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SAN JOSE – Mike Grier has put his stamp on the San Jose Sharks roster since he became the team’s general manager this summer, moving out certain players and bringing in ones he feels play to a certain identity.

One of Grier’s biggest advocates, he said, has been Doug Wilson, the man he replaced when he became the Sharks’ GM three months ago.

Wilson, who stepped down as the Sharks’ top hockey executive in April after 19 years on the job, will attend the special recognition night the team is holding for him Saturday prior to its game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

“It will be great to see him in on Saturday,” Grier said in a text message to this news organization. “He has been very supportive of me through this process. He has done so much for this city and organization that I’m thrilled that he is being honored.”

Grier and Wilson have known each other for over 15 years.

In his playing days, Grier, as a free agent in July 2006, was 31 when he left the Buffalo Sabres to sign a three-year contract with the Sharks worth a then-reported $5.3 million. The average annual value of Grier’s contract, $1.77 million, was a raise over the $1.36 million he earned with the Sabres the previous season.

Grier and Curtis Brown signed with the Sharks at the same time, and part of the reason they were brought in was to help address the Sharks’ woeful penalty killing, which finished 23rd out of 30 teams the previous season.

“We’ve addressed our penalty-killing, our size, and our experience,” Wilson said then. “We’ve found guys in the prime of their careers that are quality people.”

In 2006, the Sharks lost in the second round in six games to the Edmonton Oilers, who would go on to play Bret Hedican, the Sharks’ color analyst on broadcasts, and the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final.

“He’s a physically dominant guy that we would have liked to have in the series against Edmonton,” Wilson said of the then-6-foot-1, 220-pound Grier. “He kills penalties, he scores big goals and he punishes people, too.”

“As soon as I found out the Sharks were involved, they shot up to the top of the list for me,” Grier said that year after he signed. “I like the commitment here. In the coming years, they have a real legitimate chance at winning the Stanley Cup.”

The Sharks won the Pacific Division in 2008 and captured the President’s Trophy the NHL’s best regular season team in 2009. But San Jose never made it past the second round in any of Grier’s three seasons with the team, and he re-joined the Sabres in 2009 for the final two seasons of his NHL career.

 

Geier was a leader for the Sharks — on and off the ice. But in his time here, he also watched how Wilson went about his business as the team’s general manager.

“I learned many things from him about management that I have incorporated into how I do my job,” Grier said.

After a decade of negotiations, this week's agreement resolves questions of who gets to drill for natural gas in disputed waters off the Mediterranean coast. But its implementation isn't a sure thing.

(Image credit: Amir Levy/Getty Images)

After leading efforts to put conservatives on the bench, the activist has quietly built a sprawling network and raised huge sums of money to challenge liberal values.

SAN JOSE — A San Jose hotel that’s part of a four-hotel purchase package has been bought in a deal whose final price wound up at just under $16 million, documents filed with Santa Clara County officials show.

The hotel, located at 5190 Cherry Ave. in San Jose next to the Bass Pro Shops-anchored Almaden Ranch retail and restaurant complex, was bought by an affiliate of Magna Hospitality, according to public records.

Magna Hospitality’s affiliate paid nearly $15.8 million for the hotel building, a transfer tax statement that was filed on Oct. 6 with the county shows.

Rhode Island-based Magna Hospitality also obtained a ground lease for the land beneath the hotel, according to the county public filing.

The new owner intends to convert the hotel into a Hampton Inn, according to a license application filed with the state Alcoholic Beverage Control agency.

The purchase makes sense, said Alan Reay, president of Irvine-based Atlas Hospitality Group, which tracks the California lodging market.

“Magna Hospitality is a good company and a good operator,” Reay said. “This is a good play by Magna especially when you are talking about newer products like this.”

The hotel was developed in 2019 and has 115 rooms. At present, the hotel is part of the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts brand.

“You are going from the Wyndham reservation system to the Hilton network,” Reay said. “You are targeting higher-end business travelers. This will result in higher revenue and bigger profits.”

Magna Hospitality, to help bankroll its purchase of the four hotels that included the San Jose lodging complex, obtained $77.5 million in financing from Western Alliance Bank, the county documents show.

In addition to the purchase financing, some of the loan funds might also be used for physical upgrades or other endeavors to help convert the San Jose hotel to a Hampton Inn.

Seeking to upgrade a just-bought hotel dovetails with Magna Hospitality’s philosophy, a post on the real estate firm’s website suggests.

“Magna continues to focus on value-add hotel investment opportunities exclusively within the lodging sector,” the web post states.

