mercurynews--2020-05-22--Bay Area’s Gilead sent envelopes revealing patients’ HIV issues, lawsuit claims

Foster City pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences , lately in the news for its possible coronavirus-treatment drug remdesivir , sent patients taking HIV drugs letters in envelopes that revealed they were had issues related to the virus , a new lawsuit seeking class action claims .
Two men , from Alabama and Indiana , said in the suit that they were among hundreds of patients taking Gilead ’ s HIV treatment and prevention drugs and enrolled in a company patient-support program .
But despite the program ’ s enrollment form saying “ confidentiality is of primary importance to us , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others in the program , letters in envelopes showing “ HIV Prevention Team ” atop the return address , the suit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco alleged .
“ The words ‘ HIV Prevention Team ’ were in a larger font than the mailing address , causing it to stand out in relation to the address , ” the suit seeking class action status claimed .
Gilead did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit ’ s allegations .
People with HIV — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as people at risk for HIV infection and patients taking drugs to prevent infection face “ extreme stigma , ” the suit alleged .
Gilead , the suit claimed , “ carelessly , recklessly , negligently , and impermissibly revealed confidential HIV-related information of patients who were prescribed Gilead medications , including to their family , friends , roommates , landlords , neighbors , mail carriers , and complete strangers.
” The plaintiff from Alabama “ is careful to avoid disclosing his sexual orientation or sexual practices with others and has not disclosed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the suit claimed .
To keep Gilead mail from going to his home , he gave the company his workplace address , the suit said .
“ His workplace has a mailroom and employs people to sort mail .
He was appalled when he walked into the mail room and found the envelope with the ‘ HIV Prevention Team ’ return address , ' ” the suit alleged .
“ The envelope was accessible to anybody who came into the mail room.
” The Indiana plaintiff “ is extremely guarded about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He is careful to avoid disclosing his sexual orientation or sexual practices with others .
He was appalled when he received the HIV Prevention Team Letter as it revealed in plain view that he is concerned with HIV prevention .
( He ) feels vulnerable and is worried about who may have seen the mail.
” The suit cited a $ 17 million settlement paid by health insurance firm Aetna after more than 12,000 people it insured , who were taking HIV drugs , were in 2017 sent a letter that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s window .
It also cited a $ 4.4 million settlement paid by CVS over letters sent to 6,000 people in 2017 that showed “ HIV ” through the envelope window .
“ Gilead easily could have avoided the disclosure of … private information by using a return address that did not identify the sender as the HIV Prevention Team , ” the suit claimed .
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages , and class-action status for the suit , to bring in hundreds of others they allege received the “ HIV Prevention @ @ @ @

Foster City pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences, lately in the news for its possible coronavirus-treatment drug remdesivir, sent patients taking HIV drugs letters in envelopes that revealed they were had issues related to the virus, a new lawsuit seeking class action claims.
Two men, from Alabama and Indiana, said in the suit that they were among hundreds of patients taking Gilead’s HIV treatment and prevention drugs and enrolled in a company patient-support program. But despite the program’s enrollment form saying “confidentiality is of primary importance to us,” Gilead in April sent the men, and others in the program, letters in envelopes showing “HIV Prevention Team” atop the return address, the suit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco alleged.
“The words ‘HIV Prevention Team’ were in a larger font than the mailing address, causing it to stand out in relation to the address,” the legal complaint seeking class action status claimed.
Gilead said in a statement Friday that it regretted it had caused concerns by sending out envelopes containing “HIV Prevention Team” in the return address.
“We understand that health matters are deeply personal to the people we serve, and that consumer privacy is of the utmost importance,” the company said.
“We apologize to anyone affected. However, we deny the assertions in the complaint and will file our response in a timely manner.”
People with HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — as well as people at risk for HIV infection and patients taking drugs to prevent infection face “extreme stigma,” the suit alleged. Gilead, the suit claimed, “carelessly, recklessly, negligently, and impermissibly revealed confidential HIV-related information of patients who were prescribed Gilead medications, including to their family, friends, roommates, landlords, neighbors, mail carriers, and complete strangers.”
The plaintiff from Alabama “is careful to avoid disclosing his sexual orientation or sexual practices with others and has not disclosed his sexual orientation to his family,” the suit claimed. To keep Gilead mail from going to his home, he gave the company his workplace address, the suit said.
“His workplace has a mailroom and employs people to sort mail. He was appalled when he walked into the mail room and found the envelope with the ‘HIV Prevention Team’ return address,'” the suit alleged. “The envelope was accessible to anybody who came into the mail room.”
The Indiana plaintiff “is extremely guarded about his privacy,” the suit claimed. “He is careful to avoid disclosing his sexual orientation or sexual practices with others. He was appalled when he received the HIV Prevention Team Letter as it revealed in plain view that he is concerned with HIV prevention. (He) feels vulnerable and is worried about who may have seen the mail.”
Gilead said it took immediate action after discovering that “an envelope template usually used for communications with healthcare professionals was inadvertently used for the consumer mailer.” The company has started a full review of its processes and training for employees and external vendors, it said.
The suit cited a $17 million settlement paid by health insurance firm Aetna after more than 12,000 people it insured, who were taking HIV drugs, were in 2017 sent a letter that could be partially read through the envelope’s window. It also cited a $4.4 million settlement paid by CVS over letters sent to 6,000 people in 2017 that showed “HIV” through the envelope window.
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Study: Mailing out HIV tests garners more participation Health | Gilead to end coronavirus remdesivir drug trials, adding to access worry – researchers “Gilead easily could have avoided the disclosure of … private information by using a return address that did not identify the sender as the HIV Prevention Team,” the suit claimed.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages, and class-action status for the suit, to bring in hundreds of others they allege received the “HIV Prevention Team” letter.
Gilead said in the statement, “We recognize that this is a serious matter and encourage anyone affected or seeking more information to call the privacy team directly at +1 (833) GILEAD2 or +1 (833) 445-3232 or via email at privacy@gilead.com. ”


