mercurynews--2020-08-09--A’s sweep Astros, but Laureano may face supplemental discipline

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OAKLAND — Outfielder Ramón Laureano may face supplemental discipline from Major League Baseball for his role in a bench-clearing melee that erupted during Sunday ’ s game between the A ’ s and Houston Astros at the Coliseum .
In the seventh inning in what would become a 7-2 win by the A ’ s , Laureano , on first base after he was plunked by Humberto Castellanos , charged at Houston hitting coach Alex Cintron after the two got into a shouting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dustin Garneau before he could get to Cintron , who was in the Astros dugout .
Both benches and bullpens emptied .
The melee quickly dispersed and both Laureano and A ’ s catcher Austin Allen were ejected from the game .
No Astros player or coach was tossed , although manager Dusty Baker was ejected earlier for arguing balls and strikes .
“ I don ’ t know how we end up getting a couple guys kicked out and it kind of came out of their dugout , ” A ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t understand it , but that ’ s just how it worked out .
Ramón ’ s not going over there for no reason.
” Melvin also made it clear that MLB needs to look at the actions of Cintron , who played nine seasons in the big leagues and is in his second season as Houston ’ s hitting coach .
“ Ramón doesn ’ t go there unless something completely offensive came out of the dugout , ” Melvin said .
“ And I think the league knows who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be suspended .
So hopefully that ’ s the case.
” The A ’ s were leading 6-2 when Laureano was beaned by Castellanos in the back with a breaking ball .
Castellanos also hit Laureano in Friday ’ s game , when Robbie Grossman was hit twice by Astros pitchers .
Laureano , who was also hit earlier in the game , had some choice words for Castellanos as two umpires stepped in between the two .
Cooler heads appeared to prevail when Laureano reached first , but he and Cintron got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laureano made his move .
Last month , Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly was suspended eight games and manager Dave Roberts was banned for one game by MLB for an altercation in a game with the Astros at Minute Maid Park .
MLB officials were upset by the incident , with opposing players breaking protocol by unnecessarily getting so close to each other .
Baseball has been in the spotlight , as the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins have struggled to get a handle on coronavirus outbreaks .
“ We understand , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these things , ” Melvin said .
“ Obviously , we don ’ t want to get into a brawl like that , and we understand the protocol .
So , unfortunately , it happened.
” Coming into Sunday , Laureano was hitting .288 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 165 games this season .
He was 0-for-2 on Sunday , although the A ’ s are 9-3 this season when he has had at least one base hit .
“ We ’ ll just have to see what happens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible Laureano suspension .
“ Ramon ’ s an emotional guy .
He ’ s been hit a bunch of times this year .
( Cintron ) started saying things that shouldn ’ t be said .
… I hope it ’ s nothing bad .
Ramon ’ s been great for us in the lineup.
” Sunday ’ s fracas added another chapter to the already simmering rivalry between the two teams , as the A ’ s , with their ninth straight win , took a five-game lead in the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matt Chapman all homered for Oakland .
Olson hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning off Astros starter Cristian Javier for a 4-1 lead , and Chapman followed that with a solo homer to left .
The A ’ s now have 14 homers over their last seven games , and starter Jesus Luzardo struck out five for his first career major league victory .
The series sweep by the A ’ s was their first over the Astros in Oakland since 2017 , when they swept a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included a double-header on Sept. 9 .
Luzardo exited the game in the sixth inning with two outs and two on .
Yusmeiro Petit came in and walked Yuli Gurriel to load the bases .
But Petit struck out Carlos Correa on three pitches to end the threat .
• Former major leaguer on A ’ s coach Ryan Christenson : ‘ That ’ s just so far from who he is ’ • Kurtenbach : Someone had to boo the cheating Astros in the Oakland Coliseum .
So I did it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivers walk-off against Astros : “ He still has an attitude about him ” The A ’ s now begin an eight game road trip , starting with three games in Anaheim against the Angels .
They also play three games in San Francisco Aug. 14-16 and close to road trip Aug 17-18 in Arizona .
Luzardo was looking for his first major league victory after he had a no decision in his first start , a 5-1 A ’ s win over Texas on Tuesday .
He had five strikeouts and allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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OAKLAND — Ramón Laureano may face supplemental discipline from Major League Baseball for his role in a bench-clearing melee that erupted during Sunday’s game between the A’s and Houston Astros at the Coliseum.
In the seventh inning in what would become a 7-2 win by the A’s, Laureano, on first base after he was plunked by Humberto Castellanos, charged at Houston hitting coach Alex Cintrón after the two got into a shouting match
Laureano was tackled by Astros catcher Dustin Garneau before he could get to Cintrón. Both benches and bullpens emptied.
The melee later dispersed and both Laureano and A’s catcher Austin Allen, who got tied up with Astros catcher Martín Maldonado, were ejected from the game. No Astros player or coach was tossed, although manager Dusty Baker was ejected earlier for arguing balls and strikes.
“I don’t know how we end up getting a couple guys kicked out and it kind of came out of their dugout,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “I don’t understand it, but that’s just how it worked out. Ramón’s not going over there for no reason.”
For complete Oakland A’s coverage follow us on Flipboard.
Melvin also made it clear that MLB needs to look at the actions of Cintrón, who waved at Laureano to come toward him. Laureano waved back at Cintrón, who then moved onto the top step of the dugout and walked toward the A’s outfielder.
Cintrón, who played nine seasons in the big leagues and is in his second season as Houston’s hitting coach, stayed out of the pile as Astros players converged on Laureano.
“Ramón doesn’t go there unless something completely offensive came out of the dugout,” Melvin said. “And I think the league knows who that is. And that person should be suspended. So hopefully that’s the case.”
The A’s were leading 6-2 when Laureano was beaned by Castellanos in the back with a breaking ball. Castellanos also hit Laureano in Friday’s game, when Robbie Grossman was hit twice by Astros pitchers.
Laureano, who was also hit earlier in the game by former A’s draft pick Brandon Bailey, had words for Castellanos as two umpires stepped in between the two players. Laureano appeared to motion to Castellanos that he wasn’t snapping off his slider enough, causing it to go straighter than it should.
But when Laureano reached first, he and Cintrón got into a verbal back-and-forth before an irate Laureano made his move.
Laureano charges the Astros dugout and the brawl breaks out pic.twitter.com/CQ2K8kFnlb — A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) August 9, 2020
Last month, Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly was suspended eight games and manager Dave Roberts was banned for one game by MLB for an altercation in a game with the Astros at Minute Maid Park.
MLB officials were upset by the incident, with opposing players breaking protocol by unnecessarily getting so close to each other.
Baseball has been in the spotlight, as the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins have struggled to get a handle on coronavirus outbreaks.
“We understand, and you do the best you can with these things,” Melvin said. “Obviously, we don’t want to get into a brawl like that, and we understand the protocol. So, unfortunately, it happened.”
Coming into Sunday, Laureano was hitting .288 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 165 games this season. He was 0-for-2 on Sunday, although the A’s are 9-3 this season when he has had at least one base hit.
“We’ll just have to see what happens,” Olson said in regards to a possible Laureano suspension. “Ramon’s an emotional guy. He’s been hit a bunch of times this year. (Cintrón) started saying things that shouldn’t be said. … I hope it’s nothing bad. Ramon’s been great for us in the lineup.”
Sunday’s fracas added another chapter to the already simmering rivalry between the two teams, as the A’s, with their ninth straight win, took a five-game lead in the American League West.
Grossman, Olson and Matt Chapman all homered for Oakland. Olson hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning off Astros starter Cristian Javier for a 4-1 lead, and Chapman followed that with a solo homer to left.
The A’s now have 14 homers over their last seven games, and starter Jesús Luzardo struck out five for his first career major league victory.
The series sweep by the A’s was their first over the Astros in Oakland since 2017, when they swept a four-game set from Sept. 8-10, which included a double-header on Sept. 9.
Luzardo exited the game in the sixth inning with two outs and two on. Yusmeiro Petit came in and walked Yuli Gurriel to load the bases. But Petit struck out Carlos Correa on three pitches to end the threat.
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Luzardo was looking for his first major league victory after he had a no decision in his first start, a 5-1 A’s win over Texas on Tuesday. He had five strikeouts and allowed two walks over five scoreless innings.


mercurynews--2020-08-09--The Latest: School from crowd photo shifts to online classes