Buying a hotel at what works out to roughly $137,000 a room also appears to be an excellent strategy, even in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak.

The economic impacts unleashed by the coronavirus devastated the worldwide travel and lodging sector and were particularly brutal in the Bay Area, which greatly depends on business travel and convention visitors.

“If you wanted to replace the hotels that Magna Hospitality just bought with a new hotel, the construction costs would probably be $250,000 to $300,000 a room,” Reay said. “Plus, you have to find a location and get the project approved.”

 

Enlarge / Avery, 6, and Aidan, 11, got their second Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center on Friday, June 25, 2021, as part of the KidCOVE study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Moderna vaccine in young children. (credit: Getty | MediaNews Group)

The US on Wednesday expanded access to the "updated" bivalent COVID-19 boosters targeting the omicron subvariant BA.5, now allowing children ages 5 to 11 to get a fall booster shot. Previously only adults and kids no younger than 12 were eligible.

In quick succession, the Food and Drug Administration this morning announced the expanded authorization of both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna bivalent COVID-19 boosters, with the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, endorsing that authorization—officially making the vaccines available to little arms—just a few hours later.

"This is a critical step in our fight against COVID-19," Walensky wrote in a tweet announcing her recommendation. "An updated vaccine can help bolster protection for our children this winter."

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ANTIOCH — A motorist speeding in a vehicle fatally hit a woman late Tuesday, police said.

The driver took off from the scene, and police in a statement from spokesman Officer Darryl Saffold said they are looking for him. The fatality is considered a hit-and-run, Saffold said.

The 50-year-old woman was walking in a crosswalk west across the street at Contra Loma Boulevard and Buchanan Road about 11:05 p.m. when the collision happened. The driver was going south on Contra Loma Boulevard.

Officers found the woman about 50 yards away from the intersection. Saffold said the driver was speeding and fled the area.

The woman was alive when officers arrived, and medics worked to save her at the scene. She died later at a hospital after being rushed there in an ambulance.

Authorities did not identify her Wednesday.

Police asked anyone with information about the fatality to contact Officer Joshua Egan at Jegan@Antiochca.gov.

Please check back for updates.

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Minutes from the Fed’s September meeting showed many were more worried about doing too little to control inflation than too much.

A North Dakota judge who refused to allow the state’s abortion ban to take effect while a clinic’s legal challenge is pending has been ordered to take another look at that decision.

A Republican candidate for secretary of state in Nevada has vowed that he and other like-minded lawmakers will “fix” election rules all over the U.S. in order to ensure former President Donald Trump gets reinstated into the White House in 2024.

Appearing onstage with Trump during a rally in the state on Saturday, Jim Marchant, the Republican nominee for the position, said he and other Republican secretaries of state across the country would take actions to ensure Trump becomes president in two years’ time.

“When my coalition of secretary of state candidates around the country get elected we’re going to fix the whole country, and President Trump is going to be president again in 2024,” Marchant said.

According to reporting from Vice, “fixing” the country entails doing away with a number of popular and important aspects of elections — including ending mail-in ballots, getting rid of vote tabulation machines, and requiring all Nevadans in the state to re-register to vote.

Marchant’s “coalition” of like-minded Republicans refers to his “coalition of America First secretary of state candidates,” which he formed after losing a congressional election in the state in 2020. Although he claims that election fraud was responsible for his loss — much like Trump did that year in several states across the U.S. — Marchant’s claims have never been substantiated, and a court dismissed his claims of fraud following his attempts to have the election re-run.

No evidence of widespread fraud affecting any election in 2020 has ever been documented, either in Nevada or anywhere else in the U.S.

In spite of his claims, Marchant is viewed as the front-runner in this race — meaning he is more likely to become Nevada’s next secretary of state, in charge of overseeing all elections in the state.

Democratic insiders in Nevada say not enough people in the state are even aware that the race is happening.

“Marchant can’t be trusted, but I just don’t think a lot of people are even paying attention to the race. We’ve been knocking on doors, and people aren’t aware of the race,” said Donna West, a former state Democratic Party official. “They still don’t understand what the secretary of state does.”

Far from being atypical, Marchant represents what a majority of Republicans running for federal or major state offices purport to believe about the 2020 election. According to a recent analysis from The Washington Post, 299 Republican candidates running for those offices say they do not believe in the validity of the last presidential election, or have at least questioned the results.

Most of those candidates are running in “safe” races — meaning they are currently expected to win their elections, and bring their errant viewpoints to the offices they are vying to represent.