mercurynews--2020-05-22--Reade’s life marred by abuse and financial hardships

By Alexandra Jaffe , Brian Slodysko , Maryclaire Dale and Martha Mendonza | Associated Press SAN LUIS OBISPO — One thing is clear in the complicated , sometimes contradictory and often chaotic story of Tara Reade : Her life has not been easy .
Her earliest childhood memory was of being abused by her father , she told her former husband , a man she would later leave after saying he abused her , too .
She was also a child of big dreams , of being an Olympic skier and studying acting at Juilliard , before developing an interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1992 for a low-level staff job for one of the nation ’ s highest-profile senators at the time , Joe Biden .
Less than a year later , Reade said , she was again the victim of abuse , assaulted by Biden in the hallway of a Senate office building — an allegation he vehemently denies .
That accusation , which Reade made publicly for the first time in March , has revived difficult questions about how to evaluate allegations of assault in the era of # MeToo .
It also has thrust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 presidential race and , with it , scrutiny of a woman with a winding trail of extreme debt , an unfounded claim of educational attainment and questionable business practices .
Along the way , some people who dealt with her found her duplicitous and deceitful , while others found her a heroic survivor .
On Friday , her attorney , Douglas Wigdor , announced he was dropping her as a client .
And officials confirmed media reports that she faced an inquiry about whether she was truthful when she testified about her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence cases , an issue that could serve as grounds for appeal of a number of convictions she had a role in securing .
Reade ’ s story about the alleged assault by Biden is not a straight line , either .
It has changed over the past year , from accusations of uncomfortable , harassing behavior to allegations of assault .
Reade came forward publicly with her most serious accusation just as Biden was securing a path to the Democratic presidential nomination .
It is often not possible to conclusively resolve an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where there are no witnesses and no timely police report .
So how her claim is evaluated turns largely on her credibility .
By some accounts , Reade is a bright and engaging woman who has tried her best as a single mother to raise her daughter while constantly looking for a fresh start .
In others , Reade uses her charm and flair for drama to manipulate those supporting her until their goodwill runs out .
Reade says her critics have her wrong .
“ I ’ m not a lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press .
“ I ’ ve really understood what it ’ s like to be struggling and poor .
I ’ ve really tried to help people when I could.
” This account of Reade ’ s life is based on interviews with more than a dozen of her friends , relatives and personal and professional associates , as well as numerous interviews with Reade .
The AP also reviewed hundreds of pages of court documents , emails and Reade ’ s own writings .
Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town of Monterey , California , and says she spent most of her childhood living on a farm in northern Wisconsin .
Her father , Robert Reade Moulton , worked as a sportswriter for the Wausau Daily Herald in the 1960s before taking a public relations job with a defense contractor in Minnesota ; Reade said her mother , Jeanette Altimus , was an artist .
Reade has written that she was an accomplished skier who qualified for the Junior Olympics team in downhill skiing at age 12 in Wisconsin and trained for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompted a move to Athens , Georgia .
A stepbrother said most people in Wausau skied , mainly at nearby Rib Mountain , but he does not remember Reade being a standout .
“ I ’ m sure Tara did , but I don ’ t really remember her getting some significant accolades for her performance , ” said Scott Thoma , 56 , of Mound , Minnesota , who was a year ahead of Reade in middle school , when his mother married her father .
Reade and her brother Collin lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ split , eventually moving to Georgia , while Moulton and his new wife moved to the Minneapolis area .
Another of Reade ’ s aspirations was to be an actress , performing in “ school theatre , community and regional theatre , sprinkled with some radio and television commercials , ” according to her blog .
She set out for California to pursue acting at age 17 and said she got a referral from a friend to informally train with Robert Reed , an actor best known for his role as the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she scored an audition in New York for The Juilliard School ’ s exclusive acting program .
Reade said she learned at the audition that no scholarships were available and returned home brokenhearted when her father said he wouldn ’ t pay the tuition .
The school declined to confirm whether Reade was selected for an audition .
She wrote in January that her father , who died in 2016 , was physically and emotionally abusive throughout her childhood .
“ Thwarting my college dreams was the mild bit , the rejection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for how I would walk into the world , ” she wrote .
Reade often discussed the issue with her former husband , Ted Dronen , according to Dronen ’ s account in the couple ’ s divorce filings .
“ She referenced a long history of events dating back to her first memories in which her father would physically and emotionally , and mentally abuse her .
She stated also that her mother seemed not to interfere with petitioner ’ s father ’ s abuse , ” he wrote .
Thoma described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he never saw Moulton become angry when he drank , or emotionally or physically abuse Reade or anyone else .
“ He got frustrated at her , ” said Thoma , adding that Reade started more things than she finished .
“ He would have to put the kibosh on whatever she wanted .
But no , I never saw Bob lay a hand on any of us kids , or Collin and Tara.
” Dronen , in the court documents , described Reade as also having a sometimes tumultuous relationship with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her out of her house during a fall 1994 argument while Reade was in the late stages of a pregnancy .
Reade has said her mother , who also died in 2016 , was one of the few people she confided in about Biden ’ s alleged assault .
Early abuse can inform a victim ’ s relationships for the rest of his or her life , according to Barbara Ziv , a forensic psychologist and sexual assault expert .
“ If you grow up in an abusive household , where your needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met and you aren ’ t taught to appropriately identify boundaries or emotions , then that ’ s going to impact the way that you develop as an adult , ” Ziv said .
There ’ s little public accounting of the next few years of Reade ’ s life , after she says her Juilliard dreams were dashed .
She eventually attended Pasadena City College , where she says her strong performance in a political science class helped her land an internship in Washington with then-California Rep. Leon Panetta .
Reade said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked as a field manager for Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gloria Ochoa in her campaign against Rep. Michael Huffington , the former husband of Arianna Huffington .
A few days after Ochoa ’ s loss , Reade said , she got a call to interview for a job with Biden — which she described as a dream job .
It was unclear how that interview came about .
“ I just always wanted to work for Biden .
Because at the time , he was the champion of women ’ s legislation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told the AP .
Reade said she traveled to Washington and was interviewed by Biden ’ s executive assistant , Marianne Baker .
During their conversation , she said , Biden walked in and was introduced to the young job prospect .
“ He kind of smiled and said , ‘ Hire her , ' ” Reade said .
“ That was it.
” Once she was in Washington , multiple friends described Reade as a young woman coming into her own .
Stacey Lentz , a friend at the time who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office , said the two would get together for lunch on Capitol Hill , and on days off , they ’ d peruse antique shops or enjoy a ballgame .
Another close friend of Reade ’ s , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her family ’ s privacy , described her as a laid-back Californian in contrast to her own East Coast conservative upbringing .
All three lived in Thompson Markward Hall , a women ’ s dormitory across the street from the Hart Senate Office Building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorably about working for Biden .
Margie Estberg , of Aptos , said she got to know Reade after hiring her in late 2017 to pet sit .
Over a pizza dinner and cocktails in 2018 , Estberg said she asked Reade what Biden was like — and whether Biden was one of the “ bad guys.
” “ I said , ‘ Is he a nice guy ?
’ And she said , ‘ Yeah , he is , ' ” Estberg recently recalled .
“ I said , ‘ Oh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somebody who you think is a decent person and somebody shuts them down and says , ‘ No , they aren ’ t . '
” Reade said she didn ’ t share details of the alleged assault with Estberg because she wasn ’ t ready to discuss it .
But Reade ’ s friend , the one who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity , said Reade told her a much different story about Biden in 1993 .
That ’ s when Reade says she was asked to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate office building ; when she met him , she says , he kissed her and digitally penetrated her .
The friend said Reade called her a few nights after the assault allegedly occurred , and the friend described in vivid detail feeling “ so physically sick ” at the disclosure that she ran to the bathroom and threw up in the middle of their conversation .
Reade recommended that the AP interview the friend , and reporters spoke to her multiple times , beginning in 2019 .
Initially , the friend confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of harassment by Biden .
When Reade added assault to her allegation in March of this year , this friend also added those details to her own recollection .
This friend says she counseled Reade not to file a police report , and now expresses deep regret for what she characterized as leading Reade astray in dealing with the situation .
Reade left Washington shortly after the alleged assault .
She says she tried to complain about harassment by Biden — but not assault — to a Senate personnel office and the senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retaliated against and ultimately said she was encouraged to find another job and quit .
The AP spoke with numerous current and former Biden staffers in the course of reporting on Reade ’ s claims , and none recalled such an incident or a report .
Some of Biden ’ s top aides said they didn ’ t recall Reade at all .
During her time in Washington , Reade met Ted Dronen , whom she describes in a 2009 essay as “ a smiling 6 ’ 4″ blonde Nordic-looking man ” who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a party one spring night in 1993 .
Facing financial difficulties after leaving Biden ’ s office , Reade moved in with Dronen and ultimately asked to follow him to North Dakota , where he was working on a campaign that winter , according to his account in court records .
In her divorce filing , Reade described early warning signs that Dronen was explosive and unstable and says she fled North Dakota for California after Dronen became upset that she was pregnant .
She soon came back to him , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had a daughter that November .
In a domestic violence case filed 15 months later , Dronen admits that he attacked Reade but alleges that Reade got violent with him as well .
“ I admit that on February 21 , 1996 my wife and I were involved in a heated argument and during that argument that I may have acted out in an inappropriate manner .
During our marriage my wife and I had arguments .
She has on past occasions struck me ; specifically , in the face .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my conduct on the date in question , ” he states .
Dronen did not respond to several requests for comment .
In court documents , he suggested that Reade conflated childhood traumas with her recollections of abuse by him .
“ I believe these incidences , in addition to the abuse , harassment and other truamatic ( sic ) events in Petitioner ’ s life , color Petitioner ’ s perception and judgment in the instant case and I believe them to be the underlying psychological reasons that Petitioner is making me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
During their divorce proceedings , Dronen also told the court that Reade said she was harassed while working in Biden ’ s office , but made no mention of assault , a detail that was first reported by the San Luis Obispo Tribune .
“ On several occasions petitioner related a problem that she was having at work regarding sexual harassment in U.S .
Senator Joe Biden ’ s office , ” he wrote .
Reade “ eventually struck a deal ” with Biden ’ s chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dronen supported her financially as she looked for work .
Biden ’ s former chief of staff , Ted Kaufman , has consistently said no such deal was made .
The past two decades of Reade ’ s life have been tumultuous .
In her own telling , she had to flee Dronen ’ s abuse , took shelter in domestic violence safe houses and moved to Washington state , where she changed her name to Alexandra Tara McCabe .
She also said she received a new Social Security number to protect her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really vulnerable economic situation.
” She said the focus on her financial difficulties since coming forward with her allegation against Biden was “ classist ” and should have no bearing on the credibility of her accusation .
“ How high does your credit score have to be to be believed as a victim of sexual assault ?
” Reade asked .
Reade ’ s resume states that she graduated from Antioch University with a bachelor ’ s degree in political science and later worked at the school ’ s Seattle campus as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completion.
” But school officials said she did not graduate and was never a faculty member , though she was paid to do several hours of administrative work as an independent contractor , a detail first reported by CNN .
Reade disputed this , but could not produce evidence that she graduated .
She says the number of school credits that could be applied to her graduation was complicated by her name and social security number change , and that the school ’ s president at the time stepped in to personally confer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no such arrangement was made .
“ University officials confirmed with former president Toni Murdock that no special arrangements existed , ” university spokeswoman Karen Hamilton said in a statement .
She was accepted to Seattle University Law School through an alternative admissions program and obtained a law degree in 2004 , but struggled to keep a job .
She was helped by sympathetic strangers drawn to her story of escaping abuse , but often failed to meet financial obligations and was perpetually in debt and frequently entangled in legal battles .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , working as a victims ’ advocate for the Monterey County YWCA .
There , Reade lodged a series of complaints with the chapter ’ s board within months of taking the job , alleging that she and others were harassed and discriminated against by managers , which formed the basis of a 2007 lawsuit .
Reade and three co-workers alleged that two managers , who were both black , potentially misspent funds and favored African American employees who were members of their church .
One supervisor , the lawsuit alleged , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her three co-workers , all of whom were white , said they were denied benefits and promotions .
“ I find your response to my recent complaint unacceptable .
Therefore , I am taking the next step to get some resolution , ” Reade wrote in a Nov. 9 , 2006 , memo to her boss .
She was also upset because someone called her “ whitebread , ” according to the memo , which was circulated to the board .
Bridgette Allen , the former YWCA chapter president , was among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reade ’ s persistent emails as an effort to build a court case .
“ I was the first black board president in the history here .
You have to look at the dynamics : It was four white women that accused three black women , ” Allen said .
But to some of Reade ’ s co-workers , she was a hero empowered by a difficult past .
“ She was such a great example of what I wanted to be as a mom and a woman and an advocate , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee who was part of the lawsuit , which was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum .
Reade soon found a new job as executive director at the Animal Friends Rescue Project in Pacific Grove .
She also needed a new place to live and , in 2008 , turned to Austin Chung , an inexperienced property manager , and inquired about a cottage he was renting out that offered a glimpse of the waves at nearby Monterey Bay .
She told him she was fleeing abuse and had no credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Social Security number .
But she did have a law degree and a job , she told him .
“ My heart went out to her right away , ” Chung said .
Chung said he had the interior painted and installed new flooring to make the home welcoming .
Within five months , she was behind on rent .
Pretty soon , she was out of a job , too , after her management style grated on some employees and supporters of the animal shelter , according to former board members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one big thing that happened .
It was just , over time , her not really being competent , ” said Carie Broecker , a longtime former board member .
Broecker said she remained friends with Reade until Reade recently threatened to sue her because she publicly discussed her tenure at the agency .
Reade said she was proud of her work for the animal shelter .
Chung moved to evict Reade after she fell $ 3,600 behind on rent ; Reade accused him of harassment in an email .
She eventually left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8,000 in repairs that included carpets so stained by animal waste that they needed to be replaced , according to Chung , who provided emails and video footage of the home ’ s interior .
In 2011 , Reade was again in a relationship that turned violent .
Neighbors called Santa Cruz police to her home , and her live-in boyfriend , Edward Walker , was charged with corporal injury and battery against Reade and her daughter .
“ Male subject battered live-in girlfriend , causing visible injury .
During the altercation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” police said in an April 3 , 2011 report .
Reade , who had spent years testifying in court as an advocate for domestic violence victims , acknowledged that Walker slapped her daughter at one point .
She paid his bail and continued to live with Walker , caring for him after he suffered a stroke in 2012 , court records show .
Walker , who could not be reached for comment , pleaded guilty and was given probation .
A judge dismissed the charges in 2016 .
Financial and legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move around California ’ s central coast , living in some of the most scenic and affluent parts of the state : — She sought a restraining order in 2012 against a neighbor whom she accused of harassment and making racist threats against Walker .
A judge dismissed the petition , and Reade dropped the matter .
— Months later , Reade was evicted again over $ 12,750 in unpaid rent .
She filed for bankruptcy and listed $ 406,407 in debts , including nearly $ 300,000 in unpaid school loans , $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,100 due to a locally owned grocery store .
— Reade enrolled in an advanced legal degree program through Southwestern Law School .
The school sued Reade in 2016 over $ 22,000 in loans , which remain unpaid , according to an attorney working on the case .
— She launched a charity that aimed to provide pet food to impoverished animal owners .
The group ’ s nonprofit status was revoked in 2017 after Reade failed to submit three years of mandatory tax filings , though she continued to solicit donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was raising money for a nonprofit called Boudicca Rising Legal Assistance , which included a link to a GoFundMe page she created .
There is no record of a nonprofit by that name in the IRS database .
Reade raised $ 210 but said she eventually abandoned the effort because it was too difficult to sort out the logistics .
In 2014 , Reade started volunteering at a Watsonville nonprofit horse farm called the Pregnant Mare Rescue .
She proved to be a dedicated volunteer who excelled at caring for abused horses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ craziness going on in her life , ” according to Lynn Hummer , the organization ’ s founder .
“ She was always broke and in a crisis , ” Hummer said .
The two had a falling out in 2016 after Reade charged $ 1,400 in veterinary care for her horse to the Pregnant Mare Rescue , billing records show .
In a June 8 , 2016 , email to Hummer , Reade acknowledged that she charged the bill to the organization but said that she was poor , that her mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was “ disgusted and appalled ” that Hummer would “ villainize ” her poverty .
Reade said that she planned on paying back the money but decided against it after Hummer “ started trashing me ” on social media .
At the time , Reade had been asking for money to finance a cross-country move to take care of her mother .
She also told acquaintances that Dronen , her ex-husband , had reappeared and was harassing her .
According to a letter from a domestic violence advocacy group that Reade shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ friend requests ” via Facebook after 15 years without contact , and the two were scared for their safety .
She also inquired about changing her legal name back to Tara Reade , which she goes by now .
Eventually , a man in Seattle raised $ 3,500 for her through GoFundMe .
Reade says her decision to go public with her claims against Biden has brought her more hardship .
She describes facing death threats online and feeling abused and abandoned by the Democratic Party , which she says she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominent Democrats have said they believe Biden ’ s denials .
• Pitts : How should Democrats react to Reade ’ s charges against Biden ?
Inconsistencies in her accounts have also complicated matters .
Defense attorneys are now reviewing whether she may have testified falsely about her education credentials in multiple domestic violence cases , the Monterey County Weekly and The New York Times first reported .
Still , Reade , a woman who ’ s spent her life trying to regain her footing in the face of myriad setbacks , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empowering .
“ It ’ s made my life so difficult in so many ways , but I ’ m doing this for more of an existential reason , and also for my own justice , ” she said .
When she first spoke out about the sexual assault allegation , Reade said , “ I felt this release , of this burden , this secret that I ’ ve kept.
” Jaffe and Slodysko reported from Washington ; Dale reported from Philadelphia .
Associated Press writers Stephen Braun in Washington and Don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news researchers Monika Mathur , Rhonda Shafner and Jennifer Farrar contributed to this report .

