reflecting a nationwide escalation of the pandemic.
[vemba-video id=”tv/2020/07/23/lead-athena-jones-dnt-live-jake-tapper.cnn”]
The United States took 98 days to reach one million confirmed cases of COVID-19 but just 16 days to increase from 3 million to 4 million, the tally showed. The total suggests at least one in 82 Americans have been infected at some point in the pandemic.
The average number of new cases is now rising by more than 2,600 per hour nationwide, the highest rate in the world.
As the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak has spread from New York to the South and West, federal, state and local officials have clashed over how to ease lockdowns imposed on Americans and businesses.
Requirements that residents wear masks in public have become the subject of a fierce political divide, as many conservatives argue that such orders violate the U.S. Constitution.
U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican who has rejected a nationwide mask rule and been reluctant to wear one himself, this week reversed course and encouraged Americans to do so.
“Wear a mask, avoid crowds”
“We have to do our mitigation steps: Wear a mask, avoid the crowds. We won’t see hospitalizations and deaths go down for a couple of weeks because (they are) lagging indicators, but we are turning that tide,” U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir told the Fox News Network in an interview.
Trump told a White House briefing on Thursday that hot spot states may need to delay re-opening schools by a few weeks but pushed for most students to be able to return to classrooms in the fall.
Schools have become another point of contention. In Florida, the state teachers’ union has sued to stop in-class instruction. Florida reported a record one-day increase in COVID-19 deaths on Thursday at 173.
Florida’s health commissioner said earlier this month that schools must reopen, but Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has since said that parents should have the option to keep their children home.
Trump administration officials have said a quicker reopening is essential to get the staggered economy moving again, a central plank of the president’s re-election campaign.
Trump also said he would no longer hold part of the Republican Party’s nominating convention in Florida in August because of a spike in coronavirus cases in the state.
“The timing for this event is not right,” Trump told the White House briefing. “It’s just not right with what’s happened recently, the flare-up in Florida. To have a big convention it’s not the right time.”
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Fauci, who became a household name in the early days of the pandemic, threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Thursday on Opening Day of the truncated Major League Baseball season at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
Trump’s rival for the presidency, Democrat Joe Biden, blasted his handling of the pandemic in a campaign video aired on Thursday.


mercurynews--2020-07-24--‘Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.’

‘Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.’

By Jonathan Lemire , Seth Borenstein and Will Weissert | Associated Press WASHINGTON — It doesn ’ t quite have the ring of “ Morning in America ” and “ I Like Ike.
” But the phrase “ Person .
Woman .
Man .
Camera .
TV.
” is getting an unlikely moment in the spotlight as President Donald Trump has taken a detour into the politics of dementia three months before the election .
Trump , 74 , attempted to demonstrate his mental fitness by reciting five words — in order , importantly — over and over in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president said that collection of nouns , or ones like them , was part of a cognitive test he had aced while declaring that his likely Democratic opponent , 77-year-old Joe Biden , could not do the same .
In a battle of septuagenarians , the Trump campaign has long tried to paint Biden as having lost some of his mental sharpness .
But the gambit has yet to prove successful in denting the former vice president ’ s standing in the race .
That leaves Trump trying to escalate the attacks while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental rigors of the job .
“ The first questions are very easy , ” Trump told Fox News .
“ The last questions are much more difficult .
Like a memory question .
It ’ s , like , you ’ ll go : Person .
Woman .
Man .
Camera .
TV .
So they say , ‘ Could you repeat that ?
’ So I said , ‘ Yeah .
It ’ s : Person .
Woman .
Man .
Camera .
TV . '
” He then recalled that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the doctor asked him to recite it again .
“ And you go : ‘ Person .
Woman .
Man .
Camera .
TV.
’ If you get it in order , you get extra points , ” Trump said .
“ They said nobody gets it in order .
It ’ s actually not that easy , but for me , it was easy.
” Trump boasted that he dazzled the doctors because he has “ a good memory , because I ’ m cognitively there ” and delivered an unsubtle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should take that test because something ’ s going on , ” Trump said .