By The Associated Press DALLAS , Ga. — A Georgia high school plans to start the week with all classes shifting online after nine students and staff tested positive for the coronavirus when the school year opened last week with most students attending in-person .
North Paulding High School made headlines soon after students returned to school Aug. 3 when photos posted on social media showed hallways crowded with students , and many of them not wearing masks .
The school ’ s principal notified parents Saturday that six students and three staff members had tested positive for the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any were infected at school .
Now students will take online classes Monday and Tuesday , Paulding County Schools Superintendent Brian Ott said in a letter to parents Sunday .
He said those two days will be used to clean and disinfect the school , and parents will learn Tuesday evening if in-person classes can resume later in the week .
“ Hopefully we can all agree that the health and safety of our students and staff takes precedence over any other considerations at this time , ” Ott said in his letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlets .
Paulding County schools spokesman Jay Dillon did not immediately return phone and text messages Sunday evening from The Associated Press .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK : — States on hook for billions under Trump ’ s unemployment plan — Masks in class ?
Many questions as Germans go back to school HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says officials have agreed to allow live performances to resume .
After consultations with his culture , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s office said Sunday that performances could take place outdoors .
Audiences will be divided into 20-person “ capsules , ” and venues will need to be approved by the Health Ministry .
Thousands of Israeli musicians , actors and other performers have been out of work for months due to coronavirus restrictions .
Sunday ’ s statement said officials would work in the coming weeks to draft rules for indoor performances .
After moving rapidly to contain the virus outbreak last spring , Netanyahu apparently reopened the economy too quickly , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
LONDON — Britain has recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections in a day for the first time since late June .
Government statistics say 1,062 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the 24 hours until 9 a , m .
Sunday .
The last time the number was over 1,000 was on June 26 .
Britain has seen a gradual rise in coronavirus infections since it began lifting lockdown restrictions in mid-June .
The government has put the next stage of reopening , which had been due to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least two weeks .
The number of patients hospitalized with the virus continues to decline , as does the daily number of deaths .
Eight new COVID-19 fatalities were reported Sunday .
Britain ’ s official coronavirus death toll stands at 46,574 , the highest in Europe .
ATHENS , Greece — Greek authorities have announced a record daily number of 203 new coronavirus cases , with one death .
The total number of cases is now 5,623 , with 212 deaths .
Beginning Monday and ending August 31 , everyone must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as all modes of transport , other than private cars , the government has decided .
People attending church must also do so , though priests are not required to wear masks in church .
ROME — Italy ’ s tally of daily new COVID-19 cases leaped higher on Sunday , with 463 cases , according to Health Ministry figures .
Many of the latest cases have been found in young people returning from vacations abroad .
Italy ’ s day-to-day new caseload had previously soared far above 500 confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 347 on Saturday , more in line with numbers of the past few weeks .
For months , the region with by far the most daily new coronavirus infections had been Lombardy , the northern region where Italy ’ s outbreak erupted in February .
On Sunday , Lombardy had 71 new cases , barely outstripping several other regions , including Emilia-Romagna with 69 , Tuscany with 61 and Veneto with 58 .
While in the first weeks of the outbreak in Italy , only one of every 83 infections occurred in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now one of every eight confirmed cases occurs in that age bracket .
With two deaths registered on Sunday , Italy ’ s known death toll stood at 35,205 .
Italy ’ s overall count of known infections in the pandemic stands at 250,566 .
LONDON — The number of British companies planning to cut staff numbers in June was five times higher than in the same month a year earlier , in an ominous sign of COVID-19 ’ s economic impact .
Figures obtained by the BBC show that 1,778 companies informed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of 139,000 jobs .
A year earlier the figure was 345 companies announcing a total of 24,000 job losses .
Businesses are required to inform the Insolvency Service if they plan to cut 20 or more jobs .
During the pandemic the government has been paying the salaries of almost 10 million furloughed workers .
Economists are predicting a surge in unemployment when that program ends in October .
The U.K. economy shrank by more than 20 % in the first half of 2020 , and despite some signs of recovery the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end 2020 9.5 % smaller than it started the year .
NEW DELHI — The Indian Medical Association says 196 doctors have died of COVID-19 so far and , in an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi , requested adequate care for physicians and their families .
The Health Ministry on Sunday recorded nearly 64,000 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours for a total of 2,153,010 .
At least 628,747 patients are still undergoing treatment .
India also recorded 861 fatalities , driving the death toll to 43,379 .
India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50,000 new cases a day since mid-June and has the third-highest caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil .
It has the fifth-most deaths but its fatality rate of about 2 % is far lower than the top two hardest-hit countries .
Even as India has maintained comparatively low mortality rates , the disease has spread widely across the country .
MELBOURNE , Australia — The premier of Australia ’ s Victoria state says more than 2,700 active cases have no known source and remain the primary concern of health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcome drop in its new COVID-19 cases with 394 but a record 17 deaths , including two people in their 50s .
It took the hard-hit state ’ s toll to 210 and the Australian total of deaths to 295 .
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said confirmed cases also include almost 1,000 health care workers .
The city of Melbourne has been under tough restrictions since a week ago , including an overnight curfew and mandatory wearing of masks , but won ’ t see the results of their efforts for another one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents have been fined over the past 24 hours for breaching the restrictions , including a man helping a friend to move a television 27 kilometers ( 17 miles ) across the city .
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil has surpassed a grim milestone — 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 .
And five months after the first reported case , the country is showing no signs of crushing the disease .
The nation of 210 million people has been reporting an average of more than 1,000 daily deaths from the pandemic since late May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest 24-hour period to put Brazil above 100,000 .
The Health Ministry also said there have been been a total of 3,012,412 confirmed infections .
The totals are second only to the United States .
And experts believe both numbers are severe undercounts due to insufficient testing .
BEDMINSTER , N.J. — President Donald Trump has signed executive orders bypassing Congress to defer payroll taxes for some Americans and extend unemployment benefits after negotiations on a new coronavirus rescue package collapsed .
Trump accused Democrats of loading up their rescue bill with priorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve had it , ” he said Saturday at a news conference at his country club in Bedminster , New Jersey .
Trump said the payroll tax cut would apply to those earning less than $ 100,000 a year .
He said that if he is reelected in November , he would look at the possibility of making the payroll tax permanent .
Extra aid for the unemployed will total $ 400 a week , a cut from the $ 600 that just expired .
Trump also signed executive orders holding off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on evictions .
The health ministry says the country with the world ’ s fifth-largest caseload now has 553,188 cases and 10,210 deaths .
South Africa makes up more than half the infections on the African continent , where the total number of cases this past week surpassed 1 million .
Experts say the actual number of cases is several times that amount , given the shortage of testing materials and people can have the virus without symptoms .