By Alexandra Jaffe, Brian Slodysko, Maryclaire Dale and Martha Mendonza | Associated Press
SAN LUIS OBISPO — One thing is clear in the complicated, sometimes contradictory and often chaotic story of Tara Reade: Her life has not been easy.
Her earliest childhood memory was of being abused by her father, she told her former husband, a man she would later leave after saying he abused her, too.
She was also a child of big dreams, of being an Olympic skier and studying acting at Juilliard, before developing an interest in politics. She was hired in 1992 for a low-level staff job for one of the nation’s highest-profile senators at the time, Joe Biden. Less than a year later, Reade said, she was again the victim of abuse, assaulted by Biden in the hallway of a Senate office building — an allegation he vehemently denies.
That accusation, which Reade made publicly for the first time in March, has revived difficult questions about how to evaluate allegations of assault in the era of #MeToo. It also has thrust Reade’s life story into the 2020 presidential race and, with it, scrutiny of a woman with a winding trail of extreme debt, an unfounded claim of educational attainment and questionable business practices. Along the way, some people who dealt with her found her duplicitous and deceitful, while others found her a heroic survivor.
On Friday, her attorney, Douglas Wigdor, announced he was dropping her as a client. And officials confirmed media reports that she faced an inquiry about whether she was truthful when she testified about her credentials as an expert witness in domestic violence cases, an issue that could serve as grounds for appeal of a number of convictions she had a role in securing.
Reade’s story about the alleged assault by Biden is not a straight line, either. It has changed over the past year, from accusations of uncomfortable, harassing behavior to allegations of assault. Reade came forward publicly with her most serious accusation just as Biden was securing a path to the Democratic presidential nomination.
It is often not possible to conclusively resolve an allegation like the one Reade has made, where there are no witnesses and no timely police report.
So how her claim is evaluated turns largely on her credibility.
By some accounts, Reade is a bright and engaging woman who has tried her best as a single mother to raise her daughter while constantly looking for a fresh start. In others, Reade uses her charm and flair for drama to manipulate those supporting her until their goodwill runs out.
Reade says her critics have her wrong.
“I’m not a lying, manipulative user,” she said in a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press. “I’ve really understood what it’s like to be struggling and poor. I’ve really tried to help people when I could.”
This account of Reade’s life is based on interviews with more than a dozen of her friends, relatives and personal and professional associates, as well as numerous interviews with Reade. The AP also reviewed hundreds of pages of court documents, emails and Reade’s own writings.
Childhood of dreams, disappointment
Reade was born Tara Moulton in the coastal town of Monterey, California, and says she spent most of her childhood living on a farm in northern Wisconsin. Her father, Robert Reade Moulton, worked as a sportswriter for the Wausau Daily Herald in the 1960s before taking a public relations job with a defense contractor in Minnesota; Reade said her mother, Jeanette Altimus, was an artist.
Reade has written that she was an accomplished skier who qualified for the Junior Olympics team in downhill skiing at age 12 in Wisconsin and trained for three years before her parents’ divorce prompted a move to Athens, Georgia.
A stepbrother said most people in Wausau skied, mainly at nearby Rib Mountain, but he does not remember Reade being a standout.
“I’m sure Tara did, but I don’t really remember her getting some significant accolades for her performance,” said Scott Thoma, 56, of Mound, Minnesota, who was a year ahead of Reade in middle school, when his mother married her father.
Reade and her brother Collin lived with her mother after her parents’ split, eventually moving to Georgia, while Moulton and his new wife moved to the Minneapolis area.
Another of Reade’s aspirations was to be an actress, performing in “school theatre, community and regional theatre, sprinkled with some radio and television commercials,” according to her blog. She set out for California to pursue acting at age 17 and said she got a referral from a friend to informally train with Robert Reed, an actor best known for his role as the “Brady Bunch” father. She also said she scored an audition in New York for The Juilliard School’s exclusive acting program.
Reade said she learned at the audition that no scholarships were available and returned home brokenhearted when her father said he wouldn’t pay the tuition. The school declined to confirm whether Reade was selected for an audition.
She wrote in January that her father, who died in 2016, was physically and emotionally abusive throughout her childhood.
“Thwarting my college dreams was the mild bit, the rejection and the physical assaults set the stage for how I would walk into the world,” she wrote.
Reade often discussed the issue with her former husband, Ted Dronen, according to Dronen’s account in the couple’s divorce filings.
“She referenced a long history of events dating back to her first memories in which her father would physically and emotionally, and mentally abuse her. She stated also that her mother seemed not to interfere with petitioner’s father’s abuse,” he wrote.
Thoma described Reade’s parents as alcoholics but said he never saw Moulton become angry when he drank, or emotionally or physically abuse Reade or anyone else.
“He got frustrated at her,” said Thoma, adding that Reade started more things than she finished. “He would have to put the kibosh on whatever she wanted. But no, I never saw Bob lay a hand on any of us kids, or Collin and Tara.”
Dronen, in the court documents, described Reade as also having a sometimes tumultuous relationship with her mother, who he said kicked her out of her house during a fall 1994 argument while Reade was in the late stages of a pregnancy.
Reade has said her mother, who also died in 2016, was one of the few people she confided in about Biden’s alleged assault.
Early abuse can inform a victim’s relationships for the rest of his or her life, according to Barbara Ziv, a forensic psychologist and sexual assault expert.
“If you grow up in an abusive household, where your needs, your basic needs aren’t met and you aren’t taught to appropriately identify boundaries or emotions, then that’s going to impact the way that you develop as an adult,” Ziv said.
An eye toward politics
There’s little public accounting of the next few years of Reade’s life, after she says her Juilliard dreams were dashed.
She eventually attended Pasadena City College, where she says her strong performance in a political science class helped her land an internship in Washington with then-California Rep. Leon Panetta.
Reade said in the 2019 interview that she then worked as a field manager for Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gloria Ochoa in her campaign against Rep. Michael Huffington, the former husband of Arianna Huffington. A few days after Ochoa’s loss, Reade said, she got a call to interview for a job with Biden — which she described as a dream job. It was unclear how that interview came about.
“I just always wanted to work for Biden. Because at the time, he was the champion of women’s legislation, women’s rights legislation,” she told the AP.
Reade said she traveled to Washington and was interviewed by Biden’s executive assistant, Marianne Baker. During their conversation, she said, Biden walked in and was introduced to the young job prospect.
“He kind of smiled and said, ‘Hire her,'” Reade said. “That was it.”
Working for Biden
Once she was in Washington, multiple friends described Reade as a young woman coming into her own.
Stacey Lentz, a friend at the time who worked in North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad’s office, said the two would get together for lunch on Capitol Hill, and on days off, they’d peruse antique shops or enjoy a ballgame.
Another close friend of Reade’s, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her family’s privacy, described her as a laid-back Californian in contrast to her own East Coast conservative upbringing. All three lived in Thompson Markward Hall, a women’s dormitory across the street from the Hart Senate Office Building.
Over the years, Reade spoke favorably about working for Biden.
Margie Estberg, of Aptos, said she got to know Reade after hiring her in late 2017 to pet sit. Over a pizza dinner and cocktails in 2018, Estberg said she asked Reade what Biden was like — and whether Biden was one of the “bad guys.”
“I said, ‘Is he a nice guy?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, he is,'” Estberg recently recalled. “I said, ‘Oh, good. Because I hate to see somebody who you think is a decent person and somebody shuts them down and says, ‘No, they aren’t.'”
Reade said she didn’t share details of the alleged assault with Estberg because she wasn’t ready to discuss it.
But Reade’s friend, the one who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity, said Reade told her a much different story about Biden in 1993. That’s when Reade says she was asked to deliver a gym bag to Biden in a Senate office building; when she met him, she says, he kissed her and digitally penetrated her.
The friend said Reade called her a few nights after the assault allegedly occurred, and the friend described in vivid detail feeling “so physically sick” at the disclosure that she ran to the bathroom and threw up in the middle of their conversation.
Reade recommended that the AP interview the friend, and reporters spoke to her multiple times, beginning in 2019. Initially, the friend confirmed Reade’s original, limited account of harassment by Biden. When Reade added assault to her allegation in March of this year, this friend also added those details to her own recollection.
This friend says she counseled Reade not to file a police report, and now expresses deep regret for what she characterized as leading Reade astray in dealing with the situation.
Reade left Washington shortly after the alleged assault. She says she tried to complain about harassment by Biden — but not assault — to a Senate personnel office and the senator’s top advisers, but felt retaliated against and ultimately said she was encouraged to find another job and quit.
The AP spoke with numerous current and former Biden staffers in the course of reporting on Reade’s claims, and none recalled such an incident or a report. Some of Biden’s top aides said they didn’t recall Reade at all.
Marriage, divorce, abuse
During her time in Washington, Reade met Ted Dronen, whom she describes in a 2009 essay as “a smiling 6’4″ blonde Nordic-looking man” who playfully shot her with a water gun at a party one spring night in 1993.
Facing financial difficulties after leaving Biden’s office, Reade moved in with Dronen and ultimately asked to follow him to North Dakota, where he was working on a campaign that winter, according to his account in court records.
In her divorce filing, Reade described early warning signs that Dronen was explosive and unstable and says she fled North Dakota for California after Dronen became upset that she was pregnant. She soon came back to him, however, and they married in July 1994 and had a daughter that November.
In a domestic violence case filed 15 months later, Dronen admits that he attacked Reade but alleges that Reade got violent with him as well.