“ And , I say this with respect .
I mean — going to probably happen to all of us , right ?
You know ?
It ’ s going to happen.
” The subject of smarts — especially his own — has long fascinated the president .
Trump has been known to declare that he is “ a very stable genius ” and that “ I have the best words ” while noting that he attended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania .
And about a month ago , he began telling aides that a cognitive test he took as part of his physical in 2018 could be something he could weaponize against Biden .
The president has been known to recite five words to aides in the West Wing or on Air Force One — he ’ d tweak the list to make it appropriate for the setting — while claiming that Biden could not do the same .
But some of Trump ’ s descriptions about the test and what it means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts describe about the most common of cognitive tests given to older people .
There is no bonus and it ’ s meant to be easy , said Dr. James Galvin , a University of Miami professor of neurology who runs a dementia center .
Galvin said what Trump described sounds an awful lot like the Montreal Cognitive Assessment , often called MoCa .
It takes about 10 minutes and the top score is 30 , said Galvin , who has administrated thousands of the tests .
The MoCa “ is a screening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not a diagnostic test .
And more importantly , it ’ s not an IQ test .
It doesn ’ t tell how smart someone is .
It ’ s designed to be a relatively easy test because what you want to do is pick up people who have problems or possible problems.
” The last questions are not the hardest for most people , and they are usually naming the day of the week , date , month , year and where the person being tested is , Galvin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder as it goes along but measures different parts of cognition , like memory , attention , spatial awareness and language .
Additionally , the words the president cited would not be grouped together because they are all in some way related to one another , he said .
And the real concern would be if a subject did not do well on the test .
“ I think he ’ s thinking of it like some sort of IQ test or SAT test , something along those lines .
But it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just basic , ” said Dr. Raymond Turner , professor of neurology and director of Georgetown University ’ s Memory Disorders Program .
“ It ’ s kind of a low bar to jump over .
It ’ s not necessarily something to brag about unless you are worried about decline or something.
” Trump , whose father had Alzheimer ’ s disease , has said that his former personal physician Dr. Ronny Jackson accompanied him to the test in 2018 .
Jackson , who is now running for Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
Questions about presidential health , mental or otherwise , tend to be closely guarded and rarely made the subject of national cable interviews .
They have been part of the national dialogue before , including Ronald Reagan ’ s mental health during his second term , though the health woes of Franklin Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were largely kept from the public .
But the Trump campaign has leaned in on the issue , despite the boomerang effect of highlighting the president ’ s own verbal missteps , as a means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant he was not up to the job .
“ Any honest voter juxtaposing President Trump and Joe Biden can see the stark difference in mental acuity and wit , ” said Trump spokesperson Ken Farnaso , before adding that “ it ’ s their track records and not their ages that are in question here , and it ’ s clear that President Trump ’ s America First agenda is a winning platform.
” When Biden was asked about cognitive testing last month , he responded , “ I ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” before adding , “ I can hardly wait to compare my cognitive capability to the cognitive capability of the man I ’ m running against.
” The Biden campaign quickly clarified that its candidate was referring to the rigor of the presidential campaign — not that he had undergone specific cognitive testing .
And a campaign spokesperson wasted no time rebutting Trump ’ s claim on Thursday .
• For 3rd day in a row , US coronavirus deaths top 1,000 • China says it ‘ must ’ retaliate for consulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every conceivable strategic test by ramping up mentions of this subject at all , ” said spokesperson Andrew Bates .
“ Joe Biden sounded the alarm about the outbreak early , whereas Donald Trump is still promising us the virus will magically ‘ disappear.
’ Joe Biden has highlighted the advice of medical experts throughout the pandemic , but Donald Trump publicly encouraged COVID-19 victims to inject themselves with disinfectant.
” “ And , ” Bates continued , “ if that ’ s not enough for you , ‘ Person .
Woman .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

By Jonathan Lemire, Seth Borenstein and Will Weissert | Associated Press
WASHINGTON — It doesn’t quite have the ring of “Morning in America” and “I Like Ike.”
