mercurynews--2020-01-25--Jed York on San Francisco 49ers’ possible White House visit: ‘I respect the office’

The San Francisco 49ers are one win away from enjoying a parade to celebrate the franchise ’ s sixth Super Bowl victory .
Would a visit to the White House to meet President Donald Trump follow ?
In a discussion with reporters at Levi ’ s Stadium on Friday , 49ers owner Jed York discussed the possibility and indicated that no decision has been made regarding a potential trip to Washington , D.C. “ I respect the office of the president .
I ’ m not going to get into politics , ” York said .
The 49ers ’ owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV , but said he hopes key members of the franchise and the team will have the opportunity to discuss a White House trip .
“ I hope that we have that decision to make , I hope we have that opportunity and I hope that we ’ re fortunate enough to get a call from the president , ” York said .
The Golden State Warriors did not visit the White House following their championships in 2017 or 2018 as head coach Steve Kerr and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominent players including Steph Curry have been outspoken in their criticism of the president .
In January , 2019 , the Warriors did visit former President Barack Obama during a trip to Washington , D.C .

The San Francisco 49ers are one win away from enjoying a parade to celebrate the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl victory.
Would a visit to the White House to meet President Donald Trump follow?
In a discussion with reporters at Levi’s Stadium on Friday, 49ers owner Jed York discussed the possibility and indicated that no decision has been made regarding a potential trip to Washington, D.C.
“I respect the office of the president. I’m not going to get into politics,” York said.
The 49ers’ owner doesn’t want to overlook the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, but said he hopes key members of the franchise and the team will have the opportunity to discuss a White House trip.
“I hope that we have that decision to make, I hope we have that opportunity and I hope that we’re fortunate enough to get a call from the president,” York said.
When asked earlier this week about going to the White House in the event the 49ers win the Super Bowl, cornerback Richard Sherman said he doubted he would make the trip. The standard trip to the White House for championship teams has become less standard.
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The Golden State Warriors did not visit the White House following their championships in 2017 or 2018 as head coach Steve Kerr and a number of the team’s most prominent players including Steph Curry have been outspoken in their criticism of the president.
In January, 2019, the Warriors did visit former President Barack Obama during a trip to Washington, D.C.


mercurynews--2020-01-25--Democrats: Oust President Trump or he’ll do it again

By Lisa Mascaro , Eric Tucker and Zeke Miller | Associated Press WASHINGTON — House Democrats warned as they closed their arguments Friday in Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial that the president will persist in abusing his power and endanger American democracy unless Congress intervenes to remove him before the 2020 election .
“ He is who he is , ” declared Rep. Adam Schiff , the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee .
He told the senators listening as jurors that Trump putting the U.S-Ukraine relationship on the line in a way that benefited Russia just so he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” at Democratic foe Joe Biden .
“ You can not leave a man like that in office , ” Schiff said .
“ You know it ’ s not going to stop .
It ’ s not going to stop unless the Congress does something about it.
” Trump is being tried in the Senate after the House impeached him last month , accusing him of abusing his office by asking Ukraine for politically motivated probes of Biden and other matters while withholding military aid from a U.S. ally that was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article of impeachment accuses him of obstructing Congress by refusing to turn over documents or allow officials to testify in the House probe .
As Democrats finished their third day before skeptical Republican senators , Trump ’ s legal team prepared to start his defense , expected on Saturday .
Trump , eyes on the audience beyond the Senate chamber , bemoaned the schedule in a tweet , saying “ looks like my lawyers will be forced to start on Saturday , which is called Death Valley in T.V.
” Said Trump attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to rebut and refute , and we ’ re going to put on an affirmative case tomorrow.
” Republicans are defending Trump ’ s actions as appropriate and are casting the impeachment trial as a politically motivated effort to weaken him in his reelection campaign .
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate , and eventual acquittal is considered likely .
Before that , senators will make a critical decision next week on Democratic demands to hear more testimony from top Trump aides , including acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who refused to appear before the House .
It would take four Republican senators to join the Democratic minority to seek witnesses , and so far the numbers appear lacking .
“ This needs to end , ” said Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , a Trump confidant .
With Chief Justice John Roberts presiding , Friday ’ s session opened with a sweeping and impassioned argument from Democrats that Trump ’ s actions with Ukraine were not unique but part of a pattern of “ destructive behavior ” now threatening the core @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the senators that Trump has shown repeatedly that he is willing to put his personal political interests above those of the country he is sworn to protect .
The evidence shows , he said , that Trump bucked the advice of his own national security apparatus to chase “ kooky ” theories about Ukraine pushed by lawyer Rudy Giuliani , resulting in “ one hell of a Russian intelligence coup ” that benefited Vladimir Putin at U.S. expense .
This is not simply a foreign policy dispute , Schiff argued , but a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ally — in this case Ukraine , a struggling democracy facing down Russian troops at its border — for the investigation of Biden that Trump wanted ahead of 2020 .
Drawing on historical figures , from the founding fathers to the late GOP Sen. John McCain and the fictional Atticus Finch , Schiff made his arguments emphatically personal .
“ The next time , it just may be you , ” he said , pointing at one senator after another .
“ Do you think for a moment that if he felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t ask you to be investigated ?
” The senators though , appear as deeply divided as the nation , with Democrats ready to vote to convict the president and Republicans poised to acquit .
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed the public slightly more likely to say the Senate should convict and remove Trump from office than to say it should not , 45 % to 40 % .
But a sizable percentage , 14 % , said they didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue with wide agreement : Trump should allow top aides to appear as witnesses at the trial .
About 7 in 10 respondents said so , including majorities of Republicans and Democrats , according to the poll .
• By day two of impeachment trial , Senate norms are being flouted Evidence presented in the House probe has shown that Trump , with Giuliani , pursued investigations of Biden and his son , Hunter , who served on a Ukrainian gas company ’ s board , and sought a probe of a debunked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. election .
It ’ s a story line many in the president ’ s camp are still pushing .
Giuliani , in an appearance Friday on “ Fox & Friends , ” insisted he would present evidence on his new podcast of “ collusion going on in Ukraine to fix the 2016 election in favor of Hillary ” Clinton .
The impeachment trial is set against the backdrop of the 2020 election .
Four senators who are Democratic presidential candidates are off the campaign trail , seated as jurors .
Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Andrew Taylor , Laurie Kellman , Matthew Daly and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report .

By Lisa Mascaro, Eric Tucker and Zeke Miller | Associated Press
WASHINGTON — House Democrats warned as they closed their arguments Friday in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial that the president will persist in abusing his power and endanger American democracy unless Congress intervenes to remove him before the 2020 election.
“He is who he is,” declared Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He told the senators listening as jurors that Trump putting the U.S-Ukraine relationship on the line in a way that benefited Russia just so he could take a political”cheap shot” at Democratic foe Joe Biden.
“You cannot leave a man like that in office,” Schiff said. “You know it’s not going to stop. It’s not going to stop unless the Congress does something about it.”
Trump is being tried in the Senate after the House impeached him last month, accusing him of abusing his office by asking Ukraine for politically motivated probes of Biden and other matters while withholding military aid from a U.S. ally that was at war with bordering Russia. The second article of impeachment accuses him of obstructing Congress by refusing to turn over documents or allow officials to testify in the House probe.
As Democrats finished their third day before skeptical Republican senators, Trump’s legal team prepared to start his defense, expected on Saturday. Trump, eyes on the audience beyond the Senate chamber, bemoaned the schedule in a tweet, saying “looks like my lawyers will be forced to start on Saturday, which is called Death Valley in T.V.”
Said Trump attorney Jay Sekulow: “We’re going to rebut and refute, and we’re going to put on an affirmative case tomorrow.”
Republicans are defending Trump’s actions as appropriate and are casting the impeachment trial as a politically motivated effort to weaken him in his reelection campaign. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and eventual acquittal is considered likely.
Before that, senators will make a critical decision next week on Democratic demands to hear more testimony from top Trump aides, including acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton who refused to appear before the House. It would take four Republican senators to join the Democratic minority to seek witnesses, and so far the numbers appear lacking.
“This needs to end,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump confidant.
With Chief Justice John Roberts presiding, Friday’s session opened with a sweeping and impassioned argument from Democrats that Trump’s actions with Ukraine were not unique but part of a pattern of “destructive behavior” now threatening the core foundations of American democracy.
Schiff told the senators that Trump has shown repeatedly that he is willing to put his personal political interests above those of the country he is sworn to protect.
The evidence shows, he said, that Trump bucked the advice of his own national security apparatus to chase “kooky” theories about Ukraine pushed by lawyer Rudy Giuliani, resulting in “one hell of a Russian intelligence coup” that benefited Vladimir Putin at U.S. expense.
This is not simply a foreign policy dispute, Schiff argued, but a breech of long-held American values to leverage an ally — in this case Ukraine, a struggling democracy facing down Russian troops at its border — for the investigation of Biden that Trump wanted ahead of 2020.
Drawing on historical figures, from the founding fathers to the late GOP Sen. John McCain and the fictional Atticus Finch, Schiff made his arguments emphatically personal.
“The next time, it just may be you,” he said, pointing at one senator after another. “Do you think for a moment that if he felt it was in his interest, he wouldn’t ask you to be investigated?”
The senators though, appear as deeply divided as the nation, with Democrats ready to vote to convict the president and Republicans poised to acquit.
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed the public slightly more likely to say the Senate should convict and remove Trump from office than to say it should not, 45% to 40%. But a sizable percentage, 14%, said they didn’t know enough to have an opinion.
One issue with wide agreement: Trump should allow top aides to appear as witnesses at the trial. About 7 in 10 respondents said so, including majorities of Republicans and Democrats, according to the poll.
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It’s a story line many in the president’s camp are still pushing. Giuliani, in an appearance Friday on “Fox & Friends,” insisted he would present evidence on his new podcast of “collusion going on in Ukraine to fix the 2016 election in favor of Hillary” Clinton.
The impeachment trial is set against the backdrop of the 2020 election. Four senators who are Democratic presidential candidates are off the campaign trail, seated as jurors.
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Alan Fram, Andrew Taylor, Laurie Kellman, Matthew Daly and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-01-25--Burglary rocks high-end East Bay community