“I admit that on February 21, 1996 my wife and I were involved in a heated argument and during that argument that I may have acted out in an inappropriate manner. During our marriage my wife and I had arguments. She has on past occasions struck me; specifically, in the face. That fact, however, does not excuse my conduct on the date in question,” he states.
Dronen did not respond to several requests for comment.
In court documents, he suggested that Reade conflated childhood traumas with her recollections of abuse by him.
“I believe these incidences, in addition to the abuse, harassment and other truamatic (sic) events in Petitioner’s life, color Petitioner’s perception and judgment in the instant case and I believe them to be the underlying psychological reasons that Petitioner is making me out to be some sort of monster,” he said.
During their divorce proceedings, Dronen also told the court that Reade said she was harassed while working in Biden’s office, but made no mention of assault, a detail that was first reported by the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
“On several occasions petitioner related a problem that she was having at work regarding sexual harassment in U.S. Senator Joe Biden’s office,” he wrote. Reade “eventually struck a deal” with Biden’s chief of staff and left the office, and Dronen supported her financially as she looked for work.
Biden’s former chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, has consistently said no such deal was made.
Turbulent times
The past two decades of Reade’s life have been tumultuous. In her own telling, she had to flee Dronen’s abuse, took shelter in domestic violence safe houses and moved to Washington state, where she changed her name to Alexandra Tara McCabe. She also said she received a new Social Security number to protect her safety, putting her in a “really vulnerable economic situation.”
She said the focus on her financial difficulties since coming forward with her allegation against Biden was “classist” and should have no bearing on the credibility of her accusation.
“How high does your credit score have to be to be believed as a victim of sexual assault?” Reade asked.
Reade’s resume states that she graduated from Antioch University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and later worked at the school’s Seattle campus as an “Ongoing Online Visiting Professor for degree completion.” But school officials said she did not graduate and was never a faculty member, though she was paid to do several hours of administrative work as an independent contractor, a detail first reported by CNN.
Reade disputed this, but could not produce evidence that she graduated. She says the number of school credits that could be applied to her graduation was complicated by her name and social security number change, and that the school’s president at the time stepped in to personally confer a degree.
The school said that no such arrangement was made.
“University officials confirmed with former president Toni Murdock that no special arrangements existed,” university spokeswoman Karen Hamilton said in a statement.
She was accepted to Seattle University Law School through an alternative admissions program and obtained a law degree in 2004, but struggled to keep a job. She was helped by sympathetic strangers drawn to her story of escaping abuse, but often failed to meet financial obligations and was perpetually in debt and frequently entangled in legal battles.
By May 2006, she was back in California, working as a victims’ advocate for the Monterey County YWCA.
There, Reade lodged a series of complaints with the chapter’s board within months of taking the job, alleging that she and others were harassed and discriminated against by managers, which formed the basis of a 2007 lawsuit.
Reade and three co-workers alleged that two managers, who were both black, potentially misspent funds and favored African American employees who were members of their church. One supervisor, the lawsuit alleged, made racist comments. Meanwhile, Reade and her three co-workers, all of whom were white, said they were denied benefits and promotions.
“I find your response to my recent complaint unacceptable. Therefore, I am taking the next step to get some resolution,” Reade wrote in a Nov. 9, 2006, memo to her boss.
She was also upset because someone called her “whitebread,” according to the memo, which was circulated to the board.
Bridgette Allen, the former YWCA chapter president, was among those sued. She said she viewed Reade’s persistent emails as an effort to build a court case.
“I was the first black board president in the history here. You have to look at the dynamics: It was four white women that accused three black women,” Allen said.
But to some of Reade’s co-workers, she was a hero empowered by a difficult past.
“She was such a great example of what I wanted to be as a mom and a woman and an advocate,” said Diane Wegner, a former YWCA employee who was part of the lawsuit, which was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Reade soon found a new job as executive director at the Animal Friends Rescue Project in Pacific Grove.
She also needed a new place to live and, in 2008, turned to Austin Chung, an inexperienced property manager, and inquired about a cottage he was renting out that offered a glimpse of the waves at nearby Monterey Bay.
She told him she was fleeing abuse and had no credit history, explaining her change of name and Social Security number. But she did have a law degree and a job, she told him.
“My heart went out to her right away,” Chung said.
Chung said he had the interior painted and installed new flooring to make the home welcoming.
Within five months, she was behind on rent. Pretty soon, she was out of a job, too, after her management style grated on some employees and supporters of the animal shelter, according to former board members.
“There wasn’t any one big thing that happened. It was just, over time, her not really being competent,” said Carie Broecker, a longtime former board member. Broecker said she remained friends with Reade until Reade recently threatened to sue her because she publicly discussed her tenure at the agency.
Reade said she was proud of her work for the animal shelter.
Chung moved to evict Reade after she fell $3,600 behind on rent; Reade accused him of harassment in an email.
She eventually left behind a house in need of $8,000 in repairs that included carpets so stained by animal waste that they needed to be replaced, according to Chung, who provided emails and video footage of the home’s interior.
In 2011, Reade was again in a relationship that turned violent. Neighbors called Santa Cruz police to her home, and her live-in boyfriend, Edward Walker, was charged with corporal injury and battery against Reade and her daughter.
“Male subject battered live-in girlfriend, causing visible injury. During the altercation, the suspect also battered the victims daughter,” police said in an April 3, 2011 report.
Reade, who had spent years testifying in court as an advocate for domestic violence victims, acknowledged that Walker slapped her daughter at one point. She paid his bail and continued to live with Walker, caring for him after he suffered a stroke in 2012, court records show.
Walker, who could not be reached for comment, pleaded guilty and was given probation. A judge dismissed the charges in 2016.
Financial and legal turmoil followed her as she continued to move around California’s central coast, living in some of the most scenic and affluent parts of the state:
— She sought a restraining order in 2012 against a neighbor whom she accused of harassment and making racist threats against Walker. A judge dismissed the petition, and Reade dropped the matter.
— Months later, Reade was evicted again over $12,750 in unpaid rent. She filed for bankruptcy and listed $406,407 in debts, including nearly $300,000 in unpaid school loans, $1,715 owed to a bail bondsman and $2,100 due to a locally owned grocery store.
— Reade enrolled in an advanced legal degree program through Southwestern Law School. The school sued Reade in 2016 over $22,000 in loans, which remain unpaid, according to an attorney working on the case.
— She launched a charity that aimed to provide pet food to impoverished animal owners. The group’s nonprofit status was revoked in 2017 after Reade failed to submit three years of mandatory tax filings, though she continued to solicit donations. In 2016, Reade tweeted that she was raising money for a nonprofit called Boudicca Rising Legal Assistance, which included a link to a GoFundMe page she created. There is no record of a nonprofit by that name in the IRS database. Reade raised $210 but said she eventually abandoned the effort because it was too difficult to sort out the logistics.
In 2014, Reade started volunteering at a Watsonville nonprofit horse farm called the Pregnant Mare Rescue. She proved to be a dedicated volunteer who excelled at caring for abused horses, but “always had drama and craziness going on in her life,” according to Lynn Hummer, the organization’s founder.
“She was always broke and in a crisis,” Hummer said.
The two had a falling out in 2016 after Reade charged $1,400 in veterinary care for her horse to the Pregnant Mare Rescue, billing records show.
In a June 8, 2016, email to Hummer, Reade acknowledged that she charged the bill to the organization but said that she was poor, that her mother’s health was failing and that she was “disgusted and appalled” that Hummer would “villainize” her poverty.
Reade said that she planned on paying back the money but decided against it after Hummer “started trashing me” on social media.
At the time, Reade had been asking for money to finance a cross-country move to take care of her mother. She also told acquaintances that Dronen, her ex-husband, had reappeared and was harassing her.
According to a letter from a domestic violence advocacy group that Reade shared, Dronen sent her and her daughter “friend requests” via Facebook after 15 years without contact, and the two were scared for their safety. She also inquired about changing her legal name back to Tara Reade, which she goes by now.
Eventually, a man in Seattle raised $3,500 for her through GoFundMe.
Fallout
Reade says her decision to go public with her claims against Biden has brought her more hardship. She describes facing death threats online and feeling abused and abandoned by the Democratic Party, which she says she’s supported her whole life. Numerous prominent Democrats have said they believe Biden’s denials.
Related Articles National News | Pitts: How should Democrats react to Reade’s charges against Biden?
Pitts: How should Democrats react to Reade’s charges against Biden? National News | Goldberg: Joe Biden, Tara Reade and the #MeToo trap
Goldberg: Joe Biden, Tara Reade and the #MeToo trap National News | Senate panel approves Hunter Biden probe subpoena Inconsistencies in her accounts have also complicated matters. Defense attorneys are now reviewing whether she may have testified falsely about her education credentials in multiple domestic violence cases, the Monterey County Weekly and The New York Times first reported.
Still, Reade, a woman who’s spent her life trying to regain her footing in the face of myriad setbacks, said her decision to come forward has been empowering.
“It’s made my life so difficult in so many ways, but I’m doing this for more of an existential reason, and also for my own justice,” she said. When she first spoke out about the sexual assault allegation, Reade said, “I felt this release, of this burden, this secret that I’ve kept.”
Jaffe and Slodysko reported from Washington; Dale reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writers Stephen Braun in Washington and Don Thompson in Sacramento, Calif., and news researchers Monika Mathur, Rhonda Shafner and Jennifer Farrar contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-05-22--Must-have Switch accessory has a Nintendo touch