But the phrase “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.” is getting an unlikely moment in the spotlight as President Donald Trump has taken a detour into the politics of dementia three months before the election.
Trump, 74, attempted to demonstrate his mental fitness by reciting five words — in order, importantly — over and over in a television interview broadcast Wednesday night. The president said that collection of nouns, or ones like them, was part of a cognitive test he had aced while declaring that his likely Democratic opponent, 77-year-old Joe Biden, could not do the same.
In a battle of septuagenarians, the Trump campaign has long tried to paint Biden as having lost some of his mental sharpness. But the gambit has yet to prove successful in denting the former vice president’s standing in the race. That leaves Trump trying to escalate the attacks while defending his own ability to handle the mental rigors of the job.
“The first questions are very easy,” Trump told Fox News. “The last questions are much more difficult. Like a memory question. It’s, like, you’ll go: Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV. So they say, ‘Could you repeat that?’ So I said, ‘Yeah. It’s: Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.'”
He then recalled that, at the end of the test, the doctor asked him to recite it again.
“And you go: ‘Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.’ If you get it in order, you get extra points,” Trump said. “They said nobody gets it in order. It’s actually not that easy, but for me, it was easy.”
Trump boasted that he dazzled the doctors because he has “a good memory, because I’m cognitively there” and delivered an unsubtle accusation about Biden.
“Now Joe should take that test because something’s going on,” Trump said. “And, I say this with respect. I mean — going to probably happen to all of us, right? You know? It’s going to happen.”
The subject of smarts — especially his own — has long fascinated the president.
Trump has been known to declare that he is “a very stable genius” and that “I have the best words” while noting that he attended the prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. And about a month ago, he began telling aides that a cognitive test he took as part of his physical in 2018 could be something he could weaponize against Biden.
The president has been known to recite five words to aides in the West Wing or on Air Force One — he’d tweak the list to make it appropriate for the setting — while claiming that Biden could not do the same.
But some of Trump’s descriptions about the test and what it means don’t quite fit with what experts describe about the most common of cognitive tests given to older people. There is no bonus and it’s meant to be easy, said Dr. James Galvin, a University of Miami professor of neurology who runs a dementia center.
Galvin said what Trump described sounds an awful lot like the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, often called MoCa. It takes about 10 minutes and the top score is 30, said Galvin, who has administrated thousands of the tests.
The MoCa “is a screening test,” Galvin said. “It’s not a diagnostic test. And more importantly, it’s not an IQ test. It doesn’t tell how smart someone is. It’s designed to be a relatively easy test because what you want to do is pick up people who have problems or possible problems.”
The last questions are not the hardest for most people, and they are usually naming the day of the week, date, month, year and where the person being tested is, Galvin said. The test does not get harder as it goes along but measures different parts of cognition, like memory, attention, spatial awareness and language. Additionally, the words the president cited would not be grouped together because they are all in some way related to one another, he said.
And the real concern would be if a subject did not do well on the test.
“I think he’s thinking of it like some sort of IQ test or SAT test, something along those lines. But it’s not anything like that. It’s just basic,” said Dr. Raymond Turner, professor of neurology and director of Georgetown University’s Memory Disorders Program. “It’s kind of a low bar to jump over. It’s not necessarily something to brag about unless you are worried about decline or something.”
Trump, whose father had Alzheimer’s disease, has said that his former personal physician Dr. Ronny Jackson accompanied him to the test in 2018. Jackson, who is now running for Congress, did not respond to an interview request Thursday.
Questions about presidential health, mental or otherwise, tend to be closely guarded and rarely made the subject of national cable interviews. They have been part of the national dialogue before, including Ronald Reagan’s mental health during his second term, though the health woes of Franklin Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were largely kept from the public.
But the Trump campaign has leaned in on the issue, despite the boomerang effect of highlighting the president’s own verbal missteps, as a means of suggesting that Biden’s blunders meant he was not up to the job.
“Any honest voter juxtaposing President Trump and Joe Biden can see the stark difference in mental acuity and wit,” said Trump spokesperson Ken Farnaso, before adding that “it’s their track records and not their ages that are in question here, and it’s clear that President Trump’s America First agenda is a winning platform.”