FREMONT — At least one person entered a home and made off with several items of value before leaving behind a shattered front door during a burglary Thursday night in the gated territory of Monticello Terrace , police said .
Police did not say how many people they believe were involved in the burglary of the home in the 600 block of Monticello Terrace , but they theorized that whoever committed the crime walked a good distance to do it .
The home is more than 10,000 square feet and located in a gated community with other similarly spacious multi-million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a remote road just north of Ohlone College , and many of the homes back up into open space .
Officers found the shattered rear door to the house when they arrived , following a call at 6:18 p.m. that the house had been burglarized , police said .
The home owner reported several other unspecified items missing , police said .
Police searched the area and the hillside with police dogs and more than one drone but came up empty .
Police said whoever committed the crime “ likely parked in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] hiked to the residence to commit the burglary.
” Fremont police are investigating with the help of East Bay Regional Parks police .
They urged anyone with information to call the Fremont Police Department ’ s Investigative Unit at 510-790-6900 .

FREMONT — At least one person entered a home and made off with several items of value before leaving behind a shattered front door during a burglary Thursday night in the gated territory of Monticello Terrace, police said.
Police did not say how many people they believe were involved in the burglary of the home in the 600 block of Monticello Terrace, but they theorized that whoever committed the crime walked a good distance to do it.
The home is more than 10,000 square feet and located in a gated community with other similarly spacious multi-million dollar homes. The community sits on a remote road just north of Ohlone College, and many of the homes back up into open space.
Officers found the shattered rear door to the house when they arrived, following a call at 6:18 p.m. that the house had been burglarized, police said. The home owner reported several other unspecified items missing, police said.
Police searched the area and the hillside with police dogs and more than one drone but came up empty. Police said whoever committed the crime “likely parked in a remote area and then walked [or] hiked to the residence to commit the burglary.”
Fremont police are investigating with the help of East Bay Regional Parks police. They urged anyone with information to call the Fremont Police Department’s Investigative Unit at 510-790-6900.


mercurynews--2020-01-25--49ers owner Jed York discusses Super Bowl, possible White House visit, defining moments for franchis

49ers owner Jed York discusses Super Bowl, possible White House visit, defining moments for franchise

SANTA CLARA — As his team prepares to take center stage in the Super Bowl , San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York stepped into the spotlight Friday .
York met with reporters at Levi ’ s Stadium ahead of the team ’ s trip to Miami to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV .
York discussed the dynamic between Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch , how he would handle an invitation to visit the White House and what he considers a defining moment for the franchise in its pursuit of its sixth Super Bowl title @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York ’ s Q & A .
An updated version will be posted shortly .
On interviewing Kyle Shanahan during a head coaching search : “ I think it became very , very clear within the first 10 minutes that we just saw how to build an organization in a very , very similar way because his father was here .
He saw the culture that Bill instilled in the late 70s and early 80s .
On concerns about Shanahan : “ You had those negative things , but he ’ s just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard when you ’ re in my position to know when somebody is being honest or direct .
He ’ s not really good at a poker face when he doesn ’ t want to answer a question .
He ’ s pretty direct .
That ’ s what I want from a coach.
” On making a six-year commitment to Shanahan and Lynch : “ I think I ’ m still paying three coaches .
It was like…if we ’ re going to pay a coach , we might as well pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That was clear to me .
It was two years of fixing what we needed to fix and knowing that this is year one of a four year deal .
It was knowing that this is somebody I can work with and John is somebody I can work with to get through some of the tough stuff.
” On what the contracts for Shanahan and Lynch showed : “ We needed to send a message to first our team and second our fans that these guys are here .
Not that we knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games , but it was unlikely that day one that when those guys came in we were going to win the Super Bowl.
” On sustaining success : “ I don ’ t want to put expectations on our guys , we need to focus on this week .
But that ’ s always been my goal .
I think with John And Kyle , we have the ability to hopefully keep competing , but there ’ s a lot of work to be done.
” On when York knew a Super Bowl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were able to draft Nick , I thought that this was possible .
Knowing the moves that they had made , even going back to Trent , we invested in our defensive line .
That was something that was really , really important to Kyle that we have a Super Bowl-caliber defensive line.
” “ If you said that after we drafted Nick , I would have said , yeah , I think there ’ s a chance for it .
But this is what we ’ ve always worked for.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go back to Steve Young when he talked to the team about John and Kyle about getting your back , they took that to heart and I think we ’ ve had that for three years .
We ’ ve been fortunate to have our breaks go our way and I ’ m very fortunate that we have two guys that are excellent at their jobs and that when we do make mistakes , we can learn from them.
” On pursuit of a Super Bowl title : “ We have one goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think any time that you lower that expectation , you hurt yourself and you hurt your team .
Lou Holtz would always talk about it , aiming for perfection and achieving greatness.
” On memories of the 2012 and 2013 49ers teams : “ It ’ s so much worse to lose in the NFC Championship Game especially when you lose in a close fashion and you see the team that beat you win , you always think what if ?
It ’ s hard to lose a Super Bowl , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have what ifs if you played the game.
” On staying focused in Miami : “ There ’ s a long time to be able to party after February 2 .
We just have to stay focused and do our job and come out on the right end of it.
” On Reuben Foster : “ It was hard .
We could have justified not moving on from it .
There are other people that have been in worse situations than what Reuben was in .
But we knew where we had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment for those guys and I think that ’ s defining moment for the culture.
” On a potential White House visit : “ I respect the office of the president .
I ’ m not going to get into politics .
I hope that we have that decision to make , I hope we have that opportunity and I hope that we ’ re fortunate enough to get a call from the president.
” On Shanahan and Lynch working together : “ He does so many little things , their strengths compliment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s important .
Neither one of them is trying to elbow one another to get to the front of the line.
” On leading the 49ers : “ My life is pretty simple .
My philosophies are fairly simple .
The Godfather , Bull Durham and Major League pretty much make up my philosophy on my life .
It goes back to Crash Davis talking to Nuke LaLoosh and he said you ’ re going to get lit up when you ’ re in the pros , but you have to remain cocky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On the good-cop , bad-cop dynamic between Shanahan and Lynch : “ Kyle isn ’ t the bad cop .
He ’ s the direct cop .
That ’ s where people can make the mistake .
This isn ’ t a pat yourself on the back league .
It ’ s what do you need to do to get better ?
I think Kyle is very direct .
”