By The Associated Press
BEIJING — New locally transmitted cases of coronavirus in China fell to just 14 over the past 24 hours, the National Health Commission reported Monday. The low figure was offset, however, by 35 cases brought into the country by Chinese travelers from overseas arriving in seven different cities and provinces across the country.
All the cases of local transmission were in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, whose main city Urumqi is the center of China’s latest outbreak. Tightened restrictions on travel, widespread testing and a lockdown on some residential communities appear to have been effective in bringing down numbers of new infections in Urumqi, while a separate outbreak in the northeastern city of Dalian seems to have run its course.
Chinese hospitals are currently treating 802 people for COVID-19, 41 of them in serious condition, while another 290 people are under observation while being isolated for showing signs of having the virus or for testing positive without displaying symptoms. China has reported a total of 4,634 fatalities from the disease among 84,668 cases.
Hong Kong reported another 72 cases and five deaths as it continues to battle a new wave of infections with tightened rules on indoor dining and obligatory mask wearing in public settings. The semi-autonomous southern Chinese city has reported 52 deaths among 4,079 total cases.
___
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— US tops 5 million confirmed virus cases, to Europe’s alarm
— States on hook for billions under Trump’s unemployment plan
— Masks in class? Many questions as Germans go back to school
— New Zealand marks 100 days of virus elimination
— Starvation looms for Morocco’s horses as tourism collapses
___
Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
___
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
SYDNEY — Australia has reported fewer new daily cases from its virus hotspot in the city of Melbourne than on any single day since last month. But it has also reported the nation’s highest daily death total since the virus outbreak began.
The state of Victoria reported 322 new infections and 19 new deaths on Monday, with 14 of the deaths connected to outbreaks at aged care facilities. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was more hopeful now that cases are stabilizing in Victoria than he has been at any time over the past week.
But state premier Daniel Andrews cautioned that not too much could be read into a single day’s worth of data, and that some of the state’s most stringent lockdown measures had only come into effect at midnight Sunday. The number of new cases was the lowest recorded in Victoria since July 29. The figures did not include new infections and deaths from other Australian states, although Victoria has been accounting for the vast majority of both in recent weeks. Since the outbreak began, Australia has reported more than 21,000 infections and more than 300 deaths.
___
DALLAS, Ga. — A Georgia high school plans to start the week with all classes shifting online after nine students and staff tested positive for the coronavirus when the school year opened last week with most students attending in-person.
North Paulding High School made headlines soon after students returned to school Aug. 3 when photos posted on social media showed hallways crowded with students, and many of them not wearing masks. The school’s principal notified parents Saturday that six students and three staff members had tested positive for the virus, though it’s unknown if any were infected at school.
Now students will take online classes Monday and Tuesday, Paulding County Schools Superintendent Brian Ott said in a letter to parents Sunday. He said those two days will be used to clean and disinfect the school, and parents will learn Tuesday evening if in-person classes can resume later in the week.
“Hopefully we can all agree that the health and safety of our students and staff takes precedence over any other considerations at this time,” Ott said in his letter, which was obtained by Atlanta-area news outlets.
Paulding County schools spokesman Jay Dillon did not immediately return phone and text messages Sunday evening from The Associated Press.
___
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says officials have agreed to allow live performances to resume.
After consultations with his culture, health and finance ministers, Netanyahu’s office said Sunday that performances could take place outdoors. Audiences will be divided into 20-person “capsules,” and venues will need to be approved by the Health Ministry.
Thousands of Israeli musicians, actors and other performers have been out of work for months due to coronavirus restrictions.
Sunday’s statement said officials would work in the coming weeks to draft rules for indoor performances.
After moving rapidly to contain the virus outbreak last spring, Netanyahu apparently reopened the economy too quickly, and the country is grappling with a renewed outbreak.
LONDON — Britain has recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections in a day for the first time since late June.
Government statistics say 1,062 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the 24 hours until 9 a,m. Sunday. The last time the number was over 1,000 was on June 26.
Britain has seen a gradual rise in coronavirus infections since it began lifting lockdown restrictions in mid-June. The government has put the next stage of reopening, which had been due to take effect Aug. 1, on hold for at least two weeks.
The number of patients hospitalized with the virus continues to decline, as does the daily number of deaths. Eight new COVID-19 fatalities were reported Sunday.
Britain’s official coronavirus death toll stands at 46,574, the highest in Europe.
___
ATHENS, Greece — Greek authorities have announced a record daily number of 203 new coronavirus cases, with one death.
The total number of cases is now 5,623, with 212 deaths.
Beginning Monday and ending August 31, everyone must wear a mask in all retail places, as well as all modes of transport, other than private cars, the government has decided. People attending church must also do so, though priests are not required to wear masks in church.
___
ROME — Italy’s tally of daily new COVID-19 cases leaped higher on Sunday, with 463 cases, according to Health Ministry figures.
Many of the latest cases have been found in young people returning from vacations abroad.
Italy’s day-to-day new caseload had previously soared far above 500 confirmed infections, but the number had dropped to 347 on Saturday, more in line with numbers of the past few weeks.
For months, the region with by far the most daily new coronavirus infections had been Lombardy, the northern region where Italy’s outbreak erupted in February. On Sunday, Lombardy had 71 new cases, barely outstripping several other regions, including Emilia-Romagna with 69, Tuscany with 61 and Veneto with 58.
While in the first weeks of the outbreak in Italy, only one of every 83 infections occurred in persons 18 years old or younger, now one of every eight confirmed cases occurs in that age bracket. With two deaths registered on Sunday, Italy’s known death toll stood at 35,205. Italy’s overall count of known infections in the pandemic stands at 250,566.
___
LONDON — The number of British companies planning to cut staff numbers in June was five times higher than in the same month a year earlier, in an ominous sign of COVID-19’s economic impact.
Figures obtained by the BBC show that 1,778 companies informed the government of plans to cut a total of 139,000 jobs. A year earlier the figure was 345 companies announcing a total of 24,000 job losses.
Businesses are required to inform the Insolvency Service if they plan to cut 20 or more jobs.
During the pandemic the government has been paying the salaries of almost 10 million furloughed workers. Economists are predicting a surge in unemployment when that program ends in October.
The U.K. economy shrank by more than 20% in the first half of 2020, and despite some signs of recovery the Bank of England says the economy will end 2020 9.5% smaller than it started the year.
___
NEW DELHI — The Indian Medical Association says 196 doctors have died of COVID-19 so far and, in an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requested adequate care for physicians and their families.
The Health Ministry on Sunday recorded nearly 64,000 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours for a total of 2,153,010. At least 628,747 patients are still undergoing treatment.
India also recorded 861 fatalities, driving the death toll to 43,379.
India has been posting an average of around 50,000 new cases a day since mid-June and has the third-highest caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil. It has the fifth-most deaths but its fatality rate of about 2% is far lower than the top two hardest-hit countries.
Even as India has maintained comparatively low mortality rates, the disease has spread widely across the country.
___
MELBOURNE, Australia — The premier of Australia’s Victoria state says more than 2,700 active cases have no known source and remain the primary concern of health authorities.
Victoria on Sunday saw a welcome drop in its new COVID-19 cases with 394 but a record 17 deaths, including two people in their 50s. It took the hard-hit state’s toll to 210 and the Australian total of deaths to 295.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said confirmed cases also include almost 1,000 health care workers.
The city of Melbourne has been under tough restrictions since a week ago, including an overnight curfew and mandatory wearing of masks, but won’t see the results of their efforts for another one to two weeks.
Almost 270 Victorian residents have been fined over the past 24 hours for breaching the restrictions, including a man helping a friend to move a television 27 kilometers (17 miles) across the city.
___
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil has surpassed a grim milestone — 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. And five months after the first reported case, the country is showing no signs of crushing the disease.
The nation of 210 million people has been reporting an average of more than 1,000 daily deaths from the pandemic since late May, and 905 were recorded in the latest 24-hour period to put Brazil above 100,000. The Health Ministry also said there have been been a total of 3,012,412 confirmed infections.
The totals are second only to the United States. And experts believe both numbers are severe undercounts due to insufficient testing.
___
BEDMINSTER, N.J. — President Donald Trump has signed executive orders bypassing Congress to defer payroll taxes for some Americans and extend unemployment benefits after negotiations on a new coronavirus rescue package collapsed.
Trump accused Democrats of loading up their rescue bill with priorities unrelated to the coronavirus. “We’ve had it,” he said Saturday at a news conference at his country club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Trump said the payroll tax cut would apply to those earning less than $100,000 a year. He said that if he is reelected in November, he would look at the possibility of making the payroll tax permanent.
Extra aid for the unemployed will total $400 a week, a cut from the $600 that just expired.
Trump also signed executive orders holding off student loan payments and extending the freeze on evictions.
___
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s number of confirmed coronavirus deaths has surpassed 10,000.
The health ministry says the country with the world’s fifth-largest caseload now has 553,188 cases and 10,210 deaths.
South Africa makes up more than half the infections on the African continent, where the total number of cases this past week surpassed 1 million. Experts say the actual number of cases is several times that amount, given the shortage of testing materials and people can have the virus without symptoms.


mercurynews--2020-08-09--AC Transit rolls out new service linking Oakland and San Leandro

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OAKLAND — The much-ballyhooed rapid bus line linking Uptown Oakland with the San Leandro BART station launched Sunday without fanfare , another casualty to the coronavirus pandemic that has altered lives in large and small ways .
A planned ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $ 232-million Tempo line would be held another time , a concession to the public health orders keeping many people at home .
Perhaps it was for the better , because the debut Sunday did not receive rave reviews during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
Toes down .
Everything down , ” said Benita Hickman of Oakland .
A passenger sitting nearby nodded and put his thumbs down .
Hickman , who boarded at 73rd and International avenues , saying she rides the bus every day , called for riders to boycott the line .
“ It was fine just the way it was , ” she said .
The line is designed to operate almost more like a light-rail line , officials say , with dedicated bus lanes covering much of the 9.5-mile route .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottlenecks and meet a schedule that has buses arriving every 10 minutes , according to a statement from AC Transit General Manager Michael Hursh .
“ Tempo represents a tangible commitment to our neediest riders along International Boulevard and East 14th Street , ” Hursh added in the statement .
That tight schedule was purely aspirational Sunday , as some of the early buses took longer to arrive and electronic screens continually updated with new estimated arrival times .
AC Transit officials were on the buses and along the route Sunday , watching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems .
The buses were operating far below capacity — 96 people per 60-foot-long bus — due to social-distancing rules brought by the pandemic .
But it was not possible to stay six feet apart during a 67-minute commute on a northbound bus from San Leandro to Uptown Oakland .
As an electronic public service announcement flashed warnings about social distancing , Hickman ran play-by-play as passengers came and went at each stop : “ Everybody named Momma is getting on this bus now.
” As the day went on , buses came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passengers as short a wait as 12 minutes for the trip , which hits 34 stops on a trip of about an hour from end to end .
Others waited longer , up to half an hour , for one of the 27 new buses .
Buses are scheduled to appear every 10 minutes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. , and every 15 minutes from 7 to midnight , transit officials said .
The service , which is part of the worldwide move to Bus Rapid Transit , will be free until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riders will be charged a regular fare , which is $ 2.25 for an adult with a Clipper card .
The bus line serves areas along International Boulevard and 12th Street that offer an intoxicating mixture of taco trucks , dim sum bakeries , noodle houses and fried chicken joints , but some of the small business owners said they have concerns about that the corridor will lose its atmosphere to gentrification .
Nancy Wong , owner of Thanh Ky restaurant near the new bus stop platform , said the dedicated bus lane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from stopping in .
Malik Mohamed , whose parents own Jackson ’ s Liquor on 12th Street a block from Clinton Park , said the new line could bring more visibility to the family ’ s neighborhood store .
But he said he also worried it also could increase the homeless population around the park .
Transit planners have said they hope the system spurs growth in some of the lower-income sections of the neighborhoods .
Ron Hook , of Hayward , has been a bus fan for 41 years .
He spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Western Railway Museum in Suisun City , wearing an AC Transit cap and AC Transit T-shirt .
But like some others , Hook , 64 , was not sold on Tempo .
“ I feel this whole system is a waste of money , ” he said .
“ People that live there will have to move out because stuff is getting too expensive .
”