When Biden was asked about cognitive testing last month, he responded, “I’ve been tested and I’m constantly tested,” before adding, “I can hardly wait to compare my cognitive capability to the cognitive capability of the man I’m running against.”
The Biden campaign quickly clarified that its candidate was referring to the rigor of the presidential campaign — not that he had undergone specific cognitive testing. And a campaign spokesperson wasted no time rebutting Trump’s claim on Thursday.
“Donald Trump is spectacularly failing every conceivable strategic test by ramping up mentions of this subject at all,” said spokesperson Andrew Bates. “Joe Biden sounded the alarm about the outbreak early, whereas Donald Trump is still promising us the virus will magically ‘disappear.’ Joe Biden has highlighted the advice of medical experts throughout the pandemic, but Donald Trump publicly encouraged COVID-19 victims to inject themselves with disinfectant.”
“And,” Bates continued, “if that’s not enough for you, ‘Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.'”


mercurynews--2020-07-23--COVID-19 exposure at courthouse halts start of double-murder trial

OAKLAND — An Alameda County Superior Court judge postponed the start of a double-murder case after learning of court staff workers who tested positive for the coronavirus at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin .
Judge Kevin Murphy said Thursday afternoon in a hearing that he was informed Wednesday night that circumstances at the East County Hall of Justice had recently changed and court staff members may have been exposed or tested positive for COVID-19 .
He postponed the start of the trial , set to begin Monday at the East County Hall of Justice , to mid-August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precisely what plan , if any , is in place , ” Murphy said , indicating he didn ’ t know if all trials would be stopped at the courthouse .
At least two Alameda County Sheriff ’ s employee and at least one court staff member were exposed in Department 701 .
The double-murder trial was supposed to begin Monday across the hall in Department 702 .
In addition to those three workers , court officials said in emails two people working in the court clerk ’ s office tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Finke said in an email response to this newspaper that they do not intend to seek an order to stop all criminal jury trials at the East County Hall of Justice , “ but we are closely monitoring the health guidance from the county and the state.
” Emails sent by court officials indicate some court staff members knew of the exposure as early as July 10 .
In an email from Finke sent July 10 , he notified employees of a “ second instance of an employee testing positive for COVID-19 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) clerk ’ s office.
” The employee last worked in the building on July 1 , Finke wrote .
A few hours later , Finke wrote another , more alarming email about the situation at the Dublin courthouse .
“ As you all know , we have now had multiple incidences of employees testing positive for COVID-19 .
But before today , they all appeared to be ‘ one-offs , ’ i.e.
, in those cases , it appeared that the affected employee contracted the virus outside of work and did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Finke wrote .
“ The two ( East County Hall of Justice ) incidences from today appeared to be different , however .
The similarity and the facts suggested to me the possibility that COVID had actually been transmitted at work , depite our daily cleaning and our efforts at social distancing.
” Because of that , he approved a deep cleaning and disinfecting of the courthouse .
He went on to write that the one-time cost of cleaning was $ 23,100 and given the court ’ s budget , this type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurrence .
“ We will , however , continue to evaluate the facts of each instance and make the case-by-case determination as to what level of cleaning is appropriate , ” he wrote .
On Friday , July 17 , Presiding Judge Tara Desautels told court employees another worker , this time an Alameda County sheriff ’ s employee , had tested positive for the virus .
The judge said the sheriff ’ s employee worked in Department 701 , and had last been in the building on July 10 .
East County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the July 11-12 weekend , the judge wrote .
In another email the presiding judge sent Wednesday , she said another Alameda County Sheriff ’ s Office employee tested positive for COVID-19 and was working in Department 710 as recently as July 13 and July 14 .
The employee predominantly works at Santa Rita Jail , the judge wrote .
Finke said in an email response to this newspaper that anytime the court confirms a positive case , “ we inform all staff and judicial officers , ” as well as those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the district attorney ’ s office , public defender ’ s office , court-appointed panel , probation department and the sheriff ’ s office .