One of the most important accessories to pick up with a Nintendo Switch or a Nintendo Switch Lite is a memory card .
The popular console has 32GB of internal memory , but as players will discover , that isn ’ t nearly enough if they plan on buying games .
More space will be needed if they plan on picking up titles such as “ NBA 2K20.
” ( That eats up 32.9 GB of space ) .
The solution for that is Micro SD Cards .
These accessories add more space via the slot underneath the Switch kickstand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cards for the system , and they come in 64GB , 128 GB and 256GB sizes .
They even have logos from “ The Legend of Zelda ” and “ Super Mario Bros. ” emblazoned on the tiny card .
It ’ s a nice touch even though you probably won ’ t see the card once you insert it into the system .
Personally , I ’ ve used a SanDisk card since the Nintendo Switch came out in 2017 .
At the time , the 200 GB SanDisk MicroSD XC1 was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I haven ’ t had any trouble with it .
Back then , it cost me $ 88 .
Over time , the prices on SanDisk microSDXC cards have fallen and the space has increased .
The 256GB model sells for $ 54.99 , and it has a colorful Mario star to boot .

One of the most important accessories to pick up with a Nintendo Switch or a Nintendo Switch Lite is a memory card. The popular console has 32GB of internal memory, but as players will discover, that isn’t nearly enough if they plan on buying games.
More space will be needed if they plan on picking up titles such as “NBA 2K20.” (That eats up 32.9 GB of space). The solution for that is Micro SD Cards. These accessories add more space via the slot underneath the Switch kickstand. SanDisk produces the officially licensed memory cards for the system, and they come in 64GB, 128 GB and 256GB sizes. They even have logos from “The Legend of Zelda” and “Super Mario Bros.” emblazoned on the tiny card. It’s a nice touch even though you probably won’t see the card once you insert it into the system.
Personally, I’ve used a SanDisk card since the Nintendo Switch came out in 2017. At the time, the 200 GB SanDisk MicroSD XC1 was the biggest memory card I could find, and I haven’t had any trouble with it. Back then, it cost me $88. Over time, the prices on SanDisk microSDXC cards have fallen and the space has increased. The 256GB model sells for $54.99, and it has a colorful Mario star to boot.


mercurynews--2020-05-22--Trump administration threatens nearly two dozen California homeless shelters