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OAKLAND — The much-ballyhooed rapid bus line linking Uptown Oakland with the San Leandro BART station launched Sunday without fanfare, another casualty to the coronavirus pandemic that has altered lives in large and small ways.
A planned ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $232-million Tempo line would be held another time, a concession to the public health orders keeping many people at home.
Perhaps it was for the better, because the debut Sunday did not receive rave reviews during a mid-morning test ride.
“Thumbs down. Toes down. Everything down,” said Benita Hickman of Oakland.
A passenger sitting nearby nodded and put his thumbs down.
Hickman, who boarded at 73rd and International avenues, saying she rides the bus every day, called for riders to boycott the line.
“It was fine just the way it was,” she said.
The line is designed to operate almost more like a light-rail line, officials say, with dedicated bus lanes covering much of the 9.5-mile route. Buses should be able to bypass traffic bottlenecks and meet a schedule that has buses arriving every 10 minutes, according to a statement from AC Transit General Manager Michael Hursh.
“Tempo represents a tangible commitment to our neediest riders along International Boulevard and East 14th Street,” Hursh added in the statement.
That tight schedule was purely aspirational Sunday, as some of the early buses took longer to arrive and electronic screens continually updated with new estimated arrival times. AC Transit officials were on the buses and along the route Sunday, watching the new run carefully to find potential problems.
The buses were operating far below capacity — 96 people per 60-foot-long bus — due to social-distancing rules brought by the pandemic.
But it was not possible to stay six feet apart during a 67-minute commute on a northbound bus from San Leandro to Uptown Oakland. As an electronic public service announcement flashed warnings about social distancing, Hickman ran play-by-play as passengers came and went at each stop: “Everybody named Momma is getting on this bus now.”
As the day went on, buses came and went at various intervals, giving passengers as short a wait as 12 minutes for the trip, which hits 34 stops on a trip of about an hour from end to end. Others waited longer, up to half an hour, for one of the 27 new buses.
Buses are scheduled to appear every 10 minutes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., and every 15 minutes from 7 to midnight, transit officials said.
The service, which is part of the worldwide move to Bus Rapid Transit, will be free until Nov. 8. After that, Tempo riders will be charged a regular fare, which is $2.25 for an adult with a Clipper card.
The bus line serves areas along International Boulevard and 12th Street that offer an intoxicating mixture of taco trucks, dim sum bakeries, noodle houses and fried chicken joints, but some of the small business owners said they have concerns about that the corridor will lose its atmosphere to gentrification.
Nancy Wong, owner of Thanh Ky restaurant near the new bus stop platform, said the dedicated bus lane has reduced parking and discouraged frustrated customers from stopping in.
Malik Mohamed, whose parents own Jackson’s Liquor on 12th Street a block from Clinton Park, said the new line could bring more visibility to the family’s neighborhood store. But he said he also worried it also could increase the homeless population around the park.
Transit planners have said they hope the system spurs growth in some of the lower-income sections of the neighborhoods.
Ron Hook, of Hayward, has been a bus fan for 41 years. He spent Sunday morning taking photos of the Tempo for the Western Railway Museum in Suisun City, wearing an AC Transit cap and AC Transit T-shirt.
Related Articles Transportation | Oakland, San Leandro: Some fear ‘transformative’ rapid transit system coming to storied thoroughfare
Oakland, San Leandro: Some fear ‘transformative’ rapid transit system coming to storied thoroughfare Transportation | Fast buses? They’re here But like some others, Hook, 64, was not sold on Tempo.
“I feel this whole system is a waste of money,” he said. “People that live there will have to move out because stuff is getting too expensive.”


mercurynews--2020-08-09--SF Giants lose another late lead, Kapler’s decision to pull Gausman backfires in a big way

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Through their first 16 games , the San Francisco Giants struggled to play a clean , mistake-free game and cost themselves several opportunities to secure big victories with late-inning collapses .
In their series finale at Dodger Stadium on Sunday , Gabe Kapler ’ s squad finally paired the quality start they ’ ve been waiting for with the clutch hit they so desperately needed and entered the bottom of the seventh with a chance to secure an unlikely series win over their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s bullpen management –a hot-button topic in his two seasons managing in Philadelphia and his first two-plus weeks in San Francisco– came back to haunt the Giants in a crushing 6-2 loss .
Kapler chose to remove starter Kevin Gausman with one on and one out in the bottom of the seventh and replace him with Tyler Rogers , the Giants ’ leader in appearances who had also thrown two innings in Saturday evening ’ s game .
“ It was a hot day , seventh time up , third time through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Gausman ) had done a tremendous job , ” Kapler said .
“ He had carried his stuff into that inning , he had carried his location into that inning and it just felt like the right time to keep him healthy and strong and safe all the way through the season based on getting into the seventh for the first time.
” Minutes later , Dodgers slugger A.J .
Pollock drilled a 3-2 slider over the left field fence , giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead they wouldn ’ t relinquish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to define the 2020 Giants this season .
“ I fell behind Pollock 3-0 and battled back to 3-2 and I was really just trying to go after him with the slider , ” Rogers said .
“ We were one pitch away right there and unfortunately it just didn ’ t work out.
” Any hopes the Giants had of roaring back slipped away in the bottom of the eighth when Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts greeted reliever Shaun Anderson by crushing a three-run home run out to left field on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned in 6 1/3 innings and was fresh off his hardest pitch of the afternoon , a 99.3 mile per hour fastball that Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger drilled up the middle for a single , when Kapler came to the mound .
Despite Gausman ’ s pitch count sitting at 80 , the Giants manager replaced him with Rogers , who gave up a single and recorded a strikeout before leaving a pitch in Pollock ’ s hot zone .
“ We had a reliever ready who we felt confident could get us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base and get us out of that inning , ” Kapler said .
In an instant , Gausman ’ s shutout was gone and the Dodgers were on their way to a series victory against a Giants club that fell back to three games below .500 on the season .
“ I definitely felt like I had more in the tank , ” Gausman said .
“ My limit is not 80 pitches , but Kap ’ s job is tomake those decisions .
That ’ s his job description .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling down to the bullpen , getting guys loose and that type of thing .
Obviously I thought I pitched well enough to warrant getting a couple more guys out , but it ’ s trying to win a series and it was a hot day so maybe those were factors into ( Kapler ’ s decision ) .
” Bullpen management will remain the focus for Giants fans throughout Kapler ’ s first season with the club , but a disappointing day from the team ’ s lineup didn ’ t help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inning , the Giants only had one hit , but it was enough to give them a promising 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth .
After Dodgers starter Walker Buehler issued a pair of walks and fired a wild pitch to advance Pablo Sandoval and Austin Slater into scoring position , center fielder Mike Yastrzemski kept his hands back on a two-strike , two-out curveball on the outside corner and looped it in front of Bellinger in center field .
Yastrzemski ’ s two-run single off his college teammate at Vanderbilt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , inching him closer to second baseman Donovan Solano ( 14 ) in a race for the Giants ’ team lead .
Yastrzemski ’ s single turned out to be the Giants ’ lone offensive highlight on a day when Gausman deserved much better .
With a 99.0-mile per hour fastball to Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson in the bottom of the third , Gausman hit 99 miles per hour on the radar gun for the first time since July 7 , 2017 when he fired a 99.2-mile per hour heater while pitching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins .
It ’ s been four seasons since Gausman occasionally topped 99 and even 100 miles per hour , but the velocity spike appears as if it ’ s here to stay for the Giants ’ top free agent signee .
What ’ s more encouraging for the Giants is that Gausman has maintained his fastball command while throwing harder than he has in recent seasons , giving the starter the confidence to attack a Dodgers lineup loaded with several elite hitters who have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from missing bats , Gausman also benefitted from some nice plays from a Giants defense that ’ s been lackluster at best this year .
At the end of the fifth , the Giants turned a 3-6-1 double play on a grounder hit by Dodgers first baseman Matt Beaty that required shortstop Brandon Crawford to throw toward first base while Gausman was still working his way over to cover the bag .
In the bottom of the sixth , Crawford made another impressive play by ranging into left center field to snare a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a play that TV broadcaster Duane Kuiper said was reminiscent of a wide receiver running a post pattern .
Instead of having the chance to work his way through the middle of the Dodgers order in the seventh , Gausman got the early hook .
“ The goal is not to have ( Gausman ) be at his best for one outing , it ’ s to be at his best for multiple outings and as long as we can have him fresh and strong , we want to do that as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s striking a balance between now and the future and at the same time , my job is to make a decision on who is the best option to get the next one , two and three hitters out.
” Kapler decided Gausman wasn ’ t the best option on Sunday , and the decision ultimately backfired .
SF Giants Gameday : Listen to the Bay Area News Group ’ s daily San Francisco Giants podcast , hosted by our beat reporter Kerry Crowley .
We give you an all-access look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager Gabe Kapler and your favorite Giants players plus the latest analysis on every move during an unprecedented season .
We Need Your Support !
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I ’ ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that come Monday-Friday – but for access to all of my coverage you ’ ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com .
Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest East Bay Times offer .
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— Kerry Crowley