SANTA CLARA — As his team prepares to take center stage in the Super Bowl, San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York stepped into the spotlight Friday.
York met with reporters at Levi’s Stadium ahead of the team’s trip to Miami to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
York discussed the dynamic between Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, how he would handle an invitation to visit the White House and what he considers a defining moment for the franchise in its pursuit of its sixth Super Bowl title.
York first spoke with the assembled media for more than 20 minutes then did a shorter session for the cameras afterward.
A complete transcription:
Intro: I feel for all of the players and all the requests that they get. I’ve been dealing with it all week. It’s like, ticket office is closed, we’re ready to go, get our business done. I think it will be good for our guys to be out of here. It’s definitely going to be good for me to get out of here. For anybody that does have my cell phone number I will definitely be changing it.
Q: When you go through this do your reflect on the times that weren’t as fun?
York: I think every day about banners flying over the stadium for me to step down from the team. That’s always my favorite experience about the 49ers. No, I’m just focused on what we have to do. I’m appreciative of our fans, especially the 40 to 50,000 that were here in not the best times. And even those fans, you could tell their passion and spirit for the team and I think it was awesome to see that re-awoken this year. Not just here but on the road. For those of you that have traveled and seen our games on the road, it’s been so awesome to see that. I’m happy for our fans. I know being in the Super Bowl seven years ago doesn’t seem that long except for the kind of deep valley that we went into in between, but I’m so appreciative of that and for them to see the team getting back to the Super Bowl.
Q: Kyle said that when he met with you three years ago it was most important to feel that you really, really wanted to win and that isn’t the case with every team. Was that the conversation?
York: It’s funny, because I going in to it, I don’t know that when either side looked at that meeting it was like this is destined to be. It was more of, this is part of the search. For me, I think you guys know, what I was looking for, I wanted an offensive minded coach and someone that could work with a quarterback and help a quarterback. To me, when you look at the history of the league, if you don’t have a quarterback that can win big games it can really be hard to get to January let alone February. And you wanted a coach and the G.M. to be on the same page. That’s really what I was looking for. Obviously Kyle fit the offensive-minded piece and didn’t have direct familiarity at least on paper with the 49ers, but I think it became very, very clear within the first 10 minutes that we saw how to build an organization in a very, very similar way because his father was here. He saw the culture that Bill (Walsh) instilled in the late 70s, 80s and early 90s. Even when Bill wasn’t here, his spirit and the 49er way was still a part of it, and Mike took that. So for Kyle, the Mike Shanahan way was really a part of the Bill Walsh 49er way, was part of what I wanted, and I think that’s where we really hit it off, and it was very clear in the first 10 minutes or so. We had a great conversation. He talked about how much he loved our roster at that time and how talented he thought our roster was (laughs). But the knocks that you heard on Kyle when you did your reference checks and things like that was, he thinks he knows everything, and you had those negative things. But he’s just honest and direct and it’s hard when you’re in my position to know when someone is really being truly honest and direct and when someone is kissing your ass. Kyle is very, very direct and I think you guys see it when you deal with him on a daily basis. He’s not really good at poker face when he doesn’t want to answer a question. He’s pretty good about being direct, and that’s what I want from a coach. If I’m doing something that’s incorrect, I’m trying to do thins the right way, but just because I want to do doesn’t mean it’s the right way to do it and it’s great to have somebody that, `Hah, we need this.’ And this is what’s going to be the problem and this is how we’re going to try and fix it. That’s what I have with Kyle, and it’s awesome to go to work with him every single day.
Q: When you hired those guys, did you see it as make or break for you . . .
York: I think I’m still playing like three coaches. If we’re going to pay a coach, may as well pay the same one for six years. Seems like a good idea to me. It was just clear that we had the vision in sync. Knowing it’s a six-year deal, but to me it was really two years of fixing what we needed to fix, and knowing it was year 1 of a four-year deal. And knowing this is someone I can work with and John is someone I can work with to get through the tough stuff. I made an Andy Dufresne reference (from the movie The Shawshank Redemption) earlier, everyone wants to get to that beach at the end. No one wants to go through what he went through to get to the beach. And we had to get through that. And Kyle and John are guys that I know we can get through it with, and we needed to send a message to first our team, and second our fans, that these guys are here. Not that we knew we weren’t going to win games, but it was unlikely that Day 1 we were going to win the Super Bowl when those guys came here. But I didn’t want anyone questioning, `Well, it’s Year 3, they’re on the hot seat.’ No, it’s a six-year deal. We’ve locked ourselves in, all three of us, and we’re here together and we’re going to build this thing the right way. And when you let guys know that, not that we made every right decision, we didn’t make every right draft pick, or every right trade or sign the right free agents all the time, but it’s the combination of it, it’s not what each individual did, we’re trying to build the right team. We don’t want each individual player to be the perfect signing and the perfect draft pick, we wanted to build the right team. And you have to have a longterm vision, and to me, when you can make those long term decisions the right way and don”t have to worry about we need to do it right now and short cut it, then you give yourself a chance.
Q: How do you feel the table is set for sustained success?
York: I don’t want to put expectations on our guys. We need to focus on this week, but that’s always been my goal. I think with John and Kyle, we have the ability to hopefully keep competing. But there’s still a lot of work to be done.
Q: How surprised are you at how quickly it came together?
York: Somebody asked me this at the end of the game. What was the moment you thought this was possible.. I said, like when we were able to draft Nick (Bosa) I thought this was possible. Knowing the moves that they had made to, even going back to Trent, we invested in our defensive line. And that was something that was really, really important for Kyle was to have a Super Bowl caliber defensive line and when you bring Dee in through sort of trade free agency, and you’re fortunate enough to have a player like Nick there when you’re drafting second, then you knew that you had a chance. And that’s kind of when it hit for me. And just watching what we were able to last year after Jimmy got hurt, it took a little time for us to find our way, but the offense was still able to do fairly well and be an exciting offense. And knowing that our young guys had the opportunity to learn, to grow, and not that we were going to make a big push in January last year, but our guys had the opportunity to become pros. And when you saw sort of all those things, and you knew some of those younger guys that maybe not necessarily would have had a chance if you were competing for a playoff spot last year, they were able to grow up last year. And that gave you a chance to have a relatively seasoned team even though it doesn’t seem like it from their age.
Q: If someone had told you you’d be in this position now at the beginning of the season, what would you have thought?
York: Talking to all of you guys or going to the Super Bowl?
Q: Going to the Super Bowl . . .
York: Like I said, if you said that after we drafted Nick, I’d say, yeah, I think so, there’s a chance for it. But this is always what we worked for. So for anyone that says, ‘we aim to go from 4-12 to 8-8,’ that’s never what we’re looking for. I always believe that if you have the right mix of culture and talent, you give yourself a chance to win. I give so much credit to John and Kyle for what they’ve been able to do and hopefully I can support them.
Q: Comparing culture to the last regime . . .
York: Every team is different, every team is unique. I just think that you go back to Steve Young when he talked to the team in Year 1 with John and Kyle about getting your back. They took that to heart. The team took it to heart and I think it’s become our mantra for the last three years of “I’ve got your back.’ I don’t know that there are many teams that have had it the way we’ve had it.
Q: You’ve been praised for staying out of the way, do you see that as actual praise?
York: I still submit game plans. He humors and he’ll throw a couple of plays in. Some of the reverses, those plays are mine. I don’t do things very differently today than I did 10 years ago. I think we’ve been fortunate to have some breaks go our way and I’m very fortunate that we have two guys that are excellent at their jobs and we can work together and when we do make mistakes, we can learn from them together.
Q: Said in the past Super Bowl or bust, still feel that way, or can you enjoy just getting there?
York: We have one goal. We always have one goal. And I think any time that you lower that expectation, you hurt yourself and you hurt your team. Lou Holtz would always talk about, if you aim for perfection you can achieve greatness and it goes all the way down, like you’re aiming for perfection. I don’t think any of us will ever be perfect, but if you aim for it, you give yourself a chance to be great, and that’s what you’re shooting for.
Q: Memories of the last Super Bowl trip . . .
York: It was, again this is something that I’ve said, but it’s so much worse to lose in the NFC Championship game. Especially if you lose in a close fashion and you see the team that beat you win and you always think `What if.’ It was hard to lose a Super Bowl, but we played the game. You can’t have what ifs when you play the game. And I think it’s one of those things that you have to remain focus and know that, don”t say something silly on opening night. Don’t do something silly during the week. It reinforces how important it is to just do your job for that week. Especially in a place like Miami where it’s very easy to go have fun and go do things like, hey man, I promise our players, our coaches, there’s a long time to be able to party after Feb. 2. We just have to stay focused and do our job this week and hopefully we come out on the right end of it.
Q: How has John and Kyle working together made your life easier as a CEO?
York: How much time do you have? Again, I think so much comes back to culture. It’s like any of us, the way we parent, a lot of it is how our parents parented us. The joke of `Oh, my God, my mom used to say this to me, my dad used to say this to me,’ it’s not dissimilar from this job. So when we talk about things that we want to do, the things that my uncle wanted and the things that I saw in building a championship caliber organization, that’s what Kyle saw from Mike. That’s what John knew growing up and what he saw from people. It makes it so much easier when you come from a very similar background of this is how we want to do things. I think a great example is Reuben (Foster). I love Reuben. I wish he was still here. We gave Reuben opportunities. We’ve given a lot of guys opportunities, but we set our limit and said if we can’t fix this, we have to move on from a talented player. I don’t know that that have been the case with every coach or every other general manager. Not just here but across the league, because it’s hard to give up on talent. That for me is one of the defining moments of John and Kyle being able to say, this is a first-round pick in our first year. And we moved on from it, and it was hard. We could have justified not moving on from it, there are other people that have been in worse situations than what Reuben has been in. But we knew where we had to be and I think that to me, if you look at a defining moment for those guys, and I think that’s a defining moment for the culture of this team of, we are team first and we got your back first.
Q: If you win, would this team go to the White House?
York: We have to get to that point. For me, personally, I respect the office of the president and I’m not going to get into politics. I hope that we have that decision to make and I hope we have that opportunity and I hope we’re fortunate enough to get a call from the president to invite us to the White House.
Q: What have you learned about John Lynch that makes him valuable?
York: He makes every team that he’s a part of better. He makes every team that he’s a part of a championship caliber group. We joke and his nickname is Captain America, but that’s who he is, that’s what he is. He’s real. And a lot of people aren’t real when that’s their persona, but that’s him. He can relate to the players in multiple ways. He can talk to a coach in a way that, hey, when I was playing, this message didn’t really work for me as a player, you might think about this, you might think about that. He does so many little things that their strengths complement one another. And I think that’s important, and neither one of those is trying to elbow the other to get to the front of the line, saying, “I’m the executive of the year, I’m the coach of the year.’ They’re happy for the other one. They’re happy for everybody’s success and I think that’s both their personalities. It’s awesome.
Q: Moments of doubt when you were 4-12 and asking for you to be fired?
York: I think I answered the fired question before. My life is pretty simple. My philosophies are fairly simple. The Godfather, Bull Durham and Major League pretty much make up my philosophy on life.
Q: Shawshank Redemption . . .
York: Shawshank a little bit But it goes back to Crash Davis talking to Nuke LaLoosh. You’re going to get lit up when you’re in the pros and you have to remain cocky, you have to remain confident. You can’t let them get you down. And it’s hard not to let outside noise affect you, but you have to block it out and I think our team has done a great job of trying to block outside noise and I hope I’ve done a small piece of that to help them move forward and move toward the task at hand,.
Q: Kyle said there’s a good cop/bad cop dynamic between he and John . . do you see that . . .
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Q: Kyle’s pretty sure . . .
York: but even that, Kyle’s not the bad cop, he’s the direct cop. And I think that’s where people can make the mistake of, look, this isn’t a pat yourself on the back league, it’s what do you need to do to get better. I think Kyle’s very direct when he talks to players, when he talks to coaches, when he talks to me, when he talks to anybody. This is the standard and we know what we signed up for with the 49ers. We know what we signed up for with the 49ers, we know what the standard is, and if we want to achieve that standard, this is what we need to do to get there. I can’t express how appreciative I am of him for that and how blessed we are to have those two guys here.