Several Republican candidates are also setting up the possibility that they won’t accept their own election results, much like Trump did prior to Election Day 2020. In a separate Washington Post analysis, 12 out of 19 GOP candidates running in close senatorial or gubernatorial races refused to say whether they’d recognize the outcome, if they do end up losing.

A new bagel and coffee shop will shower the Tri-Valley with what its owners are calling legit, New York-style bagels when it opens this weekend.

After a successful soft opening, Bubbs’ Bagels & Coffee will take over the spot at 1606 Holmes St. in Livermore with a grand opening on Oct. 15. Look for 14 bagels and 10 schmears to start, with a full menu, featured on the Bubbs’ website, that features a whopping 30 kinds of steam kettle-boiled bagels, from Rosemary Salt to Chocolate Orange, and more than 25 schmears, like bacon horseradish and Chocolate Hazelnut Chip. Opening hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday-Wednesday.

Husband-and-wife owners Davis and Rae Gunderson’s La Marzocco machine will pump out  espresso drinks made with coffee beans roasted by Santa Cruz’s Cat & Cloud. They’ll also offer a  medley of fresh baked goods, like brownies, muffins and scones, plus bagel breakfast sandwiches ($5-$6) and lunch sandwiches ($7-$9). A single bagel will run you $2.25, and $18 for a baker’s dozen. Details: https://bubbsbagels.com. Related Articles

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By Francesca Street | CNN

It’s one of the best parts about a vacation — that moment when you discover the side of the city that’s clearly more popular with locals than tourists.

Maybe it’s the off-the-beaten-track cafe with the best coffee you’ve ever tasted, the underground bar that’s not signposted on the street above, or the restaurant dishing up mouthwatering local delicacies you’ve never heard of.

To help you discover more hidden gems on your next city break, global media brand Time Out has released its annual list of the worlds coolest neighborhoods.

Topping the 2022 round-up is buzzy Colonia Americana, located in the city of Guadalajara in western Mexico. Time Out says Colonia Americana’s eclectic mix of historic Art Deco mansions and warehouse-based music venues clinched the deal.

“Guadalajara is just emerging as a must-visit — and Colonia Americana is the place to be right now,” said Time Out Travel Editor James Manning in a statement. “It’s home to a boundary-pushing creative community, a growing number of amazing places to eat, and some of the best nightlife in the western hemisphere. And the street life is unbeatable.”

Time Out’s list is the result of an extensive survey in which thousands of people from across the globe were quizzed on their favorite spots in their city. Time Out editors also weighed in with their local expertise with the aim of creating the ultimate guide, spotlighting 51 of the coolest neighborhoods in the world. The top 20 are “simply put, incredible places to be right now,” says Time Out.

Cais do Sodré in Lisbon is home to this Instagrammable “pink street.”(Pawel Pajor/Adobe Stock)  Eclectic neighborhoods

Hot on the heels of Colonia Americana is Lisbon’s riverside Cais do Sodré, which took the number two spot on the list. Long famed for its vibrant nightlife, the Portuguese neighborhood is now making a name for itself as a foodie hotspot.

“This is the neighborhood where Lisbon’s most promising young chefs are opening new restaurants,” says Time Out, namechecking Quiosque de São Paul and Tricky’s as top spots for drinking and dining.

Third on the 2022 round-up is Wat Bo Village, in Siem Reap, Cambodia. According to Time Out, the area surrounding the spectacular Wat Bo Pagoda has had a “serious glow-up” in the past year. Boutique hotels Viroth’s and Treeline Urban Resort are listed as highlights, alongside restaurant Tevy’s Place, which serves up delicious organic meals and also works as a social enterprise empowering local women.

Ridgewood, New York City, US: This corner of Queens is famed for cool bars, coffee shops and views of the Manhattan skyline.(poloska25/Adobe Stock via CNN) 

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The highest rated American neighborhood came in at number four — New York City’s Ridgewood. Time Out says this Queens-located area’s balance of new, upcoming bars and restaurants, alongside institutions like pastry shop Rudy’s Bakery — which opened in 1934 — that earned it a spot on the 2022 list.

Meanwhile Mile End in Montreal, Canada rounds out Time Out’s top five, described as a “walkable nook” hosting “some of the city’s best restaurants, independent bookstores, flower shops, butchers, bakers and candlestick makers.”

Dave Calhoun, Time Out’s chief content officer North America & UK, said the goal of the annual list was to spotlight areas that aren’t “homogenized, corporate destinations” but which instead “have an independent and welcoming vibe.”