Potentially undermining a key facet of Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s homelessness policy , federal officials have rescinded approval of a planned San Francisco homeless shelter — and threatened nearly two dozen more throughout the state .
In a letter sent earlier this month , the Federal Highway Administration pulled back its approval of a 200-bed navigation center planned for an empty Caltrans lot under the Interstate 280 overpass in San Francisco ’ s Bayview neighborhood .
The surprise move by the Trump Administration calls into question Newsom ’ s plan — outlined in a January executive order — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under-used parcels of state land .
It comes at a time when the state is scrambling to house its more than 150,000 homeless residents , in part to help protect them from the coronavirus .
The governor identified nearly 300 potential sites for shelters in February — including in the Bay Area — many of which are owned by Caltrans .
But this new wrinkle from the federal government complicates that plan , said David Garcia , policy director for the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation .
It could also set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would say this letter really pulls the rug out from under a lot of projects that for all intents and purposes already had the green light to proceed , ” he said .
But Caltrans officials have not given up .
“ Recognizing the significant challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness , Caltrans made underutilized state-owned land accessible for cities to move individuals off the streets , ” Caltrans spokesman Matt Rocco wrote in an email .
“ We are working with the Federal Highway Administration to find a resolution.
” In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Highway Administration withdrew approval of the San Francisco shelter based on a technicality over the environmental review process .
But the federal agency made it clear that should Caltrans reapply , the request may not be granted .
The letter expressed concern that the project was proposed in an interstate right-of-way , as well as the fact that it secured the land for less than fair market value .
“ Widespread use of the highway ( right-of-way ) for homeless shelters raises safety and operation concerns , as well as concerns about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vincent Mammano wrote .
“ Due to the importance of the Interstate System to the Nation ’ s mobility , it is FHWA policy to keep this ( right-of-way ) reserved for transportation purposes in order to ensure that traffic can flow as safely and efficiently as possible.
” The agency also withdrew approval for a Sacramento shelter project .
The letter singled out other projects at 5th and Bryant streets and 13th and Division streets in San Francisco — which have already been built and are operating — as well as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be withdrawn .
But many others are likely to be affected .
Caltrans is using or planning to use highway right-of-ways for homeless shelters in nearly two dozen locations throughout the state , according to the letter .
San Francisco will not be tearing down its completed shelters as a result of this letter , said Jeff Cretan , spokesman for Mayor London Breed .
Nor will the city press pause on its Bayview shelter — where construction was scheduled to begin next week .
“ We continue to move forward to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cretan said .
“ We don ’ t have much vacant land in San Francisco , and we need to utilize the vacant land we have to build shelter.
” Caltrans officials also fought back , arguing that many of the properties in question may not even be in the right-of-way .
The agency ’ s “ unexpected revocations of the right-of-way use approvals have created a highly unfortunate situation for all parties , ” Director Toks Omishakin wrote .
• Report : Coronavirus crisis could leave tens of thousands of Californians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with third parties to build these sites , Omishakin wrote , and those parties have hired developers and invested funds .
The conflict between Caltrans and federal officials comes after President Donald Trump has made numerous remarks criticizing California for failing to take care of its homeless population .
“ There has been ongoing tension between Gov .
Newsom ’ s administration and the federal government , ” Garcia said .
“ So it ’ s perhaps not surprising that they are using this opening to challenge some of California ’ s efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Potentially undermining a key facet of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s homelessness policy, federal officials have rescinded approval of a planned San Francisco homeless shelter — and threatened nearly two dozen more throughout the state.
In a letter sent earlier this month, the Federal Highway Administration pulled back its approval of a 200-bed navigation center planned for an empty Caltrans lot under the Interstate 280 overpass in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood.
The surprise move by the Trump Administration calls into question Newsom’s plan — outlined in a January executive order — to build homeless shelters on unused or under-used parcels of state land. It comes at a time when the state is scrambling to house its more than 150,000 homeless residents, in part to help protect them from the coronavirus.
The governor identified nearly 300 potential sites for shelters in February — including in the Bay Area — many of which are owned by Caltrans. But this new wrinkle from the federal government complicates that plan, said David Garcia, policy director for the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation. It could also set many shelter projects back.
“I would say this letter really pulls the rug out from under a lot of projects that for all intents and purposes already had the green light to proceed,” he said.
But Caltrans officials have not given up.
“Recognizing the significant challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness, Caltrans made underutilized state-owned land accessible for cities to move individuals off the streets,” Caltrans spokesman Matt Rocco wrote in an email. “We are working with the Federal Highway Administration to find a resolution.”
In the letter sent to Caltrans, the Federal Highway Administration withdrew approval of the San Francisco shelter based on a technicality over the environmental review process. But the federal agency made it clear that should Caltrans reapply, the request may not be granted. The letter expressed concern that the project was proposed in an interstate right-of-way, as well as the fact that it secured the land for less than fair market value.
“Widespread use of the highway (right-of-way) for homeless shelters raises safety and operation concerns, as well as concerns about the Federal transportation investment,” Division Administrator Vincent Mammano wrote. “Due to the importance of the Interstate System to the Nation’s mobility, it is FHWA policy to keep this (right-of-way) reserved for transportation purposes in order to ensure that traffic can flow as safely and efficiently as possible.”
The agency also withdrew approval for a Sacramento shelter project. The letter singled out other projects at 5th and Bryant streets and 13th and Division streets in San Francisco — which have already been built and are operating — as well as one in Los Angeles, where approvals may be withdrawn. But many others are likely to be affected. Caltrans is using or planning to use highway right-of-ways for homeless shelters in nearly two dozen locations throughout the state, according to the letter.
San Francisco will not be tearing down its completed shelters as a result of this letter, said Jeff Cretan, spokesman for Mayor London Breed. Nor will the city press pause on its Bayview shelter — where construction was scheduled to begin next week.
“We continue to move forward to build this site because we need it,” Cretan said. “We don’t have much vacant land in San Francisco, and we need to utilize the vacant land we have to build shelter.”
Caltrans officials also fought back, arguing that many of the properties in question may not even be in the right-of-way.
The agency’s “unexpected revocations of the right-of-way use approvals have created a highly unfortunate situation for all parties,” Director Toks Omishakin wrote.
Caltrans already has entered into agreements with third parties to build these sites, Omishakin wrote, and those parties have hired developers and invested funds.
The conflict between Caltrans and federal officials comes after President Donald Trump has made numerous remarks criticizing California for failing to take care of its homeless population.
“There has been ongoing tension between Gov. Newsom’s administration and the federal government,” Garcia said. “So it’s perhaps not surprising that they are using this opening to challenge some of California’s efforts to actually address the homeless crisis.”


mercurynews--2020-05-22--East Bay man suspected of trying to meet minor for sex

A 40-year-old Clayton man has been charged with trying to arrange sex with a minor , authorities said Friday .
Daniel Steven Paul also faces charges of attempted lewd acts with a minor and unlawful communications with a minor , Contra Costa County District Attorney ’ s spokesman Scott Alonso said .
Paul remains in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility in lieu of $ 250,000 bail .
The case stems from an investigation that started in early May , when investigators from the county ’ s Internet Crimes Against Children task force learned that an investigation into Paul in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Alonso , that investigation led agents to present themselves as a 14-year-old girl and begin communicating with Paul via text messages .
Authorities said that soon after they made contact , Paul began trying to entice them .
He went to Hidden Lakes Park in Martinez on Wednesday for the meeting and was arrested by authorities when he got there , Alonso said .
Agents found condoms and alcohol inside the the vehicle Paul brought to the scene , Alonso said .
Authorities have said that the COVID-19 crisis has brought an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploitation reports , many involving adults trying to convince children to take exploitative pictures of themselves .
Parents seeking additional information and resources can visit www.kidsmartz.org or www.svicac.org .

A 40-year-old Clayton man has been charged with trying to arrange sex with a minor, authorities said Friday.
Daniel Steven Paul also faces charges of attempted lewd acts with a minor and unlawful communications with a minor, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s spokesman Scott Alonso said. Paul remains in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility in lieu of $250,000 bail.
The case stems from an investigation that started in early May, when investigators from the county’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force learned that an investigation into Paul in a foreign country had occurred. According to Alonso, that investigation led agents to present themselves as a 14-year-old girl and begin communicating with Paul via text messages.
Authorities said that soon after they made contact, Paul began trying to entice them. He went to Hidden Lakes Park in Martinez on Wednesday for the meeting and was arrested by authorities when he got there, Alonso said. Agents found condoms and alcohol inside the the vehicle Paul brought to the scene, Alonso said.
Authorities have said that the COVID-19 crisis has brought an increase in the number of online child exploitation reports, many involving adults trying to convince children to take exploitative pictures of themselves. Parents seeking additional information and resources can visit www.kidsmartz.org or www.svicac.org.


mercurynews--2020-05-22--Pandemic makes this Memorial Day different for war vets

UNION CITY — More than three-quarters of a century has passed , but for George Wilkerson , his memories remain as fresh as the breezes that swept off the Pacific Ocean when he served in World War II .
Back then , Wilkerson was not long out of high school and a corporal with the Army Air Corps , stationed at Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands and tasked with prepping bombs before they were loaded onto aircraft bound for deadly raids on Japan .
“ It feels like it was just yesterday , ” said Wilkerson , now 95 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilkerson said he plans to remember the men and women he served with all those decades ago , especially the ones who made the supreme sacrifice .
This year things will be different .
Memorial Day events have been canceled because of limitations on public gatherings imposed by local public health authorities and Gov .
Gavin Newsom to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
Among the canceled events are ceremonies at local cemeteries , including Oakland ’ s Mountain View Cemetery and Hayward ’ s Lone Tree and Chapel of the Chimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jose , which traditionally has the South Bay ’ s largest Memorial Day ceremony , will go virtual this year .
Some cemeteries will remain open for visitors , however .
But some war memorial organizers plan to push on , much like those they honor did on the battlefield .
Veterans in Antioch are urging people to travel in their vehicles and cruise past places where the military is remembered , such as at the L Street Monument , the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds and Oakview Memorial Cemetery .
No stopping will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not get out of vehicles .
Each spot in Antioch will have a military representative and someone from the Antioch City Council present , according to organizers .
There is no staging area for vehicles .
It will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday .
In Clayton , also in Contra Costa County , an event hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1525 has been canceled , as well as another ceremony at the USS Hornet Sea , Air & Space Museum in Alameda .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of World War II , ” said Bob Fish , a museum trustee .
“ These aging heroes volunteered to not only protect our country but to preserve democracy around the world .
Unfortunately , the coronavirus has had a large impact on this greatest generation .
We should continue to honor those who have fallen and cherish those who are still with us , and made such great personal sacrifices to ensure our freedom.
” About 300,000 American World War II veterans are still alive , according to the Pew Research Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Veterans Affairs .
As with Wilkerson , most are in their late 80s or 90s , and their numbers are rapidly dwindling .
Five years ago about 939,000 were living , the center ’ s report said .
And of the 350,000 American women who were in the armed forces during the war , about 14,500 are alive today , it said .
Approximately 16 million Americans served overall , according to the VA. Wilkerson , who lives at the Masonic Home in Union City , plans to join his fellow residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small ceremony to remember servicemen and women .
“ We have been told , though , that we have to keep our distance , ” he said with a laugh during a phone interview from his apartment , where he has been confined under coronavirus restrictions .
Born in El Monte near Los Angeles , Wilkerson was a 16-year-old high school student and working at a service station when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii , plunging the United States into the war .
After graduating , he trained to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including over the sands of Nevada .
But after shipping out to the Pacific — with a brief layover in Pearl Harbor — he landed on Saipan in August 1944 .
“ When we got there , we had to sleep in the mud in our pop-up tents , ” Wilkerson said .
“ We then had to build Quonset huts to live in.
” While he was at Saipan , the military switched his job from gunner to a munitions worker , which meant he stayed on the ground as B-29 Superfortresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Japanese forces .
His work consisted of attaching fins and fuses to bombs .
Despite the deaths and casualties that resulted when the bombs were dropped , he said he has no regrets , pointing to what Americans suffered during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor .
“ I was glad I was able to load the bombs , ” he said .
“ I had a lot of hatred … because they bombed Pearl Harbor .
They bombed us and strafed us.
” Wilkerson was discharged shortly after the war and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the El Monte Public Works Department in Southern California .
He retired in 1980 .
His wife , Margaret , whom he met when they were both kindergartners and married in 1944 , died in 2013 .
He has one son .
Among his possessions is a scrapbook with newspaper clippings about his squadron ’ s history and black-and-white photos of his time overseas .
“ I can look through my book , and I can check dates and remember and put things in perspective , ” Wilkerson said .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone remembers what happened back then and does not forget what we did .
”