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Through their first 16 games, the San Francisco Giants struggled to play a clean, mistake-free game and cost themselves several opportunities to secure big victories with late-inning collapses.
In their series finale at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, Gabe Kapler’s squad finally paired the quality start they’ve been waiting for with the clutch hit they so desperately needed and entered the bottom of the seventh with a chance to secure an unlikely series win over their rivals from Los Angeles.
Then Kapler’s bullpen management –a hot-button topic in his two seasons managing in Philadelphia and his first two-plus weeks in San Francisco– came back to haunt the Giants in a crushing 6-2 loss.
Kapler chose to remove starter Kevin Gausman with one on and one out in the bottom of the seventh and replace him with Tyler Rogers, the Giants’ leader in appearances who had also thrown two innings in Saturday evening’s game.
“It was a hot day, seventh time up, third time through the toughest part of the order, (Gausman) had done a tremendous job,” Kapler said. “He had carried his stuff into that inning, he had carried his location into that inning and it just felt like the right time to keep him healthy and strong and safe all the way through the season based on getting into the seventh for the first time.”
Minutes later, Dodgers slugger A.J. Pollock drilled a 3-2 slider over the left field fence, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish in the type of defeat that has come to define the 2020 Giants this season.
“I fell behind Pollock 3-0 and battled back to 3-2 and I was really just trying to go after him with the slider,” Rogers said. “We were one pitch away right there and unfortunately it just didn’t work out.”
Any hopes the Giants had of roaring back slipped away in the bottom of the eighth when Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts greeted reliever Shaun Anderson by crushing a three-run home run out to left field on the first pitch he saw.
Gausman turned in 6 1/3 innings and was fresh off his hardest pitch of the afternoon, a 99.3 mile per hour fastball that Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger drilled up the middle for a single, when Kapler came to the mound. Despite Gausman’s pitch count sitting at 80, the Giants manager replaced him with Rogers, who gave up a single and recorded a strikeout before leaving a pitch in Pollock’s hot zone.
“We had a reliever ready who we felt confident could get us a groundball with a runner on first base and get us out of that inning,” Kapler said.
In an instant, Gausman’s shutout was gone and the Dodgers were on their way to a series victory against a Giants club that fell back to three games below .500 on the season.
“I definitely felt like I had more in the tank,” Gausman said. “My limit is not 80 pitches, but Kap’s job is tomake those decisions. That’s his job description. I’m not the one that’s calling down to the bullpen, getting guys loose and that type of thing. Obviously I thought I pitched well enough to warrant getting a couple more guys out, but it’s trying to win a series and it was a hot day so maybe those were factors into (Kapler’s decision).”
Bullpen management will remain the focus for Giants fans throughout Kapler’s first season with the club, but a disappointing day from the team’s lineup didn’t help its chances.
Prior to the eighth inning, the Giants only had one hit, but it was enough to give them a promising 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth.
After Dodgers starter Walker Buehler issued a pair of walks and fired a wild pitch to advance Pablo Sandoval and Austin Slater into scoring position, center fielder Mike Yastrzemski kept his hands back on a two-strike, two-out curveball on the outside corner and looped it in front of Bellinger in center field.
Yastrzemski’s two-run single off his college teammate at Vanderbilt gave him 12 RBIs on the year, inching him closer to second baseman Donovan Solano (14) in a race for the Giants’ team lead.
Yastrzemski’s single turned out to be the Giants’ lone offensive highlight on a day when Gausman deserved much better.
With a 99.0-mile per hour fastball to Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson in the bottom of the third, Gausman hit 99 miles per hour on the radar gun for the first time since July 7, 2017 when he fired a 99.2-mile per hour heater while pitching for the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins.
It’s been four seasons since Gausman occasionally topped 99 and even 100 miles per hour, but the velocity spike appears as if it’s here to stay for the Giants’ top free agent signee.
What’s more encouraging for the Giants is that Gausman has maintained his fastball command while throwing harder than he has in recent seasons, giving the starter the confidence to attack a Dodgers lineup loaded with several elite hitters who have a history of pouncing on mistakes.
Aside from missing bats, Gausman also benefitted from some nice plays from a Giants defense that’s been lackluster at best this year. At the end of the fifth, the Giants turned a 3-6-1 double play on a grounder hit by Dodgers first baseman Matt Beaty that required shortstop Brandon Crawford to throw toward first base while Gausman was still working his way over to cover the bag.
In the bottom of the sixth, Crawford made another impressive play by ranging into left center field to snare a Will Smith pop-up over his shoulder on a play that TV broadcaster Duane Kuiper said was reminiscent of a wide receiver running a post pattern.
Instead of having the chance to work his way through the middle of the Dodgers order in the seventh, Gausman got the early hook.
“The goal is not to have (Gausman) be at his best for one outing, it’s to be at his best for multiple outings and as long as we can have him fresh and strong, we want to do that as well,” Kapler said. “It’s striking a balance between now and the future and at the same time, my job is to make a decision on who is the best option to get the next one, two and three hitters out.”
Kapler decided Gausman wasn’t the best option on Sunday, and the decision ultimately backfired.
SF Giants Gameday: Listen to the Bay Area News Group’s daily San Francisco Giants podcast, hosted by our beat reporter Kerry Crowley. We give you an all-access look at the 2020 regular season with soundbites from manager Gabe Kapler and your favorite Giants players plus the latest analysis on every move during an unprecedented season.
We Need Your Support!
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I’ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that come Monday-Friday – but for access to all of my coverage you’ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com. Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest East Bay Times offer. Thank you! — Kerry Crowley


mercurynews--2020-08-10--Undrafted Raiders rookie Javin White envisions nightmare scenario

Javin White was raised in Oakland and went to college in Las Vegas , so it stands to reason being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Raiders is a dream come true .
Not exactly .
Remember coach Jon Gruden ’ s “ Hard Knocks ” speech a year ago about wanting players who were nightmares , intent on ruining the hopes of the opposition and even teammates who were also vying for a spot on the roster ?
White , a linebacker from McClymonds High and UNLV , was listening .
“ I look forward to being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” White said in a phone interview .
“ Coach Gruden likes people that like nightmares .
I embrace being a nightmare .
I feel like I ’ m a nightmare myself.
” Asked to elaborate , White shifted in to high gear .
“ I think I ’ m a nightmare for offensive coordinators , to be honest with you , ” White said .
“ I ’ m a run-stuffer .
I can cover tight ends , I can cover running backs .
I can do anything .
You can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see when I ’ m in the box.
” When that quote was relayed to Tim Skipper , his defensive coordinator and position coach at UNLV , it provoked a booming laugh .
“ That sounds like him , ” Skipper said in between meetings at Eastern Michigan , where he coaches linebackers .
“ He ’ s going to tell you exactly what ’ s on his mind .
He ’ s not going to shy away.
” In a year where trying to make an NFL team as an undrafted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of heart , that ’ s a good thing .
Much of training camp and four exhibition games were wiped out due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The Raiders will have about 15 legitimate practices to get ready for the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 13 in the regular season opener .
So if there ’ s a Jalen Richard , Alec Ingold or Keisean Nixon out there who hopes to make the roster despite being passed up in the draft , there are precious few opportunities .
The second phase of training camp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the pads go on .
So far it ’ s been all walkthroughs and zoom conferences , without the entire team being together for a single meeting .
Yet White has done enough that Gruden brought up his name in a teleconference with reporters Thursday .
When asked about remaking the position of linebacker , Gruden referenced free agent acquisitions and projected starters Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton while throwing in White ’ s name without prompting .
“ We ’ re really happy with Kwiatkoski and Littleton and there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a young , undrafted free agent named Javin White , who ’ s doing some good things , ” Gruden said .
Gruden also singled out White as an “ outstanding performer ” in a team teleconference during the first weekend for the rookie class .
At an angular 6-foot-3 , 215 pounds , White ’ s lack of bulk would be considered a detriment except for the fact that Raiders linebackers have covered tight ends and running backs as if in cement shoes for the better part of the last 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Kansas City Chiefs that gravitate toward spread-the-field attacks designed to make big plays in space , the more linebackers with skill sets similar to White ’ s will be required .
“ He ’ s a long body guy that will be really , really good covering receivers , running backs and tight ends , ” Skipper said .
“ He can handle all three levels of that .
He was listed as a linebacker at UNLV , but we actually lined him up at corner sometimes .
“ He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m sure he stuck out that way as far as knowledge and knowing the defense .
Coach Gruden is probably surprised by that.
” At McClymonds , White , who also excelled on the track team as a high jumper , was constantly coming to the sideline with ideas for coach Michael Peters .
“ He pushed everybody .
He pushed his teammates , he pushed the coaches , and every time he ’ d come off the field he ’ d come back and say , ` Coach , I saw this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said White fits perfectly into the desire of Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock to bring in “ football nerds ” who can ’ t get enough in terms of practice and strategy .
“ He loves ball .
He loves watching , he loves playing , ” Skipper said .
“ He ’ s one of those guys that ’ s not just looking where the ball ’ s going .
He wants to see what all 11 people are doing.
” White finished his college career with 201 tackles ( 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nine interceptions 15 passes defensed and a fumble recovery .
A budding small school West Oakland football power when White was there , the McClymonds experience went a long way toward instilling the energy and confidence that carried him to the precipice of an NFL roster .
“ Coach Peters runs a strict program .
He ’ s our warden , as a lot of people would say , ” White said .
“ We worked hard , were disciplined and smart.
” The field of linebackers aside from Littleton and Kwiatkoski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undrafted free agent and three year-veteran , along with special teams player Kyle Wilber , Justin Phillips , Muse , recently acquired Bryce Hager and Nick Usher .
Littleton , Kwaitkoski and Muse are carved in stone barring injury .
The rest is up for grabs , and this year there ’ s an expanded 16-man practice squad for those who don ’ t make the final 53 and clear waivers .
As for the prospect of taking on offensive linemen who outweigh him by 100 pounds or more , White sounded unconcerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose some , ” White said .
“ Sometimes you take ’ em on , sometimes you stick and move .
It ’ s all about getting to the ball.
” White is eagerly awaiting the contact phase to prove he can do just that .
“ Like coach Gruden said , it all looks good right now , but we find out more when the pads go on , ” White said .
“ My job right now is to keep their eyes open .
I plan on keeping their eyes open @ @ @ @