mercurynews--2020-01-24--‘Get rid of her!’ Recording links Trump to Yovanovitch ouster

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump can be heard in a taped 2018 conversation saying he wants to get rid of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine , whose removal a year later emerged as an issue in Trump ’ s impeachment .
The president was talking with a small group that included Lev Parnas , an associate of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , according to a report Friday about the audio recording .
Trump demanded the removal of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch at an April 2018 dinner at his hotel in Washington , according to ABC News , which reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contradict the president ’ s statements that he did not know Parnas , a key figure in the investigation .
ABC said a speaker who appears to be Trump says on the recording , “ Get rid of her !
Get her out tomorrow .
I don ’ t care .
Get her out tomorrow .
Take her out .
OK ?
Do it.
” Parnas and associate Igor Fruman worked with Giuliani on a push to get Ukraine to announce it would investigate former Vice President Joe Biden .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. ambassador has been insulting him , which leads directly to the apparent remarks by the president .
The White House denied any suggestion of presidential wrongdoing .
“ Every president in our history has had the right to place people who support his agenda and his policies within his administration , ” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said .
Yovanovitch , who was viewed as an obstacle to probes into Biden and his son , Hunter , was not recalled from her position until the following April .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives ” that she was disloyal to Trump .
Parnas appears to say on the recording : “ The biggest problem there , I think where we need to start is we got ta get rid of the ambassador .
She ’ s still left over from the Clinton administration.
” He later can be heard telling Trump .
“ She ’ s basically walking around telling everybody ‘ Wait , he ’ s gon na get impeached , just wait.
” House investigators have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort on the part of Parnas and Giuliani to have Yovanovitch removed from her post .
Parnas and Fruman were recently indicted by the Southern District of New York on charges including conspiracy to commit campaign finance fraud .
Both have pleaded not guilty .
Democrats seized on the recording as further evidence of Trump ’ s involvement .
“ If this is additional evidence of his involvement in that effort to smear her , it would certainly corroborate much of what we ’ ve heard , but I ’ m not in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not having looked at it , ” said Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , one of the House impeachment managers .
Parnas has done a series of interviews in recent days in which he has asserted that Trump was aware of the plan to remove Yovanovitch .
Trump has distanced himself from Parnas , and the president ’ s supporters have questioned his credibility and motives .
“ I don ’ t know Parnas other than I guess I had pictures taken , which I do with thousands of people , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just met him .
I don ’ t know him at all .
Don ’ t know what he ’ s about , don ’ t know where he comes from , know nothing about him .
I can only tell you this thing is a big hoax.
” • By day two of impeachment trial , Senate norms are being flouted • Political cartoons : Democrats make case for Trump impeachment , but without new facts The Associated Press has not reviewed the recording .
A request to Parnas and his lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president is being tried in the Senate after the House impeached him last month , accusing him of abusing his office by asking Ukraine to probe the Bidens while withholding military aid from a U.S. ally at war with Russia .
The second article of impeachment accuses Trump of obstructing Congress by refusing to turn over documents or allow officials to testify in the House probe .
Republicans have defended Trump ’ s actions as appropriate and are casting the process as a politically motivated effort to weaken him in his reelection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Senate , and acquittal is considered likely .

By Jonathan Lemire | Associated Press
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump can be heard in a taped 2018 conversation saying he wants to get rid of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, whose removal a year later emerged as an issue in Trump’s impeachment. The president was talking with a small group that included Lev Parnas, an associate of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, according to a report Friday about the audio recording.
Trump demanded the removal of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch at an April 2018 dinner at his hotel in Washington, according to ABC News, which reported on the recording. The recording appears to contradict the president’s statements that he did not know Parnas, a key figure in the investigation.
ABC said a speaker who appears to be Trump says on the recording, “Get rid of her! Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it.”
Parnas and associate Igor Fruman worked with Giuliani on a push to get Ukraine to announce it would investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. On the recording, the two tell Trump that the U.S. ambassador has been insulting him, which leads directly to the apparent remarks by the president.
The White House denied any suggestion of presidential wrongdoing.
“Every president in our history has had the right to place people who support his agenda and his policies within his administration,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.
Yovanovitch, who was viewed as an obstacle to probes into Biden and his son, Hunter, was not recalled from her position until the following April. She said the decision was based on “unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives” that she was disloyal to Trump.
Parnas appears to say on the recording: “The biggest problem there, I think where we need to start is we gotta get rid of the ambassador. She’s still left over from the Clinton administration.”
He later can be heard telling Trump. “She’s basically walking around telling everybody ‘Wait, he’s gonna get impeached, just wait.”
House investigators have been working to document an almost year-long effort on the part of Parnas and Giuliani to have Yovanovitch removed from her post. Parnas and Fruman were recently indicted by the Southern District of New York on charges including conspiracy to commit campaign finance fraud. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Democrats seized on the recording as further evidence of Trump’s involvement.
“If this is additional evidence of his involvement in that effort to smear her, it would certainly corroborate much of what we’ve heard, but I’m not in a position yet to analyze that, not having looked at it,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., one of the House impeachment managers.
Parnas has done a series of interviews in recent days in which he has asserted that Trump was aware of the plan to remove Yovanovitch. Trump has distanced himself from Parnas, and the president’s supporters have questioned his credibility and motives.
“I don’t know Parnas other than I guess I had pictures taken, which I do with thousands of people,” Trump said last week. “But I just met him. I don’t know him at all. Don’t know what he’s about, don’t know where he comes from, know nothing about him. I can only tell you this thing is a big hoax.”
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The president is being tried in the Senate after the House impeached him last month, accusing him of abusing his office by asking Ukraine to probe the Bidens while withholding military aid from a U.S. ally at war with Russia. The second article of impeachment accuses Trump of obstructing Congress by refusing to turn over documents or allow officials to testify in the House probe.
Republicans have defended Trump’s actions as appropriate and are casting the process as a politically motivated effort to weaken him in his reelection campaign. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and acquittal is considered likely.