UNION CITY — More than three-quarters of a century has passed, but for George Wilkerson, his memories remain as fresh as the breezes that swept off the Pacific Ocean when he served in World War II.
Back then, Wilkerson was not long out of high school and a corporal with the Army Air Corps, stationed at Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands and tasked with prepping bombs before they were loaded onto aircraft bound for deadly raids on Japan.
“It feels like it was just yesterday,” said Wilkerson, now 95.
As on every Memorial Day, Wilkerson said he plans to remember the men and women he served with all those decades ago, especially the ones who made the supreme sacrifice.
This year things will be different.
Memorial Day events have been canceled because of limitations on public gatherings imposed by local public health authorities and Gov. Gavin Newsom to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Among the canceled events are ceremonies at local cemeteries, including Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery and Hayward’s Lone Tree and Chapel of the Chimes. Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, which traditionally has the South Bay’s largest Memorial Day ceremony, will go virtual this year. Some cemeteries will remain open for visitors, however.
But some war memorial organizers plan to push on, much like those they honor did on the battlefield.
Veterans in Antioch are urging people to travel in their vehicles and cruise past places where the military is remembered, such as at the L Street Monument, the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds and Oakview Memorial Cemetery. No stopping will be allowed, however, and people cannot get out of vehicles.
Each spot in Antioch will have a military representative and someone from the Antioch City Council present, according to organizers. There is no staging area for vehicles. It will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday.
In Clayton, also in Contra Costa County, an event hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1525 has been canceled, as well as another ceremony at the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum in Alameda.
“This Memorial Day is especially poignant for veterans of World War II,” said Bob Fish, a museum trustee. “These aging heroes volunteered to not only protect our country but to preserve democracy around the world. Unfortunately, the coronavirus has had a large impact on this greatest generation. We should continue to honor those who have fallen and cherish those who are still with us, and made such great personal sacrifices to ensure our freedom.”
About 300,000 American World War II veterans are still alive, according to the Pew Research Center, citing data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As with Wilkerson, most are in their late 80s or 90s, and their numbers are rapidly dwindling. Five years ago about 939,000 were living, the center’s report said.
And of the 350,000 American women who were in the armed forces during the war, about 14,500 are alive today, it said.
Approximately 16 million Americans served overall, according to the VA.
Wilkerson, who lives at the Masonic Home in Union City, plans to join his fellow residents at a newly installed flag pole for a small ceremony to remember servicemen and women.
“We have been told, though, that we have to keep our distance,” he said with a laugh during a phone interview from his apartment, where he has been confined under coronavirus restrictions.
Born in El Monte near Los Angeles, Wilkerson was a 16-year-old high school student and working at a service station when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, plunging the United States into the war.
After graduating, he trained to be a gunner on B-17 Flying Fortresses, including over the sands of Nevada. But after shipping out to the Pacific — with a brief layover in Pearl Harbor — he landed on Saipan in August 1944.
“When we got there, we had to sleep in the mud in our pop-up tents,” Wilkerson said. “We then had to build Quonset huts to live in.”
While he was at Saipan, the military switched his job from gunner to a munitions worker, which meant he stayed on the ground as B-29 Superfortresses launched missions from the island for attacks on Japanese forces.
His work consisted of attaching fins and fuses to bombs. Despite the deaths and casualties that resulted when the bombs were dropped, he said he has no regrets, pointing to what Americans suffered during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
“I was glad I was able to load the bombs,” he said. “I had a lot of hatred … because they bombed Pearl Harbor. They bombed us and strafed us.”
Wilkerson was discharged shortly after the war and worked a variety of jobs, including at the El Monte Public Works Department in Southern California. He retired in 1980.
His wife, Margaret, whom he met when they were both kindergartners and married in 1944, died in 2013. He has one son.
Among his possessions is a scrapbook with newspaper clippings about his squadron’s history and black-and-white photos of his time overseas.
“I can look through my book, and I can check dates and remember and put things in perspective,” Wilkerson said. “But I think it’s important that everyone remembers what happened back then and does not forget what we did.”


mercurynews--2020-05-22--Watch Lee Greenwood perform ‘God Bless the USA’ live on Memorial Day

“ God Bless the USA ” is one of the best known patriotic tunes of the last 50 years .
And you can watch it performed live by its author — country music star Lee Greenwood — on one of most patriotic days of the year , Memorial Day .
The Grammy Award winner is presenting a virtual concert on his Facebook page — facebook.com/TheLeeGreenwood — at 2 p.m. PST on Monday , May 25 .
It will also be shown on the Navy Entertainment and Navy Exchange site ( https : //www.navymwr.org/navy-mwr-at-home/entertainment ) .
The concert is “ dedicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedoms , ” according to a news release .
“ Every Year I look forward to this weekend honoring the men and women who have given all for our freedom ” says Lee Greenwood .
“ Usually , I ’ m touring across America celebrating Memorial Day .
However because of the pandemic , we are sitting at home to keep everyone safe .
So I decided to create a virtual concert as my gift .
We need to celebrate America now more than ever .
Please join me on Facebook May 25th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PST ) for our performance of super hits and our tribute to those who have given us the right to do so.
” Greenwood is expected to perform such hits as “ I.O.U.
, ” “ Dixie Road , ” “ Ring On Her Finger , Time On Her Hands ” and , of course , “ God Bless the USA.
” If you feel like watching the concert wearing some official Greenwood gear , there are “ Proud to be an American ” and “ God Bless the USA ” t-shirts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //leegreenwood.com/store/ .

“God Bless the U.S.A” is one of the best known patriotic tunes of the last 50 years.
And you can watch it performed live by its author — country music star Lee Greenwood — on one of most patriotic days of the year, Memorial Day.
The Grammy Award winner is presenting a virtual concert on his Facebook page — facebook.com/TheLeeGreenwood — at 2 p.m. PST on Monday, May 25. It will also be shown on the Navy Entertainment and Navy Exchange site (https://www.navymwr.org/navy-mwr-at-home/entertainment).
The concert is “dedicated to all who have fought for our freedoms,” according to a news release.
“Every Year I look forward to this weekend honoring the men and women who have given all for our freedom” says Lee Greenwood. “Usually, I’m touring across America celebrating Memorial Day. However because of the pandemic, we are sitting at home to keep everyone safe. So I decided to create a virtual concert as my gift. We need to celebrate America now more than ever.”
Greenwood is expected to perform such hits as “I.O.U.,” “Dixie Road,” “Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands” and, of course, “God Bless the U.S.A.”
If you feel like watching the concert wearing some official Greenwood gear, there are “Proud to be an American” and “God Bless the U.S.A” t-shirts and hoodies available at his online store, https://leegreenwood.com/store/.
While most Memorial Day parades have been canceled this year, you can still commemorate the occasion in patriotic fashion by watching "Parade of Heroes" https://t.co/xtOpvGunIQ — Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 15, 2020


mercurynews--2020-05-23--Letter: Will Rep. Lee support bill to help dialysis patients?

Will Rep. Lee support bill to help dialysis patients ?
After being diagnosed with end-stage renal disease in 2014 , I ’ ve experienced dialysis treatments at home , in a clinic , and have even traveled with my dialysis equipment .
While dialysis created a lot of anxiety for me at first , I have had the benefit of working with an excellent treatment team that is sensitive to my needs as a patient and ensures my treatments are tailored .
Congress is working on a bill that can help dialysis patients benefit from care coordination like I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research and Treatment Act — also known as the BETTER Kidney Care Act — will enable doctors to work together on a patient ’ s treatments while offering benefits that aren ’ t accessible through Medicare .
Dialysis requires adjustment .
The whole process is made easier when patients have a coordinated treatment plan aligned to their needs .
• Letter : Are you ready to die for your economy ?
• Letter : Leaders rule based on fear for us , rather than trust in us • Letter : I tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but couldn ’ t • Letter : Oakland isn ’ t yet ready to stop sheltering in place By supporting this bill , Rep. Barbara Lee and the other members of Congress from California can help to ensure they do .
Submit your letter to the editor via this form Read more Letters to the Editor

Will Rep. Lee support bill
to help dialysis patients?
After being diagnosed with end-stage renal disease in 2014, I’ve experienced dialysis treatments at home, in a clinic, and have even traveled with my dialysis equipment.
While dialysis created a lot of anxiety for me at first, I have had the benefit of working with an excellent treatment team that is sensitive to my needs as a patient and ensures my treatments are tailored.
Congress is working on a bill that can help dialysis patients benefit from care coordination like I have.
The Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act — also known as the BETTER Kidney Care Act — will enable doctors to work together on a patient’s treatments while offering benefits that aren’t accessible through Medicare.
Dialysis requires adjustment. The whole process is made easier when patients have a coordinated treatment plan aligned to their needs.
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Letters: Insulate wires | CDE was wrong | Functional Chromebooks | Trump’s ego | Healthy debate | A new path Letters to the Editor | Letters: Local solar | Titan resources | Activism helps By supporting this bill, Rep. Barbara Lee and the other members of Congress from California can help to ensure they do.
Willie Griffin
Oakland
Submit your letter to the editor via this form
Read more Letters to the Editor


mercurynews--2020-05-23--Letter: Are you ready to die for your economy?