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Javin White was raised in Oakland and went to college in Las Vegas, so it stands to reason being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Raiders is a dream come true.
Not exactly. Remember coach Jon Gruden’s “Hard Knocks” speech a year ago about wanting players who were nightmares, intent on ruining the hopes of the opposition and even teammates who were also vying for a spot on the roster?
White, a linebacker from McClymonds High and UNLV, was listening.
Still is.
“I look forward to being a guy that proves people wrong,” White said in a phone interview. “Coach Gruden likes people that like nightmares. I embrace being a nightmare. I feel like I’m a nightmare myself.”
Asked to elaborate, White shifted in to high gear.
“I think I’m a nightmare for offensive coordinators, to be honest with you,” White said. “I’m a run-stuffer. I can cover tight ends, I can cover running backs. I can do anything. You can’t pick a matchup you really want to see when I’m in the box.”
When that quote was relayed to Tim Skipper, his defensive coordinator and position coach at UNLV, it provoked a booming laugh.
“That sounds like him,” Skipper said in between meetings at Eastern Michigan, where he coaches linebackers. “He’s going to tell you exactly what’s on his mind. He’s not going to shy away.”
In a year where trying to make an NFL team as an undrafted free agent is not for the faint of heart, that’s a good thing.
Much of training camp and four exhibition games were wiped out due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Raiders will have about 15 legitimate practices to get ready for the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 13 in the regular season opener.
So if there’s a Jalen Richard, Alec Ingold or Keisean Nixon out there who hopes to make the roster despite being passed up in the draft, there are precious few opportunities.
The second phase of training camp doesn’t begin until Aug. 17 when the pads go on. So far it’s been all walkthroughs and zoom conferences, without the entire team being together for a single meeting. Yet White has done enough that Gruden brought up his name in a teleconference with reporters Thursday.
When asked about remaking the position of linebacker, Gruden referenced free agent acquisitions and projected starters Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton while throwing in White’s name without prompting.
“We’re really happy with Kwiatkoski and Littleton and there’s a young kid out of Nevada-Las Vegas, a young, undrafted free agent named Javin White, who’s doing some good things,” Gruden said.
Gruden also singled out White as an “outstanding performer” in a team teleconference during the first weekend for the rookie class.
At an angular 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, White’s lack of bulk would be considered a detriment except for the fact that Raiders linebackers have covered tight ends and running backs as if in cement shoes for the better part of the last 25 years.
The more NFL teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs that gravitate toward spread-the-field attacks designed to make big plays in space, the more linebackers with skill sets similar to White’s will be required.
“He’s a long body guy that will be really, really good covering receivers, running backs and tight ends,” Skipper said. “He can handle all three levels of that. He was listed as a linebacker at UNLV, but we actually lined him up at corner sometimes.
“He’s very intelligent, so I’m sure he stuck out that way as far as knowledge and knowing the defense. Coach Gruden is probably surprised by that.”
Javin White with his 3rd interception of the season and the 9th of his career!! #BEaREBEL #UNLVFB #SBSFarewell pic.twitter.com/vOOtSKBhrN — UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) November 23, 2019
At McClymonds, White, who also excelled on the track team as a high jumper, was constantly coming to the sideline with ideas for coach Michael Peters.
“He pushed everybody. He pushed his teammates, he pushed the coaches, and every time he’d come off the field he’d come back and say, `Coach, I saw this, I saw that.’ ”
Skipper said White fits perfectly into the desire of Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock to bring in “football nerds” who can’t get enough in terms of practice and strategy.
“He loves ball. He loves watching, he loves playing,” Skipper said. “He’s one of those guys that’s not just looking where the ball’s going. He wants to see what all 11 people are doing.”
White finished his college career with 201 tackles (18 for loss) with 3 1/2 sacks, nine interceptions 15 passes defensed and a fumble recovery.
A budding small school West Oakland football power when White was there, the McClymonds experience went a long way toward instilling the energy and confidence that carried him to the precipice of an NFL roster.
“Coach Peters runs a strict program. He’s our warden, as a lot of people would say,” White said. “We worked hard, were disciplined and smart.”
The field of linebackers aside from Littleton and Kwiatkoski includes returnee Nick Morrow, himself an undrafted free agent and three year-veteran, along with special teams player Kyle Wilber, Justin Phillips, Muse, recently acquired Bryce Hager and Nick Usher.
Littleton, Kwaitkoski and Muse are carved in stone barring injury. The rest is up for grabs, and this year there’s an expanded 16-man practice squad for those who don’t make the final 53 and clear waivers.
Related Articles Raiders | Sam Darnold’s ‘great’ debut, plus 10 observations from 49ers’ flop
Sam Darnold’s ‘great’ debut, plus 10 observations from 49ers’ flop Raiders | Raiders 34, 49ers 7: Trey Lance sacked four times in rough return
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49ers-Raiders practice: ‘Bang-bang’ defense takes out Davante Adams Raiders | Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers get sentimental at Vegas reunion — to an extent As for the prospect of taking on offensive linemen who outweigh him by 100 pounds or more, White sounded unconcerned.
“You win some, you lose some,” White said. “Sometimes you take ’em on, sometimes you stick and move. It’s all about getting to the ball.”
White is eagerly awaiting the contact phase to prove he can do just that.
“Like coach Gruden said, it all looks good right now, but we find out more when the pads go on,” White said. “My job right now is to keep their eyes open. I plan on keeping their eyes open throughout camp.”


mercurynews--2020-08-10--The Deets: Ramon Laureano is a hero, Alex Cintron is a coward, and Rob Manfred is going to screw thi

The Deets: Ramon Laureano is a hero, Alex Cintron is a coward, and Rob Manfred is going to screw this up again

Ramon Laureano is going to get suspended for running at the Houston dugout , bringing about a benches-clearing brouhaha in Sunday ’ s A ’ s-Astros game .
No one is going to argue about that .
Laureano deserves punishment .
The only consolation is that he is now a folk hero across the sport .
The real question is how many games Laureano will be suspended by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred .
And , more importantly , what kind of punishment Manfred will hand down to Astros bench coach Alex Cintron , who egged on Laureano from the dugouts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way when the A ’ s outfielder fulfilled his request ?
I ’ m not expecting much .
Hoping for competence or logic from Manfred is a fool ’ s errand .
I ’ d love to be wrong , though .
I ’ d love justice to be served against the Astros just once this year .
The problem is that the Astros are , in mob parlance , “ made ” men.Manfred has shown he will go above and beyond to protect them .
They ’ re the villains in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ princes .
The team stole signs via illegal outfield cameras , an algorithm built by the front office , and trash cans .
Manfred granted the players immunity for their testimony , an incredibly daft decision that showed Manfred is a labor lawyer and not someone who has ever been involved in criminal law .
Then , two weeks ago , Manfred protected the Astros again , when Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly ’ s lack of command cleared the benches in Houston .
Manfred handed Kelly an over-the-top eight-game suspension .
Kelly ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the eight-game ban is upheld , it ’ s the equivalent of 21 games in this shortened , 60-game schedule .
So what ’ s Laureano going to get ?
The wheel of “ justice ” will be spun and we ’ ll find out on Monday .
Again , don ’ t expect logic to be applied to the process .
Laureano might have messed up by taking Cintron ’ s bait , but it was Cintron who instigated the fight .
The Astros hitting coach — who , for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his major league career — was seen clearly telling Laureano to come and fight him , going as far as to step out of the dugout and hike up his pants .
He was telling Laureano that he was ready to rumble .
By the time the A ’ s outfielder reached the dirt around the Astros dugout , Cintron had executed a step-back move that would make James Harden envious — he never even joined the pile .
Cintron shouldn ’ t be suspended for being a coward ; that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to live with .
But Manfred should hand down a severe punishment to the punk for being an instigator while holding a position of power on a baseball team .
It ’ s one thing for players to jaw and fight .
Laureano had been hit by a pitch three times in the A ’ s sweep over the Astros .
He had a right to be mad at Houston , and that ’ s beyond the sign-stealing stuff .
But the coaches are supposed to be the “ adults in the room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenging a kid to a fight .
If the Astros had any sense of shame or decency , Cintron wouldn ’ t be employed by the team come Monday .
But they don ’ t , so it ’ s Manfred ’ s job to rectify the problem .
It ’ s a shame that he ’ s unlikely to do anything of consequence .
The Astros will get away with it again .
The good news for the A ’ s is that while they ’ re likely to lose their best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will surely be an arbitrarily long suspension , they have plenty of cushion atop the AL West standings .
Oakland ’ s three-game sweep of those cheats from Houston was their ninth straight victory overall .
They ’ re now up 5.5 games on the Asterisks in the standings .
Collin Morikawa is the star golf needs… The former Cal Bear won his first major Sunday at TPC Harding Park , which was a spectacular venue for the PGA Championship .
I wrote up my thoughts on Morikawa here .
Suffice it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the kind of person and golfer everyone should try to emulate .
And I felt preposterously fortunate to have been an eyewitness to his tee shot and eagle putt on the 16th .
I ’ ll remember that moment for the rest of my life .
Giants 2 – Dodgers 6… The fans have already turned on Gabe Kapler for his bullpen management , but at what point do I stop giving him the benefit of the doubt ?
A big part of me thinks that he has so little work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes in relation to pitching will be an automatic mistake , but do the mistakes have to be this glaring ?
… Saturday , Kapler ’ s decision to keep Johnny Cueto in the game , despite having lost his no-hitter and the fact that the pitcher clearly picked up a foot injury earlier in the game was baffling .
The Giants are lucky they still won that contest .
Sunday , his decision to give Kevin Gausman — who was dealing — an early hook to go to Tyler Rodgers ( enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has worn off ) was equally puzzling… A manager can lose in two easy steps : lose the fans and then lose the clubhouse .
Kapler has completed one of these steps , and if he keeps making pitching changes that backfire on him , I question how long it will be before the clubhouse turns on him , too… We ’ re 17 games into this season and it ’ s become painfully obvious why Philadelphia fired Kapler after two years .
Ultimately , so long as Farhan Zaidi can still pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be on the hot seat .
Madison Bumgarner was shelled again… The former Giants ace has been throwing batting practice as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks .
Zaidi might not look all that bright for his managerial choices , but his decision to let Bumgarner walk — or , at least to not pay him the salary he wanted — is looking good .
Bumgarner ’ s fastball doesn ’ t even touch 90 miles per hour now and he ’ s never been a good enough mixer of pitches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is claiming he ’ s injured .
I don ’ t buy it for a second .
They ’ re just saving face after they guaranteed $ 85 million to a left-handed and less effective version ofMike Fiers… Maybe Bumgarner should switch back to the rodeo .
Draymond Green fined $ 50,000 by the NBA for tampering… He truly is the second coming of Magic Johnson .
Green ’ s comments , which were so clear-cut the NBA had no choice but to fine him , are what make him a great broadcaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also a baseball genius who can break down the game in ways that have made me smarter ( easier said than done ) for the last six years .
This is why I always Stand for Draymond .
College football isn ’ t going to happen… And while , yes , it ’ s the fault of COVID-19 , we really should blame the fact that the college and conference administrators didn ’ t put together a cogent plan for returning to play during the nearly six months they had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representation in the process and these schools and leagues would rather shut it all down then give their workforce a say , much less a union… College football .
It ’ s truly the most American sport .
• So much for that V-shaped recovery .
One-third of American renters are expected to miss their August payment .
[ Bloomberg ] • How the Fruitvale district in Oakland became the COVID hotspot [ BANG ] • David DeBolt exposing bad cops… what ’ s new ?
[ BANG ] Giants at Astros , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cintron is on that bench , I demand Gabe Kapler puts his preposterous physique to work and challenge him to a pushup contest .
A ’ s at Angels , 6:40 p.m… The A ’ s might be the best team in baseball , and they could win their 10th straight game Monday night .
Until they lose , they are must-see TV .
Brockmire… It ’ s a good show that I started watching on Hulu this weekend .
Baseball and dirty jokes — a wonderful combination .