mercurynews--2020-01-24--Four to stand trial in botched murder-for-hire case

OAKLAND — Four people will stand trial in a botched murder-for-hire plot involving a pimp , a hit woman and a love triangle the ended with two women dead .
The four 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 .
Adriana Falcon , 24 , is accused of being at the center of it all , and is charged with two counts of murder and conspiracy .
One count is for the death of Coshious Frazier , 27 , who was shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 , in Oakland and later died of her injuries ; the other count is for Lisa Williams , 21 , who was fatally shot Dec. 7 , 2016 , in the 800 block of South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco .
Falcon is accused of hiring Frazier to kill Williams on Nov. 11 or 12 , 2016 , and had indicated she was going to pay Frazier $ 5,000 to carry out the killing .
Falcon had a violent feud with a San Francisco pimp ; Williams worked with the pimp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Falcon , along with co-defendants Mercedes Morgan , Julio Garcia and Anthony Montoya , drove Frazier from Oakland to San Francisco to shoot Williams .
But , Frazier failed to kill Williams , and the group got into an argument over money when Frazier still wanted to get paid , according to the prosecution .
After the fight , Falcon and Montoya allegedly shot Frazier at her home in the 1700 block of Pleasant Valley Avenue in Oakland on Nov. 12 , 2016 .
Morgan then drove them away .
Both Falcon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her murder .
According to evidence presented at the preliminary hearing , when Falcon and Montoya returned to the car after allegedly shooting Frazier , Morgan asked them , “ Did you kill the bitch ?
” A key witness , who was 13 at the time and present in the car , told police that Falcon paid her $ 200 to keep quiet .
Police were able to ask Frazier before she died who shot her .
Caught on a police body camera , she answered : “ Mercedes ’ girlfriend.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Morgan is said to have had sexual relations with the pimp , who was also Williams ’ boyfriend , according to details that emerged at the preliminary hearing .
There also were allegations from witnesses who police interviewed that Falcon had also allegedly been shot in the leg by the pimp at some point in San Francisco , and that Falcon had shot at Williams ’ home in Vallejo .
Alameda County Deputy District Attorney John Ullom suggested in his arguments Friday that the group also wanted to enact violence on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ text messages were exchanged within the group about a candlelight vigil to be held in her honor .
Morgan allegedly texted “ LOL ( laugh out loud ) this bitch is gone.
” Then there was a reference from someone in the group that they needed “ hammers , ” a slang term for guns , and that they needed to attend the vigil , because the pimp was going to be there .
Garcia , 22 , also is charged with the murder of Williams , and is accused of being the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parking , then the shooter getting out of the passenger side , chasing Williams and fatally shooting her , according to a probable cause statement by San Francisco police Sgt .
Jon Kasper .
Cell tower records showed that Falcon was in the area where Williams was killed just 12 minutes before the shooting , according to court documents .
After Williams was killed , cell tower records tracked Falcon ’ s phone and Garcia ’ s phone together from San Francisco to San Leandro .
One of the bullet casings found at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia ’ s DNA , police said .
Garcia also matched the description of the suspect given by witnesses .
Ernie Castillo , the defense attorney for Falcon , suggested the DNA could have been transferred in evidence gathering .
He also argued that there weren ’ t any witnesses who identified Falcon in that car before Williams ’ fatal shooting .
In general , he said there was no evidence connecting his client to the San Francisco homicide .
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson noted that although the DNA evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much , it was also “ very strong ” evidence at the same time , he said .
Castillo also argued there was no evidence that Frazier was killed in an attempt to keep her quiet about the first botched attempt to kill Williams .
Although the judge agreed , he said there were other factors to hold the defendants to the conspiracy charges .
“ The circumstantial evidence in this case is compelling , ” he said .
All four defendants will be back in court on Feb. 7 for further arraignment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of custody , will be back on Monday for a bail motion , potentially to increase her bail .
The other three remain in custody .

OAKLAND — Four people will stand trial in what is alleged to be a botched murder-for-hire plot involving a pimp, a hitwoman and a love triangle that ended with two women dead.
The four 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.
Adriana Falcon, 24, is accused of being at the center of it all and is charged with two counts of murder and conspiracy. One count is for the death of Coshious Frazier, 27, who was shot at 1 a.m. on Nov. 12, 2016, in Oakland and later died of her injuries; the other count is for Lisa Williams, 21, who was fatally shot Dec. 7, 2016, in the 800 block of South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.
Falcon is accused of hiring Frazier to kill Williams on Nov. 11 or 12, 2016, and had indicated she was going to pay Frazier $5,000 to carry out the killing. Falcon had a violent feud with a San Francisco pimp; Williams worked with the pimp and was his girlfriend, authorities say.
Falcon, along with co-defendants Mercedes Morgan, Julio Garcia and Anthony Montoya, drove Frazier from Oakland to San Francisco to shoot Williams. But, Frazier failed to kill Williams, and the group got into an argument over money when Frazier still wanted to get paid, according to the prosecution.
After the fight, Falcon and Montoya allegedly shot Frazier at her home in the 1700 block of Pleasant Valley Avenue in Oakland on Nov. 12, 2016. Morgan then drove them away. Both Falcon and Montoya, 24, are charged with her murder.
According to evidence presented at the preliminary hearing, when Falcon and Montoya returned to the car after allegedly shooting Frazier, Morgan asked them, “Did you kill the bitch?” A key witness, who was 13 at the time and present in the car, told police that Falcon paid her $200 to keep quiet.
Police were able to ask Frazier before she died who shot her. Caught on a police body camera, she answered: “Mercedes’ girlfriend.” Mercedes Morgan and Falcon were dating.
Morgan is said to have had sexual relations with the pimp, who was also Williams’ boyfriend, according to details that emerged at the preliminary hearing. There also were allegations from witnesses who police interviewed that Falcon had also allegedly been shot in the leg by the pimp at some point in San Francisco and that Falcon had shot at Williams’ home in Vallejo.
Alameda County Deputy District Attorney John Ullom suggested in his arguments Friday that the group also wanted to enact violence on the pimp.
After Williams was killed, text messages were exchanged within the group about a candlelight vigil to be held in her honor. Morgan allegedly texted “LOL (laugh out loud) this bitch is gone.” Then there was a reference from someone in the group that they needed “hammers,” a slang term for guns, and that they needed to attend the vigil, because the pimp was going to be there.
Garcia, 22, also is charged with the murder of Williams, and is accused of being the shooter. Witnesses described the suspect vehicle parking, then the shooter getting out of the passenger side, chasing Williams and fatally shooting her, according to a probable cause statement by San Francisco police Sgt. Jon Kasper.
Cell tower records showed that Falcon was in the area where Williams was killed just 12 minutes before the shooting, according to court documents. After Williams was killed, cell tower records tracked Falcon’s phone and Garcia’s phone together from San Francisco to San Leandro.
One of the bullet casings found at the murder scene was tested and matched Garcia’s DNA, police said. Garcia also matched the description of the suspect given by witnesses.
Ernie Castillo, the defense attorney for Falcon, suggested the DNA could have been transferred in evidence gathering. He also argued that there weren’t any witnesses who identified Falcon in that car before Williams’ fatal shooting. In general, he said there was no evidence connecting his client to the San Francisco homicide.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson noted that although the DNA evidence found on the bullet casings was not much, it was also “very strong” evidence at the same time, he said.
Castillo also argued there was no evidence that Frazier was killed in an attempt to keep her quiet about the first botched attempt to kill Williams. Although the judge agreed, he said there were other factors to hold the defendants to the conspiracy charges.
“The circumstantial evidence in this case is compelling,” he said.
All four defendants will be back in court on Feb. 7 for further arraignment. Morgan, who is currently out of custody, will be back on Monday for a bail motion, potentially to increase her bail. The other three remain in custody.


mercurynews--2020-01-24--Warriors trade Willie Cauley-Stein to Mavericks for draft pick

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors have agreed to trade center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks , league sources confirmed with Bay Area News Group .
The deal was first reported by ESPN .
Dallas will send Utah ’ s 2020 second-round pick to the Warriors .
Cauley-Stein , 26 , signed a two-year $ 4.4 million deal with a player option for the second season with Golden State last summer .
In 41 games ( 37 starts ) , Cauley-Stein averaged 7.9 points , 6.2 rebounds , 1.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Warriors rescued his career • Warriors hope Jacob Evans will find his rhythm in the G League • Takeaways from the Warriors ’ loss to the Jazz , including their struggles at the rim and beyond the arc • Utah Jazz reach milestone versus Warriors for first time in a decade The move frees up an additional roster spot for the Warriors and $ 2.57 million in space under the hard cap .
Now with two open roster spots , Golden State could use the cap space to promote both two-way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center Marquese Chriss — to standard contracts , if they so choose .
Bowman has three days of NBA service remaining of his 45 day allotment , while Chriss has 20 .
The Warriors will also gain a $ 2.17 million trade exception , which they could use to acquire a player via trade without sending back matching salary .
The trade exception expires one year from the date it was created .
Without Cauley-Stein , who started the last four games , Omari Spellman and Chriss , and possibly rookie Alen Smailagic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kevon Looney remains sidelined with an abdominal strain , and there is no timetable for his return .
Earlier on Friday , the Mavericks traded rookie Isaiah Roby to the Thunder for center Justin Patton , who they will waive to clear a roster spot for Cauley-Stein .
For Dallas , they acquire a center after Dwight Powell suffered a season-ending Achilles tear against the Clippers this week .