Each courtroom has a contact tracing sheet , where those entering provides their contact information .
“ We use these contact sheets to inform the justice partner representatives of their employees who have been in a courtroom during a potential exposure window , i.e.
, where the affected court personnel also had reason to be in the courtroom , ” he said .
The courthouse is cleaned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorneys for the four defendants , Adriana Falcon , Mercedes Morgan , Julio Garcia and Anthony Montoya , had already filed motions opposing the start of the trial amid concerns of exposure to the coronavirus given the amount of people who would be in one courtroom .
At an earlier hearing on Tuesday , Judge Murphy indicated he would still push forward with the trial , unless a public health official told him there was a serious risk .
It appeared that at least two of the four defense attorneys , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Stein , did not know about the email Murphy received on Wednesday indicating there was an exposure at the courthouse until he announced it Thursday .
The four defendants are charged with multiple counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in 2016 in disputes that took place in Alameda and San Francisco counties .
Their attorneys , in public filings , cited concerns that all parties would be close to another , sharing the same air in the enclosed courtroom with no windows in the courtroom at East County Hall of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who would be in the courtroom , estimated between 35 to 40 , would increase the risk of someone passing on the virus if exposed , they argued .
Jurors themselves would also be at risk , the motions said .
“ They will be forced to be in the courtroom against the shelter in place orders , without ventilation , breathing the recycled air and interacting with strangers , ” wrote attorney Ernie Castillo , who represents Falcon , in a court document .
“ None of this is safe , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Castillo said .
“ Such an environment will make it difficult for jurors to focus , listen to the evidence and instructions.
” Jurors , 12 total plus six alternates , would sit spread out in the audience portion of the courtroom , with at least three chairs in between each juror and at least one empty row in between each , according to a diagram filed in court documents for this case .
This also means there would be no room for members of the public or family members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attend the trial in person .
In San Mateo County , trials were suspended for 30 days starting this week after a court employee contracted coronavirus .

OAKLAND — A judge postponed the start of a double-murder case after learning of court staff workers who tested positive for the coronavirus at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Kevin Murphy said Thursday afternoon in a hearing that he was informed Wednesday night that court staff members may have been exposed or tested positive for COVID-19. He then postponed the start of the trial, set to begin Monday at the East County Hall of Justice, to mid-August.
“I don’t know precisely what plan, if any, is in place,” Murphy said, indicating he didn’t know if all trials would be stopped at the Dublin courthouse.
At least two Alameda County Sheriff’s employee and at least one court staff member were exposed in Department 701. The double-murder trial was supposed to be held across the hall in Department 702.
In addition to those three workers, court officials said in emails two people working in the court clerk’s office tested positive for the virus.
Court Executive Officer Chad Finke said in an email response to this newspaper that the court does not intend to seek an order to stop all criminal jury trials at the East County Hall of Justice, “but we are closely monitoring the health guidance from the county and the state.”
Emails sent by court officials indicate some court staff members knew of the exposure as early as July 10.
In an email from Finke sent July 10, he notified employees of a “second instance of an employee testing positive for COVID-19 in the (East County Hall of Justice) clerk’s office.” The employee last worked in the building on July 1, Finke wrote.
A few hours later, Finke wrote another, more alarming email about the situation at the Dublin courthouse.
“As you all know, we have now had multiple incidences of employees testing positive for COVID-19. But before today, they all appeared to be ‘one-offs,’ i.e., in those cases, it appeared that the affected employee contracted the virus outside of work and did not actually spread it within the workplace,” Finke wrote. “The two (East County Hall of Justice) incidences from today appeared to be different, however. The similarity and the facts suggested to me the possibility that COVID had actually been transmitted at work, depite our daily cleaning and our efforts at social distancing.”
Because of that, he approved a deep cleaning and disinfecting of the courthouse. He went on to write that the one-time cost of cleaning was $23,100 and given the court’s budget, this type of cleaning could not be an everyday occurrence.
“We will, however, continue to evaluate the facts of each instance and make the case-by-case determination as to what level of cleaning is appropriate,” he wrote.