The Big Thing
Ramon Laureano is going to get suspended for running at the Houston dugout, bringing about a benches-clearing brouhaha in Sunday’s A’s-Astros game. No one is going to argue about that. Laureano deserves punishment.
The only consolation is that he is now a folk hero across the sport.
The real question is how many games Laureano will be suspended by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.
And, more importantly, what kind of punishment Manfred will hand down to Astros bench coach Alex Cintron, who egged on Laureano from the dugout and then cowardly jumped out of the way when the A’s outfielder fulfilled his request?
I’m not expecting much. Hoping for competence or logic from Manfred is a fool’s errand.
I’d love to be wrong, though. I’d love justice to be served against the Astros just once this year.
The problem is that the Astros are, in mob parlance, “made” men. Manfred has shown he will go above and beyond to protect them. They’re the villains in this story, but they are treated like princes.
The team stole signs via illegal outfield cameras, an algorithm built by the front office, and trash cans. Manfred granted the players immunity for their testimony, an incredibly daft decision that showed Manfred is a labor lawyer and not someone who has ever been involved in criminal law.
Then, two weeks ago, Manfred protected the Astros again, when Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly’s lack of command cleared the benches in Houston. Manfred handed Kelly an over-the-top eight-game suspension. Kelly’s appeal is still pending, but if the eight-game ban is upheld, it’s the equivalent of 21 games in this shortened, 60-game schedule.
So what’s Laureano going to get? The wheel of “justice” will be spun and we’ll find out on Monday. Again, don’t expect logic to be applied to the process.
But whatever Laureano receives, Cintron deserves double.
Laureano might have messed up by taking Cintron’s bait, but it was Cintron who instigated the fight. The Astros hitting coach — who, for the record, didn’t hit much in his major league career — was seen clearly telling Laureano to come and fight him, going as far as to step out of the dugout and hike up his pants. He was telling Laureano that he was ready to rumble.
Laureano called his bluff.
By the time the A’s outfielder reached the dirt around the Astros dugout, Cintron had executed a step-back move that would make James Harden envious — he never even joined the pile.
Cintron shouldn’t be suspended for being a coward; that’s just something he’ll have to live with. But Manfred should hand down a severe punishment to the punk for being an instigator while holding a position of power on a baseball team.
It’s one thing for players to jaw and fight. Laureano had been hit by a pitch three times in the A’s sweep over the Astros. He had a right to be mad at Houston, and that’s beyond the sign-stealing stuff.
But the coaches are supposed to be the “adults in the room” and this “adult” was challenging a kid to a fight.
If the Astros had any sense of shame or decency, Cintron wouldn’t be employed by the team come Monday. But they don’t, so it’s Manfred’s job to rectify the problem.
It’s a shame that he’s unlikely to do anything of consequence.
The Astros will get away with it again.
The good news for the A’s is that while they’re likely to lose their best hitter so far this season to what will surely be an arbitrarily long suspension, they have plenty of cushion atop the AL West standings.
Oakland’s three-game sweep of those cheats from Houston was their ninth straight victory overall. They’re now up 5.5 games on the Asterisks in the standings.
What we learned
Collin Morikawa is the star golf needs… The former Cal Bear won his first major Sunday at TPC Harding Park, which was a spectacular venue for the PGA Championship. I wrote up my thoughts on Morikawa here. Suffice it to say, though, that he’s the kind of person and golfer everyone should try to emulate. And I felt preposterously fortunate to have been an eyewitness to his tee shot and eagle putt on the 16th. I’ll remember that moment for the rest of my life.
Giants 2 – Dodgers 6… The fans have already turned on Gabe Kapler for his bullpen management, but at what point do I stop giving him the benefit of the doubt? A big part of me thinks that he has so little to work with in his bullpen that any decision he makes in relation to pitching will be an automatic mistake, but do the mistakes have to be this glaring?…
Saturday, Kapler’s decision to keep Johnny Cueto in the game, despite having lost his no-hitter and the fact that the pitcher clearly picked up a foot injury earlier in the game was baffling. The Giants are lucky they still won that contest. Sunday, his decision to give Kevin Gausman — who was dealing — an early hook to go to Tyler Rodgers (enough with Tyler Rodgers — the quirk has worn off) was equally puzzling…
A manager can lose in two easy steps: lose the fans and then lose the clubhouse. Kapler has completed one of these steps, and if he keeps making pitching changes that backfire on him, I question how long it will be before the clubhouse turns on him, too…
We’re 17 games into this season and it’s become painfully obvious why Philadelphia fired Kapler after two years. Ultimately, so long as Farhan Zaidi can still pull Kapler’s strings, he won’t be on the hot seat.
Madison Bumgarner was shelled again… The former Giants ace has been throwing batting practice as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Zaidi might not look all that bright for his managerial choices, but his decision to let Bumgarner walk — or, at least to not pay him the salary he wanted — is looking good. Bumgarner’s fastball doesn’t even touch 90 miles per hour now and he’s never been a good enough mixer of pitches to overcome a lack of stuff…
Arizona is claiming he’s injured. I don’t buy it for a second. They’re just saving face after they guaranteed $85 million to a left-handed and less effective version of Mike Fiers…
Maybe Bumgarner should switch back to the rodeo.
Draymond Green fined $50,000 by the NBA for tampering… He truly is the second coming of Magic Johnson. Green’s comments, which were so clear-cut the NBA had no choice but to fine him, are what make him a great broadcaster. He’s fearless. He’s also a basketball genius who can break down the game in ways that have made me smarter (easier said than done) for the last six years. This is why I always Stand for Draymond.
Meanwhile. This sort of analysis is excellent pic.twitter.com/nY1vEj10qr — sam esfandiari (@samesfandiari) August 9, 2020
College football isn’t going to happen… And while, yes, it’s the fault of COVID-19, we really should blame the fact that the college and conference administrators didn’t put together a cogent plan for returning to play during the nearly six months they had to do so…
Now exploited players are demanding representation in the process and these schools and leagues would rather shut it all down then give their workforce a say, much less a union…
College football. It’s truly the most American sport.
Hot Links
• So much for that V-shaped recovery. One-third of American renters are expected to miss their August payment. [Bloomberg]
• How the Fruitvale district in Oakland became the COVID hotspot [BANG]
• David DeBolt exposing bad cops… what’s new? [BANG]
What to watch
Giants at Astros, 6:10 p.m…. If that punk Alex Cintron is on that bench, I demand Gabe Kapler puts his preposterous physique to work and challenge him to a pushup contest.
A’s at Angels, 6:40 p.m… The A’s might be the best team in baseball, and they could win their 10th straight game Monday night. Until they lose, they are must-see TV.
Brockmire… It’s a good show that I started watching on Hulu this weekend. Baseball and dirty jokes — a wonderful combination.


Word Game: Aug. 10, 2020

Can you find 21 or more words in PLIABLE ?
The list will be published tomorrow .
To purchase the @ @ @ @ @ WordGameBooks.com .
Order it now for just $ 5 while supplies last !
1 .
@ @ @ @ @ or more letters .
2 .
Words that acquire four letters by the addition of @ @ @ @ @ as “ bats ” or “ dies , ” are not allowed .
3 .
@ @ @ @ @ a “ d ” or an “ s ” may not be used .
For @ @ @ @ @ ” is used , “ baked ” or “ bakes ” are not allowed , @ @ @ @ @ “ baking ” are admissible .
4 .
Proper nouns , slang words , or @ @ @ @ @ are not allowed .