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors have agreed to trade center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks, league sources confirmed with Bay Area News Group. The deal was first reported by ESPN.
Dallas will send Utah’s 2020 second-round pick to the Warriors. Before Friday, Golden State had only one second-round pick in the next six drafts.
The move frees up an additional roster spot for the Warriors and $2.57 million in space under the hard cap. Now with two open roster spots, the Warriors could use the cap space to promote both two-way contract players — guard Ky Bowman or center Marquese Chriss — to standard contracts, if they so choose. Bowman has three days of NBA service remaining of his 45 day allotment, while Chriss has 20. Related Articles Golden State Warriors | Here’s the Warriors’ schedule for NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament
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The Warriors will also gain a $2.17 million trade exception, which they could use to acquire a player via trade without sending back matching salary. The trade exception expires one year from the date it was created.
Cauley-Stein, 26, signed a two-year $4.4 million deal with a player option for the second season with Golden State last summer. In 41 games (37 starts), he averaged 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game.
Without Cauley-Stein, who started the last four games, Omari Spellman and Chriss, and possibly rookie Alen Smailagic, will absorb his minutes at center. Kevon Looney remains sidelined with an abdominal strain, and there is no timetable for his return.
The NBA’s trade deadline is on Feb. 6, and the Warriors could still make more moves before then.
“One of the biggest things to do as a coach is to make sure you are communicating with your guy sand staying in touch with everybody and making sure everyone is doing OK,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “But also acknowledging the realities of our job.”
Earlier on Friday, the Mavericks traded rookie Isaiah Roby to the Thunder for center Justin Patton, who they will waive to clear a roster spot for Cauley-Stein. For Dallas, it acquires a center after Dwight Powell suffered a season-ending Achilles tear against the Clippers this week.


mercurynews--2020-01-24--SJSU to turn state-owned downtown building into student housing

San Jose State University students , faculty and staff could soon have access to hundreds of new apartments on land in downtown San Jose currently owned by the state .
On Friday , State Sen. Jim Beall ( D-San Jose ) said the state would allow the university to redevelop the Alquist Building on the Paseo de San Antonio into anywhere from 800 to 1,200 units , depending on whether a property nearby can also be worked into the deal .
While the exact details still need to be fleshed out and some state workers moved to other offices , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addressing calls from homeless student advocates and others to do more to help those studying at the school find stable housing nearby .
“ Everybody knows this is a dire need , ” Beall said during a phone interview on Friday afternoon .
A recent report from the California State University system found that more than 4,000 SJSU students were homeless at some point during the previous year — around 13 percent of those enrolled .
The idea was floated last year , as reports of students and even faculty sleeping in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from housing advocacy groups and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo for the university to work to address the need for housing .
And Gov .
Gavin Newsom recently ordered state officials to identify state property that can be used to provide shelter for homeless people .
Now , Beall said , the transfer of the property from California to SJSU will serve as an example of how state-owned property can be used to help alleviate a ballooning housing crisis .
“ I was one of the first housing leaders at SJSU when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project is very personal to me , ” Beall said in a statement .
“ My job was to report landlords for rental discrimination and help find housing for homeless students.
” In addition to badly needed housing , Beall said , the property is a valuable piece of real estate in a vibrant downtown area near campus .
Beall and Assemblyman Ash Kalra ( D-San Jose ) pushed successfully last year for $ 250,000 in state funding for SJSU to use to develop a housing plan for the space .
“ Redeveloping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and campus facility would help address SJSU ’ s growing need for campus community housing and expand the campus facilities , ” Kalra said in a statement .
“ The Alquist building has great potential to enhance the connection between San Jose State and the downtown esplanade .
I am excited to work with Senator Beall in helping SJSU with the process of redeveloping an underused facility that will bring great value to the university and the City of San Jose.
” • ‘ Our community is sick , ’ San Jose housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will provide more details with Kalra and other officials from SJSU , San Jose and Santa Clara County at a press conference scheduled for Monday morning .
Officials from SJSU did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
On Friday , Beall said by phone construction could take several years .
Still , the senator said , “ this is a big victory .
”

San Jose State University students, faculty and staff could soon have access to hundreds of new apartments on land in downtown San Jose currently owned by the state.
On Friday, State Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose) said the state would allow the university to redevelop the Alquist Building on the Paseo de San Antonio into anywhere from 800 to 1,200 units, depending on whether a property nearby can also be worked into the deal.
While the exact details still need to be fleshed out and some state workers moved to other offices, the announcement marks a major turning point in addressing calls from homeless student advocates and others to do more to help those studying at the school find stable housing nearby.
“Everybody knows this is a dire need,” Beall said during a phone interview on Friday afternoon.
A recent report from the California State University system found that more than 4,000 SJSU students were homeless at some point during the previous year — around 13 percent of those enrolled.
The idea was floated last year, as reports of students and even faculty sleeping in cars or on the streets prompted calls from housing advocacy groups and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo for the university to work to address the need for housing. And Gov. Gavin Newsom recently ordered state officials to identify state property that can be used to provide shelter for homeless people.
Now, Beall said, the transfer of the property from California to SJSU will serve as an example of how state-owned property can be used to help alleviate a ballooning housing crisis.
“I was one of the first housing leaders at SJSU when I was a student here, so this project is very personal to me,” Beall said in a statement. “My job was to report landlords for rental discrimination and help find housing for homeless students.”
In addition to badly needed housing, Beall said, the property is a valuable piece of real estate in a vibrant downtown area near campus.
Beall and Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) pushed successfully last year for $250,000 in state funding for SJSU to use to develop a housing plan for the space.
“Redeveloping the Alquist building for a multi-use housing and campus facility would help address SJSU’s growing need for campus community housing and expand the campus facilities,” Kalra said in a statement. “The Alquist building has great potential to enhance the connection between San Jose State and the downtown esplanade. I am excited to work with Senator Beall in helping SJSU with the process of redeveloping an underused facility that will bring great value to the university and the City of San Jose.”
Beall will provide more details with Kalra and other officials from SJSU, San Jose and Santa Clara County at a press conference scheduled for Monday morning.
“We are very excited to be partnering on this cross-sector collaboration that is a part of our comprehensive housing solution for faculty, staff and students to be unveiled on Monday,” SJSU President Mary Papazian said in an emailed statement.
On Friday, Beall said by phone construction could take several years.
Still, the senator said, “this is a big victory.”


mercurynews--2020-01-24--Meghan Markle: Choosing Ellen over Oprah for first TV interview, report says

It was just a matter of time before reports began to emerge about Meghan Markle working out her first big TV interview , following her historic and dramatic exit from British royal life earlier this month .
The Daily Mail is reporting that the Duchess of Sussex has decided to give her first interview to Ellen DeGeneres , citing a source from the host ’ s eponymous afternoon talk show .
The source told The Daiy Mail that DeGeneres and the former TV actress “ have already discussed a sit-down interview.
” A friend of Meghan ’ s also told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ a model of authenticity ” and “ a kindred spirit ” who can truly understand “ her pain and suffering.
” Also in DeGeneres ’ s favor : She is known for her easy , non-confrontational interview style , especially when she ’ s getting friendly with fellow celebrities .
So , Meghan will have a sympathetic ear if she wants to address critics who have said she always cared more about being a celebrity than a committed member of the royal family .
But if DeGeneres is getting the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s most famous women , that means that Meghan would be bypassing her friend Oprah Winfrey .
“ Ellen getting the first shot at an in-depth interview is surely going to put Oprah ’ s ( and Gayle King ’ s ) nose out of joint , ” a source added to DailyMail .
“ After all , Oprah wooed Meghan ’ s mother by having her spend the day in Montecito , wrangled an invite to the wedding and has been pretty vocal in her support of the couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the source added .
Meanwhile , CBS Morning anchor King also seemed to be a pretty good candidate to nab the first Duchess of Sussex interview .
King attended Meghan ’ s lavish baby shower in New York City last year and was given exclusive , on-camera access to some of her closest friends for interviews for the CBS primetime special “ Meghan and Harry Plus One , ” which aired last May .
But the Daily Mail said DeGeneres has personal connections of her own to Meghan and to her husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living in Canada .
DeGeneres and Meghan first met by chance at a Los Angeles animal shelter years ago .
DeGeneres encouraged Meghan to adopt her first rescue dog Bogart , and the women have stayed in touch .
More recently , DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi took a trip to London to visit Meghan and Harry over the summer , after the birth of their son , Archie .
During that London visit , DeGeneres , de Rossi , Meghan and Harry bonded over their shared support for wildlife conservation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that she and Portia are huge animal lovers , ” the source told The Daily Mail .
After the visit , DeGeneres told her talk-show audience : “ I see them get attacked and it ’ s not fair .
They are two of the most down-to-earth compassionate people , they ’ re doing so much good for the world.
” According to the source , the interview will “ be all hush-hush and most likely at a secret location ” — because bringing Meghan to the studio would pose “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Meghan ’ s friends told the Daily Mail that quitting the royal family was the best thing that could ever happen to Harry , saying , “ It was her love for him that made this possible.
” “ She said that like her , his spirit was being crushed and she simply couldn ’ t stand to see him suffer anymore , ” the friend added .
Meghan and Harry stunned the world on Jan. 8 when they took to Instagram to say they had decided to step down as senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said they would seek to become financially independent and to balance their time between the U.K. and Canada , though it appears increasingly likely that Canada will become their home base .