On July 17, Presiding Judge Tara Desautels told court employees that another worker, this time an Alameda County sheriff’s employee, had tested positive for the virus. The judge said the sheriff’s employee worked in Department 701, and had last been in the building on July 10. East County Hall of Justice was deep cleaned over the July 11-12 weekend, the judge wrote.
In another email the presiding judge sent Wednesday, she said another Alameda County Sheriff’s Office employee tested positive for COVID-19 and was working in Department 710 as recently as July 13 and July 14. The employee predominantly works at Santa Rita Jail, the judge wrote.
Finke said in an email response to this newspaper that anytime the court confirms a positive case, “we inform all staff and judicial officers,” as well as those who work in the building such as those in the district attorney’s office, public defender’s office, court-appointed panel, probation department and the sheriff’s office.
Each courtroom has a contact tracing sheet, where those entering provides their contact information.
“We use these contact sheets to inform the justice partner representatives of their employees who have been in a courtroom during a potential exposure window, i.e., where the affected court personnel also had reason to be in the courtroom,” he said.
The courthouse is cleaned thoroughly every night, Finke said.
Attorneys for the four defendants, Adriana Falcon, Mercedes Morgan, Julio Garcia and Anthony Montoya, had already filed motions opposing the start of the trial amid concerns of exposure to the coronavirus given the amount of people who would be in one courtroom.
It appeared that at least two of the four defense attorneys, and the prosecutor, Alameda County Deputy District Attorney David Stein, did not know about the email Murphy received on Wednesday indicating there was an exposure at the courthouse until he announced it Thursday.
The four defendants are charged with multiple counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in 2016 in disputes that took place in Alameda and San Francisco counties. Their attorneys, in public filings, cited concerns that all parties would be close to another, sharing the same air in the enclosed courtroom with no windows in the courtroom at East County Hall of Justice. The sheer number of people who would be in the courtroom, estimated between 35 to 40, would increase the risk of someone passing on the virus if exposed, they argued.
Jurors themselves would also be at risk, the motions said. “They will be forced to be in the courtroom against the shelter in place orders, without ventilation, breathing the recycled air and interacting with strangers,” wrote attorney Ernie Castillo, who represents Falcon, in a court document.
“None of this is safe, and it creates an environment of fear,” Castillo said. “Such an environment will make it difficult for jurors to focus, listen to the evidence and instructions.”
Jurors, 12 total plus six alternates, would sit spread out in the audience portion of the courtroom, with at least three chairs in between each juror and at least one empty row in between each, according to a diagram filed in court documents for the case. This also means there would be no room for members of the public or family members of the defendants, or the victim, to attend the trial in person.
In San Mateo County, trials were suspended for 30 days starting this week after a court employee contracted coronavirus.


mercurynews--2020-07-23--Trump, Mariano Rivera play catch to mark opening day

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump tossed baseballs with Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera on Thursday to mark the opening @ @ @ @ @ , which was delayed by the coronavirus .
“ You had a pitch that broke @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump told the retired New York Yankees relief pitcher after they had thrown several @ @ @ @ @ Little League youth baseball players observed and played catch .
Trump awarded Rivera the presidential @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I watched many sitting with George , good old George who is watching @ @ @ @ @ is very proud of you , ” Trump said of the late Yankees owner George @ @ @ @ @ Nationals outfielder Juan Soto testing positive for the coronavirus , Trump said he believed Soto @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to be able to take care of it , ” he said @

Reuters
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump tossed baseballs with Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera on Thursday to mark the opening of the pro baseball season, which was delayed by the coronavirus.
“You had a pitch that broke a lot of bats,” Trump told the retired New York Yankees relief pitcher after they had thrown several balls while a number of Little League youth baseball players observed and played catch.
Trump awarded Rivera the presidential medal of freedom last year.
“I watched many sitting with George, good old George who is watching you right now, who is very proud of you,” Trump said of the late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.
Asked about Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto testing positive for the coronavirus, Trump said he believed Soto would rebound.
“They’re going to be able to take care of it,” he said.