TODAY’S WORD — PLIABLE (PLIABLE: PLY-uh-bul: Easily bent or shaped.)
Average mark 17 words
Time limit 30 minutes
Can you find 21 or more words in PLIABLE? The list will be published tomorrow.
SATURDAY’S WORD — CATHARSIS carat cart cash cast chair char chart chat chit
crash crass aitch arch archaist aria astir this tiara trash tsar hair harass hart hiss
racist rash riata rich sari sash scar scart scat schist shirt sitar stair star starch stash
stich stir stria
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--2020-08-10--Horoscopes Aug. 10, 2020: Justin Theroux, haste makes waste.

Happy Birthday : Haste makes waste .
Slow down , smell the roses and don ’ t feel pressured to keep up with someone or make changes that you aren ’ t ready to explore .
Time is on your side , and for now , the best thing you can do is live in the moment , pay more attention to what makes you happy and adjust your life to suit your needs .
Your numbers are 2 , 14 , 23 , 29 , 31 , 34 , 48 .
ARIES ( March 21-April 19 ) : Take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the right moment to put your plans in motion .
Too much too fast will be your downfall .
When uncertainty sets in , retreat , observe and reassess your options .
3 stars TAURUS ( April 20-May 20 ) : You ’ ll feel the urge to take a risk or make a change that is not advisable .
Rethink your steps before you make a mistake that you ’ ll have to live with for some time .
Play it safe to avoid being sorry .
3 stars GEMINI ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information that will help you decide your best course of action .
Don ’ t let the changes others make or the pressures put on you to do something questionable push you in a direction that isn ’ t right for you .
3 stars CANCER ( June 21-July 22 ) : Pitch in and do something to help those less fortunate .
A kind word , donating items you no longer need or taking more time to relax and figure out what you want to do next will make you feel good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 ) : Don ’ t fold under pressure or let your emotions take over when faced with opposition .
Protect your reputation , status and position .
Look for opportunities that provide mental stimulation , and pick up skills and knowledge that allow you to head in a direction that excites you .
2 stars VIRGO ( Aug. 23-Sept. 22 ) : Jot down everything you want to accomplish today so you don ’ t miss something that can affect your progress .
Uncertainty and confusion are apparent and will require appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Personal improvement is favored .
5 stars LIBRA ( Sept. 23-Oct. 22 ) : You can help without jeopardizing your health or financial well-being .
Be smart about the way you handle requests and the suggestions and promises you make .
Leave nothing to chance .
Be direct when asked for your help or opinion .
3 stars SCORPIO ( Oct. 23-Nov. 21 ) : You or someone close to you will lose interest or no longer share the same goals .
Open , honest discussions will be essential if you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal matter .
Protect sensitive issues from people who tend to gossip .
3 stars SAGITTARIUS ( Nov. 22-Dec. 21 ) : Unfinished business will come back to haunt you .
You can ’ t hide the truth or your feelings forever .
Organize your thoughts and explain whatever situation you are up against from your perspective , and you ’ ll gain insight into what you should do next .
3 stars CAPRICORN ( Dec. 22-Jan. 19 ) : Put your plans in motion .
Alter the way you live or how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
A positive attitude will help you gain allies and information to deter anyone who tries to get in your way .
5 stars AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18 ) : Don ’ t get hung up on something that is not your responsibility .
You ’ ll have more success sticking to what you know and do best .
Refuse to let an emotional incident come between you and someone you love .
Choose congeniality over discord .
2 stars PISCES ( Feb. 19-March 20 ) : Consider your options and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change will entice you , but once you consider what you ’ ll have to give up , you ’ ll feel compelled to look for alternatives .
Don ’ t act in haste or make promises you won ’ t want to keep .
4 stars Birthday Baby : You are smart , ambitious and energetic .
You are emotional and unpredictable .

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Josh Gates, 43; Justin Theroux, 49; Antonio Banderas, 60; Rosanna Arquette, 61.
Happy Birthday: Haste makes waste. Slow down, smell the roses and don’t feel pressured to keep up with someone or make changes that you aren’t ready to explore. Time is on your side, and for now, the best thing you can do is live in the moment, pay more attention to what makes you happy and adjust your life to suit your needs. Your numbers are 2, 14, 23, 29, 31, 34, 48.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take a moment to think, and wait for the right moment to put your plans in motion. Too much too fast will be your downfall. When uncertainty sets in, retreat, observe and reassess your options. 3 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll feel the urge to take a risk or make a change that is not advisable. Rethink your steps before you make a mistake that you’ll have to live with for some time. Play it safe to avoid being sorry. 3 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Pick up information that will help you decide your best course of action. Don’t let the changes others make or the pressures put on you to do something questionable push you in a direction that isn’t right for you. 3 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pitch in and do something to help those less fortunate. A kind word, donating items you no longer need or taking more time to relax and figure out what you want to do next will make you feel good. 4 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t fold under pressure or let your emotions take over when faced with opposition. Protect your reputation, status and position. Look for opportunities that provide mental stimulation, and pick up skills and knowledge that allow you to head in a direction that excites you. 2 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Jot down everything you want to accomplish today so you don’t miss something that can affect your progress. Uncertainty and confusion are apparent and will require appropriate measures to help you stay on track. Personal improvement is favored. 5 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You can help without jeopardizing your health or financial well-being. Be smart about the way you handle requests and the suggestions and promises you make. Leave nothing to chance. Be direct when asked for your help or opinion. 3 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You or someone close to you will lose interest or no longer share the same goals. Open, honest discussions will be essential if you want to ensure the outcome of a pending personal matter. Protect sensitive issues from people who tend to gossip. 3 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Unfinished business will come back to haunt you. You can’t hide the truth or your feelings forever. Organize your thoughts and explain whatever situation you are up against from your perspective, and you’ll gain insight into what you should do next. 3 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Put your plans in motion. Alter the way you live or how you relate to those who live with you. A positive attitude will help you gain allies and information to deter anyone who tries to get in your way. 5 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t get hung up on something that is not your responsibility. You’ll have more success sticking to what you know and do best. Refuse to let an emotional incident come between you and someone you love. Choose congeniality over discord. 2 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Consider your options and where each path will lead. A change will entice you, but once you consider what you’ll have to give up, you’ll feel compelled to look for alternatives. Don’t act in haste or make promises you won’t want to keep. 4 stars
Birthday Baby: You are smart, ambitious and energetic. You are emotional and unpredictable.
Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.


Bridge: Aug. 10, 2020

In a lifetime of bridge , I have never played a mistake-free session .
( Neither has anyone else . )
But I have learned that mistakes are portals of discovery .
In today ’ s deal , West led a heart against 3NT , and declarer let East ’ s queen win and played low again on the heart return .
When West led a third heart , East threw a spade , and South won .
South next led a spade to dummy and returned a club : five , queen , eight .
He went back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club , and when East played low , South took the ace and led a third club , losing to the king .
He had four club tricks and nine in all .
If East puts up the king on the first or second club lead , South succeeds by playing low .
Still , both East and South erred .
On the third heart , East must discard his king of clubs .
South can ’ t set up the clubs without letting West get in to run the hearts .
South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can manage the clubs to set up the suit without losing a trick to West .
You hold : S 8 5 2 H K J 9 6 2 D K 4 C J 10 8 .
Your partner opens one diamond , you respond one heart , he bids two clubs and you return to two diamonds .
Partner then bids two hearts .
What do you say ?
ANSWER : Partner bid a third time even though your two diamonds pleaded weakness .
He has a good hand and game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are working — you have no “ waste ” in spades opposite his shortness — bid four hearts .
He may hold 7 , A Q 3 , A J 7 6 5 , K Q 6 4 .

In a lifetime of bridge, I have never played a mistake-free session. (Neither has anyone else.) But I have learned that mistakes are portals of discovery.
In today’s deal, West led a heart against 3NT, and declarer let East’s queen win and played low again on the heart return. When West led a third heart, East threw a spade, and South won.
South next led a spade to dummy and returned a club: five, queen, eight. He went back to dummy with a spade and led another club, and when East played low, South took the ace and led a third club, losing to the king. He had four club tricks and nine in all.
THIRD HEART
If East puts up the king on the first or second club lead, South succeeds by playing low. Still, both East and South erred. On the third heart, East must discard his king of clubs. South can’t set up the clubs without letting West get in to run the hearts.
South must win the second heart. Then he can manage the clubs to set up the suit without losing a trick to West.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S 8 5 2 H K J 9 6 2 D K 4 C J 10 8. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart, he bids two clubs and you return to two diamonds. Partner then bids two hearts. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner bid a third time even though your two diamonds pleaded weakness. He has a good hand and game interest. Since all of your honors are working — you have no “waste” in spades opposite his shortness — bid four hearts. He may hold 7, A Q 3, A J 7 6 5, K Q 6 4.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S K J 9
H 8 5 4
D A J 8 6 2
C 4 2
WEST
S 8 5 2
H K J 9 6 2
D K 4
C J 10 8
EAST
S 7 6 4 3
H Q 7
D Q 10 9 7
C K 9 5
SOUTH
S A Q 10
H A 10 3
D 5 3
C A Q 7 6 3
South West North East
1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
Opening lead — H 6
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