It was just a matter of time before reports began to emerge about Meghan Markle working out her first big TV interview, following her historic and dramatic exit from British royal life earlier this month.
The Daily Mail is reporting that the Duchess of Sussex has decided to give her first interview to Ellen DeGeneres, citing a source from the host’s eponymous afternoon talk show.
The source told The Daiy Mail that DeGeneres and the former TV actress “have already discussed a sit-down interview.”
A friend of Meghan’s also told The Daily Mail that she views DeGeneres as “a model of authenticity” and “a kindred spirit” who can truly understand “her pain and suffering.”
Also in DeGeneres’s favor: She is known for her easy, non-confrontational interview style, especially when she’s getting friendly with fellow celebrities. So, Meghan will have a sympathetic ear if she wants to address critics who have said she always cared more about being a celebrity than a committed member of the royal family.
But if DeGeneres is getting the first shot at Meghan, now one of the world’s most famous women, that means that Meghan would be bypassing her friend Oprah Winfrey.
“Ellen getting the first shot at an in-depth interview is surely going to put Oprah’s (and Gayle King’s) nose out of joint,” a source added to DailyMail.
“After all, Oprah wooed Meghan’s mother by having her spend the day in Montecito, wrangled an invite to the wedding and has been pretty vocal in her support of the couple’s decision to break away,” the source added.
Meanwhile, CBS Morning anchor King also seemed to be a pretty good candidate to nab the first Duchess of Sussex interview. King attended Meghan’s lavish baby shower in New York City last year and was given exclusive, on-camera access to some of her closest friends for interviews for the CBS primetime special “Meghan and Harry Plus One,” which aired last May.
But the Daily Mail said DeGeneres has personal connections of her own to Meghan and to her husband, Prince Harry, who are now living in Canada.
DeGeneres and Meghan first met by chance at a Los Angeles animal shelter years ago. DeGeneres encouraged Meghan to adopt her first rescue dog Bogart, and the women have stayed in touch.
More recently, DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi took a trip to London to visit Meghan and Harry over the summer, after the birth of their son, Archie. During that London visit, DeGeneres, de Rossi, Meghan and Harry bonded over their shared support for wildlife conservation.
“Meghan adores Ellen and loves the fact that she and Portia are huge animal lovers,” the source told The Daily Mail.
After the visit, DeGeneres told her talk-show audience: “I see them get attacked and it’s not fair. They are two of the most down-to-earth compassionate people, they’re doing so much good for the world.”
According to the source, the interview will “be all hush-hush and most likely at a secret location” — because bringing Meghan to the studio would pose “too many challenges.”
Earlier this week, Meghan’s friends told the Daily Mail that quitting the royal family was the best thing that could ever happen to Harry, saying, “It was her love for him that made this possible.”
“She said that like her, his spirit was being crushed and she simply couldn’t stand to see him suffer anymore,” the friend added.
Meghan and Harry stunned the world on Jan. 8 when they took to Instagram to say they had decided to step down as senior members of the royal family. They also said they would seek to become financially independent and to balance their time between the U.K. and Canada, though it appears increasingly likely that Canada will become their home base.


mercurynews--2020-01-25--Letter: Robberies, thefts happen in every Oakland City Council district

Re : “ Big crowd turns out for emotional Montclair safety meeting in aftermath of laptop death ” ( Eastbaytimes.com , Jan. 10 ) : I was moved to see so many community residents at Council member Sheng Thao ’ s public safety town hall .
Robberies and thefts happen in every City Council district and it ’ s important for us on the council to reach across district lines and work together to reduce serious crime city-wide .
That ’ s why I attended the gathering on Jan. 9 .
Shuo Zeng ’ s death is a horrible tragedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatal tragedies in 2019 , not to mention a similar laptop theft that resulted in vehicular homicide in 2017 in Temescal .
Even though serious crimes are down compared to 2013 , we have seen an increase in recent months in many of our neighborhoods .
One of my goals is to fund additional Oakland Police Department academies to fill vacancies and get more officers hired for our communities , while providing increased funding for violence prevention .
• Letter : Nothing will result from hearings , despite Trump ’ s criminality • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help those left out of market • Letter : Navarro is the sole endorsed Dem in San Jose District 6 race We all deserve to live and thrive in a safer Oakland .
Submit your letter to the editor via this form Read more Letters to the Editor

Oakland council working
together to reduce crime
Re: “Big crowd turns out for emotional Montclair safety meeting in aftermath of laptop death” (Eastbaytimes.com, Jan. 10):
I was moved to see so many community residents at Council member Sheng Thao’s public safety town hall.
Robberies and thefts happen in every City Council district and it’s important for us on the council to reach across district lines and work together to reduce serious crime city-wide. That’s why I attended the gathering on Jan. 9.
Shuo Zeng’s death is a horrible tragedy. Unfortunately, Oakland has endured numerous fatal tragedies in 2019, not to mention a similar laptop theft that resulted in vehicular homicide in 2017 in Temescal.
Even though serious crimes are down compared to 2013, we have seen an increase in recent months in many of our neighborhoods. One of my goals is to fund additional Oakland Police Department academies to fill vacancies and get more officers hired for our communities, while providing increased funding for violence prevention.
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Dan Kalb
Oakland City Councilman
Oakland
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mercurynews--2020-01-25--Ahead of Super Bowl LIV, 49ers DB Jimmie Ward makes the case for himself in free agency

SANTA CLARA — Jimmie Ward doesn ’ t know where he ’ ll be playing next season , but he does know that wherever he winds up at the end of free agency , he won ’ t be lining up anywhere at cornerback .
The first thing on Ward ’ s mind , like every Niner , is Super Bowl LIV .
But next up may be his next team .
Ward , who played this season on a one-year contract , made the pitch for himself Friday before the 49ers depart for Miami .
“ It means a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next year , ” Ward said of the stakes for him next Sunday .
“ It ’ s reality .
It ’ s free agency … “ A lot of coaches — every level that I ’ ve played at — they try me at corner .
They see corner inside of me .
That ’ s cool , it means they respect me as a player .
But I feel I can change the game at safety.
” His response to any team that approaches him about playing cornerback ?
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I can play it , but I don ’ t want to play corner.
” Although he ’ s had the stability of playing for the same franchise his entire career , that ’ s about the only stability Ward has experienced .
Kyle Shanahan is the fourth coach he ’ s played for in six seasons .
Since being drafted 30th overall in 2014 , this season was only the second time he played in three quarters or more of the 49ers games .
Broken forearm .
Fractured collarbone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ catch a break .
His health prevented him from winning the starting safety job — until this year .
He bounced around the secondary and struggled to live up to expectations for a first-round pick .
It led to calls for the 49ers to move on after last season .
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But all he ’ s done this season is exactly that : prove it .
Finally playing his first full season at safety , he was one of the top-graded players at his position , according to Pro Football Focus .
Just one thing eludes him .
“ Eventually that ball is going to bounce my way and I ’ ll be able to show you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Well , maybe two things .
“ I wish we had made it ( to the Super Bowl ) my first year or two years , ” Ward said .
“ But really I wish I was at safety for my whole career … But at the same time , I ’ m going Sunday to compete to win the Super Bowl .
”

SANTA CLARA — Jimmie Ward doesn’t know where he’ll be playing next season, but he does know that wherever he winds up at the end of free agency, he won’t be lining up anywhere at cornerback.
The first thing on Ward’s mind, like every Niner, is Super Bowl LIV. But next up may be his next team.
Ward, who played this season on a one-year contract, made the pitch for himself Friday before the 49ers depart for Miami.
“It means a lot because I might not be here next year,” Ward said of the stakes for him next Sunday. “It’s reality. It’s free agency …
“A lot of coaches — every level that I’ve played at — they try me at corner. They see corner inside of me. That’s cool, it means they respect me as a player. But I feel I can change the game at safety.”
His response to any team that approaches him about playing cornerback?
“I’m good,” he said. “I can play it, but I don’t want to play corner.”
Although he’s had the stability of playing for the same franchise his entire career, that’s about the only stability Ward has experienced. Kyle Shanahan is the fourth coach he’s played for in six seasons.
Since being drafted 30th overall in 2014, this season was only the second time he played in three quarters or more of the 49ers games. Broken forearm. Fractured collarbone. Broken finger. Ward couldn’t catch a break. His health prevented him from winning the starting safety job — until this year. He bounced around the secondary and struggled to live up to expectations for a first-round pick. It led to calls for the 49ers to move on after last season.
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Just one thing eludes him.
“Eventually that ball is going to bounce my way and I’ll be able to show you my ball skills,” he said.
Well, maybe two things.
“I wish we had made it (to the Super Bowl) my first year or two years,” Ward said. “But really I wish I was at safety for my whole career … But at the same time, I’m going Sunday to compete to win the Super Bowl.”