Are you ready to die for your economy ?
Re : “ Hanson : Losing our fears , in war @ @ @ @ @ section , Mercurynews.com , May 15 ) : Let me state flat-out the question that @ @ @ @ @ Davis Hansen and others who assert we can somehow overcome COVID-19 by sheer economic power @ @ @ @ @ we showed during World War II .
• Letter : Will Rep. Lee support bill @ @ @ @ @ • Letter : Leaders rule based on fear for us , rather than trust in @ @ @ @ @ tried to schedule a test in Contra Costa County but couldn ’ t • Letter @ @ @ @ @ yet ready to stop sheltering in place It is the same question we ask of @ @ @ @ @ : Are you ready to die for your economy ?
Submit your letter to the @ @ @ @ @ more Letters to the Editor

Are you ready to die
for your economy?
Re: “Hanson: Losing our fears, in war and plague” (Opinion section, Mercurynews.com, May 15):
Let me state flat-out the question that underlies the urgings of Victor Davis Hansen and others who assert we can somehow overcome COVID-19 by sheer economic power, by unleashing the confidence we showed during World War II.
Related Articles Letters to the Editor | Letters: Escape Bay Area | CASA program | Feinstein replacement | Faulty comparison | Not conservatives
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Letters: Psychiatric beds | SJSU neglect | Squandering cash | Overdoing coverage | Pac-12 negotiations | For climate’s sake | Electric appliances Letters to the Editor | Letters: Abandoning tenants | Deaf culture | Western contributions | Conservative alienation | Precise language
Letters: Abandoning tenants | Deaf culture | Western contributions | Conservative alienation | Precise language Letters to the Editor | Letters: Insulate wires | CDE was wrong | Functional Chromebooks | Trump’s ego | Healthy debate | A new path
Letters: Insulate wires | CDE was wrong | Functional Chromebooks | Trump’s ego | Healthy debate | A new path Letters to the Editor | Letters: Local solar | Titan resources | Activism helps It is the same question we ask of front-line soldiers in any war: Are you ready to die for your economy?
Ellen F. Smith
Palo Alto
Submit your letter to the editor via this form
Read more Letters to the Editor


mercurynews--2020-05-23--Word Game: May 23, 2020

Word Game: May 23, 2020

Can you find 46 or more words in URBANITY ?
The list will be published Monday .
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 — URBANITY (URBANITY: ur-BAN-ih-tee: Refinement and elegance of manner.)
Average mark 32 words
Time limit 45 minutes
Can you find 46 or more words in URBANITY? The list will be published Monday.
YESTERDAY’S WORD — BLINDER bend bide bier bile bind binder bird bled
blend blind bred bride bridle brindle brine lend lied lien line liner lire idle idler
inbred nerd deli diel dine diner dire drib rebid rebind rein rend ride rile rind
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--2020-05-23--Horoscopes May 23, 2020: Drew Carey, utilize your skills, intelligence and charm.

Happy Birthday : Dig in , and don ’ t stop until you reach your destination .
Take the helm , and be the driving force that turns your dream into a reality .
Don ’ t trust others to do the work for you or to give you something for nothing .
Do what you do best , and make this a year to remember .
Utilize your skills , intelligence and charm .
Your numbers are 7 , 12 , 23 , 28 , 33 , 42 , 47 .
ARIES ( March 21-April 19 ) : You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are capable of doing , and map out your course of action .
Refuse to let a change of plans make you appear inconsistent or allow stubbornness to turn into a loss .
Choose peace over chaos .
4 stars TAURUS ( April 20-May 20 ) : A time-out will help you rethink your next move .
Engage in activities that bring you joy or ease stress .
Personal growth will have a sobering effect on the lifestyle changes you make .
A cheerful attitude will make a positive difference .
3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Deception is on the rise .
Whether it ’ s you refusing to recognize the truth or someone playing mind games with you , it ’ s time to take a closer look at the motives behind the events that unfold .
Discipline and moderation will be required .
3 stars CANCER ( June 21-July 22 ) : Don ’ t share personal information .
Make sure you have all your documents in order .
A proposal may entice you , but before you get involved , follow the money .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warranted .
Don ’ t buy into someone else ’ s dream .
3 stars LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22 ) : Speak up , lend a helping hand and do your best to shine in a time where others need positive encouragement .
Your dedication should not be at the expense of giving up something you love .
Balance and fair play will be necessary .
4 stars VIRGO ( Aug. 23-Sept. 22 ) : Proceed with caution when dealing with matters that can affect your reputation , position or livelihood .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibilities or to keep what you say in confidence a secret .
An argument will leave you in a vulnerable position .
2 stars LIBRA ( Sept. 23-Oct. 22 ) : You ’ ll have insight into what ’ s going on , what ’ s possible and how you can take advantage of a situation that is influencing your lifestyle .
Personal growth , educational pursuits and a new direction look promising .
Let go of what ’ s no longer working for you .
5 stars SCORPIO ( Oct. 23-Nov. 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before you leap in a direction that could be damaging contractually , financially or medically .
When uncertain , take a step back and consider what ’ s important to you .
Regroup , and go over your options .
3 stars SAGITTARIUS ( Nov. 22-Dec. 21 ) : Circumstances will test partnerships .
Listen carefully ; question what someone offers .
Do your best to keep the peace , but don ’ t give in to someone ’ s manipulative ways or unrealistic demands .
Nurture meaningful relationships , and walk away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dec. 22-Jan. 19 ) : Be careful who you do business with or how you handle your money matters .
Someone will try to take advantage of you financially .
Look over contracts carefully , and invest in something safe .
Honesty will deter others from interfering in your business .
3 stars AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18 ) : Say what ’ s on your mind .
Share your intentions , and start making changes in your life that will improve your surroundings , relationships and prospects .
Honesty will be essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with someone you love .
5 stars PISCES ( Feb. 19-March 20 ) : Don ’ t let jealousy be your downfall .
Stick up for your beliefs , but don ’ t force what you think or do on others .
An unexpected situation will develop .
Reconsider your options , and make a decision that will deter others from interfering in your life .
2 stars Birthday Baby : You are innovative , original and talkative .
You are persuasive and strategic .

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kelly Monaco, 44; Jewel, 46; Drew Carey, 62; Joan Collins, 87.
Happy Birthday: Dig in, and don’t stop until you reach your destination. Take the helm, and be the driving force that turns your dream into a reality. Don’t trust others to do the work for you or to give you something for nothing. Do what you do best, and make this a year to remember. Utilize your skills, intelligence and charm. Your numbers are 7, 12, 23, 28, 33, 42, 47.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are gaining momentum. Believe in what you are capable of doing, and map out your course of action. Refuse to let a change of plans make you appear inconsistent or allow stubbornness to turn into a loss. Choose peace over chaos. 4 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A time-out will help you rethink your next move. Engage in activities that bring you joy or ease stress. Personal growth will have a sobering effect on the lifestyle changes you make. A cheerful attitude will make a positive difference. 3 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Deception is on the rise. Whether it’s you refusing to recognize the truth or someone playing mind games with you, it’s time to take a closer look at the motives behind the events that unfold. Discipline and moderation will be required. 3 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t share personal information. Make sure you have all your documents in order. A proposal may entice you, but before you get involved, follow the money. The fuss that someone makes will not be warranted. Don’t buy into someone else’s dream. 3 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Speak up, lend a helping hand and do your best to shine in a time where others need positive encouragement. Your dedication should not be at the expense of giving up something you love. Balance and fair play will be necessary. 4 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Proceed with caution when dealing with matters that can affect your reputation, position or livelihood. Don’t trust others with your responsibilities or to keep what you say in confidence a secret. An argument will leave you in a vulnerable position. 2 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You’ll have insight into what’s going on, what’s possible and how you can take advantage of a situation that is influencing your lifestyle. Personal growth, educational pursuits and a new direction look promising. Let go of what’s no longer working for you. 5 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Weigh the pros and cons before you leap in a direction that could be damaging contractually, financially or medically. When uncertain, take a step back and consider what’s important to you. Regroup, and go over your options. 3 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Circumstances will test partnerships. Listen carefully; question what someone offers. Do your best to keep the peace, but don’t give in to someone’s manipulative ways or unrealistic demands. Nurture meaningful relationships, and walk away from meddlers. 3 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be careful who you do business with or how you handle your money matters. Someone will try to take advantage of you financially. Look over contracts carefully, and invest in something safe. Honesty will deter others from interfering in your business. 3 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Say what’s on your mind. Share your intentions, and start making changes in your life that will improve your surroundings, relationships and prospects. Honesty will be essential if you want to avoid a dispute with someone you love. 5 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t let jealousy be your downfall. Stick up for your beliefs, but don’t force what you think or do on others. An unexpected situation will develop. Reconsider your options, and make a decision that will deter others from interfering in your life. 2 stars
Birthday Baby: You are innovative, original and talkative. You are persuasive and strategic.
Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.