mercurynews--2020-01-25--Letter: School-sponsored prayer not legal in public schools

A Jan. 21 letter to the editor titled “ Trump ’ s school prayer move raises concerns ” ( Mercurynews.com ) states : “ Contrary to popular opinion , prayer is perfectly legal in any public school.
” According to the U.S. Supreme Court , school-sponsored prayer is not legal in public schools .
The case Engel v. Vitale , 370 U.S. 421 ( 1962 ) declared that school-sponsored prayers in public school are unconstitutional .
As far as religion goes , the U.S. Supreme Court in the McCollum v. Board of Education , 333 U.S. 203 , 212 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during school hours and on school property violates the First Amendment ’ s establishment clause .
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” Submit your letter to the editor via this form Read more Letters to the Editor

School-sponsored prayer
not legal in public schools
A Jan. 21 letter to the editor titled “Trump’s school prayer move raises concerns” (Mercurynews.com) states: “Contrary to popular opinion, prayer is perfectly legal in any public school.”
According to the U.S. Supreme Court, school-sponsored prayer is not legal in public schools. The case Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962) declared that school-sponsored prayers in public school are unconstitutional.
As far as religion goes, the U.S. Supreme Court in the McCollum v. Board of Education, 333 U.S. 203, 212 (1948) decision ruled that religious instruction during school hours and on school property violates the First Amendment’s establishment clause.
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Richard Mandel
San Jose
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Word Game: Jan. 25, 2020

TODAY ’ S WORD — MENTIONS ( MENTIONS : MEN-shuns : Refers to something briefly or casually . )
Can @ @ @ @ @ words in MENTIONS ?
The list will be published Monday .
To purchase the Word @ @ @ @ @ .
Order it now for just $ 5 while supplies last !
1 .
Words @ @ @ @ @ more letters .
2 .
Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “ @ @ @ @ @ “ bats ” or “ dies , ” are not allowed .
3 .
Additional @ @ @ @ @ “ d ” or an “ s ” may not be used .
For example @ @ @ @ @ is used , “ baked ” or “ bakes ” are not allowed , but @ @ @ @ @ baking ” are admissible .
4 .
Proper nouns , slang words , or vulgar @ @ @ @ @ not allowed .

TODAY’S WORD — MENTIONS (MENTIONS: MEN-shuns: Refers to something briefly or casually.)
Average mark 35 words
Time limit 60 minutes
Can you find 52 or more words in MENTIONS? The list will be published Monday.
YESTERDAY’S WORD — BROWSING bingo bison bong boring born bowing
brig bring brio brow brown ring robin robing rosin rowing owing wing worn
wring wrong sign sing snob snow song sorb sowing sown swig swing sworn
iron nosing gown grin groin grow grown
To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!
RULES OF THE GAME:
1. Words must be of four or more letters.
2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.
3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.
4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.


mercurynews--2020-01-25--Horoscopes Jan. 25, 2020: Alicia Keys, remain cool, calm and in control this year.

Happy Birthday : Remain cool , calm and in control this year .
Take a serious look at what ’ s happened in the past , and consider how you want to transpose your life into something that brings you happiness and satisfaction .
Don ’ t get angry over what has come and gone .
Take the experience and turn it into a fresh start .
Added discipline will encourage success .
Your numbers are 5 , 12 , 23 , 30 , 36 , 44 , 48 .
ARIES ( March 21-April 19 ) : Volunteer your help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s uncertainty stop you from moving forward with your plans .
If you pursue your goals , you will have no regret , and it may prompt someone you love to aspire to keep up with you .
4 stars TAURUS ( April 20-May 20 ) : Don ’ t be too trusting or feel you have to make a change because someone else does .
Take any uncertainty you are feeling as a sign that you need more time to figure out what you want to do next .
2 stars GEMINI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s doable , not a pie-in-the-sky idea that someone offers .
Rely on your intelligence to help you pick what ’ s best for you .
Your life goals are reachable , so don ’ t waste your time trying to achieve someone else ’ s dream .
5 stars CANCER ( June 21-July 22 ) : Personal gain will unfold if you are patient and take care of all the details yourself .
Consider what you have invested in who you depend on the most and where you see yourself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
3 stars LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22 ) : You ’ ll be pressured by what you want to do and what you should do .
A personal challenge will surface due to a lack of open communication .
Sharing your feelings may be difficult , but once you do , you will feel better .
3 stars VIRGO ( Aug. 23-Sept. 22 ) : Don ’ t get tangled up in gossip , someone else ’ s business or situations that are risky .
You have more options than you realize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and focus on positive personal changes instead of trying to alter someone else .
3 stars LIBRA ( Sept. 23-Oct. 22 ) : Plan a networking or brainstorming session with someone you respect for their input , opinion or the intimacy you share .
Love and romance are featured and will improve your relationship as well as your future .
5 stars SCORPIO ( Oct. 23-Nov. 21 ) : Opposition will stifle your productivity .
Listen to what others say , but don ’ t conform to what someone wants if it means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with someone you love and trust , and you ’ ll figure out what ’ s best for you .
2 stars SAGITTARIUS ( Nov. 22-Dec. 21 ) : Your free-spirited nature will take over , turning you into a crowd-pleaser .
Before you become too accommodating , consider who will be the recipient of your personal information .
Think twice before you bare your soul .
Protect your reputation .
4 stars CAPRICORN ( Dec. 22-Jan. 19 ) : Keep plugging away at what you are trying to achieve until you feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoting your plans too soon will give the competition a chance to steal your ideas and your thunder .
Focus on perfection and originality .
3 stars AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18 ) : Put more energy into your plans , and you will outdo anyone who challenges you .
Don ’ t feel you have to make a change because someone else does .
Do only what feels right .
Turn an emotional moment into something memorable .
3 stars PISCES ( Feb. 19-March 20 ) : A fresh look at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don ’ t flaunt what you ’ ve accomplished .
Expect someone to be jealous of you or what you have .
There is always room for improvement , so don ’ t let your success go to your head .
3 stars Birthday Baby : You are intuitive , conscientious and talented .
You are a creative dreamer .

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Alicia Keys, 39; Mia Kirshner, 45; Ana Ortiz, 49; Jenifer Lewis, 63.
Happy Birthday: Remain cool, calm and in control this year. Take a serious look at what’s happened in the past, and consider how you want to transpose your life into something that brings you happiness and satisfaction. Don’t get angry over what has come and gone. Take the experience and turn it into a fresh start. Added discipline will encourage success. Your numbers are 5, 12, 23, 30, 36, 44, 48.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Volunteer your help. Don’t let someone’s uncertainty stop you from moving forward with your plans. If you pursue your goals, you will have no regret, and it may prompt someone you love to aspire to keep up with you. 4 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t be too trusting or feel you have to make a change because someone else does. Take any uncertainty you are feeling as a sign that you need more time to figure out what you want to do next. 2 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Embrace what’s doable, not a pie-in-the-sky idea that someone offers. Rely on your intelligence to help you pick what’s best for you. Your life goals are reachable, so don’t waste your time trying to achieve someone else’s dream. 5 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Personal gain will unfold if you are patient and take care of all the details yourself. Consider what you have invested in who you depend on the most and where you see yourself heading. Everything will fall into place. 3 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’ll be pressured by what you want to do and what you should do. A personal challenge will surface due to a lack of open communication. Sharing your feelings may be difficult, but once you do, you will feel better. 3 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t get tangled up in gossip, someone else’s business or situations that are risky. You have more options than you realize. Slow down, think matters through and focus on positive personal changes instead of trying to alter someone else. 3 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Plan a networking or brainstorming session with someone you respect for their input, opinion or the intimacy you share. Love and romance are featured and will improve your relationship as well as your future. 5 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Opposition will stifle your productivity. Listen to what others say, but don’t conform to what someone wants if it means giving up something you want. Relax with someone you love and trust, and you’ll figure out what’s best for you. 2 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your free-spirited nature will take over, turning you into a crowd-pleaser. Before you become too accommodating, consider who will be the recipient of your personal information. Think twice before you bare your soul. Protect your reputation. 4 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep plugging away at what you are trying to achieve until you feel satisfied with the results. Presenting or promoting your plans too soon will give the competition a chance to steal your ideas and your thunder. Focus on perfection and originality. 3 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put more energy into your plans, and you will outdo anyone who challenges you. Don’t feel you have to make a change because someone else does. Do only what feels right. Turn an emotional moment into something memorable. 3 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A fresh look at an old idea will spark your imagination. Don’t flaunt what you’ve accomplished. Expect someone to be jealous of you or what you have. There is always room for improvement, so don’t let your success go to your head. 3 stars
Birthday Baby: You are intuitive, conscientious and talented. You are a creative dreamer.
Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.