“You may be able to walk across them in half an hour or less but they are packed with enough experiences to spend days exploring,” he said.

Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa is better known as “Shimokita.”(Wibowo Rusli/Alamy)  Time Out’s Top 10 Coolest Neighborhoods

1. Colonia Americana – Guadalajara, Mexico

2. Cais do Sodré – Lisbon, Portugal

3. Wat Bo Village – Siem Reap, Cambodia

4. Ridgewood – New York City, USA

5. Mile End – Montreal, Canada

6. Barrio Logan – San Diego, USA

7. Shimokitazawa – Tokyo, Japan

8. Cliftonville – Margate, UK

9. Barrio Yungay – Santiago, Chile

10. Cours Julien – Marseille, France

The-CNN-Wire
& © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

By Emmy Abbassi | CNN

There’s something strange going on in this Oregon neighborhood.

Sony and vacation rental company Vacasa have teamed up to offer one courageous group of friends an exclusive three-night stay in the Ghostbusters Firehouse.

The building, recreated from the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” is in Portland — not New York City, where the film takes place. But it’s still the perfect place from which to launch a ghost-catching business.

The three-story firehouse features all the essentials: a P.K.E. Meter, Ghost Traps, Proton Packs, an Aura Video-Analyzer and an Ecto-Containment Unit to store the evil spirits you catch. Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters’ vehicle, is even parked in the firehouse bay.

Guests can wear the famous Ghostbusters fight suits and snack on Stay Puft Marshmallows, among other creepy activities. Just try not to make eye contact with the cursed painting of “Vigo the Carpathian,” the main antagonist of 1989’s “Ghostbusters II.”

“We’re dedicated to the details, and this Ghostbusters Firehouse in Portland is no exception,” Allison Lowrie, chief marketing officer at Vacasa, told CNN.

The recreated firehouse is located in Portland, not in New York City where the film takes place. Mandatory Credit: Courtesy Vacasa via CNN

“Every room brings a new discovery, from an interactive Ghost Containment Unit to symmetrical book stacking and walls upon walls of scientific, ghost-hunting equipment. It’s designed to be enjoyed by Ghostbusters superfans and travelers with a sense of ’80s nostalgia alike.”

The immersive experience will take place from October 28 to 31, the perfect time of year to stir up spirits.

Guests brave enough to book the three-night stay can do so on October 21 at 10 a.m. PT for a nightly rate of $19.84. That rate was chosen in honor of the year Ghostbusters debuted, Vacasa said in a news release. The experience is first-come, first-serve, so mark your calendars.

And fear not, even if you can’t stay at the firehouse, you can still check out a Matterport 360 virtual tour of the building on the rental listing.

Sponsored Content

FoliPrime is the hot product in the hair care industry, and for a good reason – people are noticing amazing results with this hair serum. However, is it the right product for you? Let’s find out.

In this FoliPrime review, we will take a deep look at this product. Not only this hair supplement promises to make your hair fuller and healthier, but it also claims to support healthy scalp and hair health. Without further ado, let’s start this review.

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Introducing FoliPrime Hair Growth Serum

FoliPrime is a product enriched with natural and beneficial ingredients to nourish hairs from their roots all the way up to the end. With its ingredients, such as vitamins and minerals to its key components like Biotin and Hyaluronic Acid, you can address hair damage, hair thinning, and dry scalp when you use this hair serum every day.

FoliPrime was formulated by Mark Peterson, an experience pharmacy technician. Mark created this hair support formula by researching and testing traditional African remedies for hair loss. Later, he refined this formula in an FDA-approved and GMP-certified facility and now he is very confident that this product can improve your hair health.

FoliPrime Claimed Benefits:

The manufacturer of FoliPrime has a lot to say about this product. Here are some benefits you can get with the daily use of this hair serum:

Healthy Hair Growth: FoliPrime contains Biotin and other essential vitamins to promote healthy growth, increasing hair thickness and making your hair stronger. Lemon Peel oil is included in this formula to support hair growth in several ways.

Reverses Dry and Thin Hair: When hairs lack hyaluronic acid, they look dry and thin. Hyaluronic acid is one of the key ingredients of FoliPrime because it adds moisture to hair follicles and provides a smooth and less fizzy appearance.

Reduces Scalp Inflammation: Turmeric oil is included in this formula due to its potent anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties give a boost to scalp health and reduce irritation.

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Key FoliPrime Ingredient Analysis:

To achieve all the benefits I’ve mentioned above, FoliPrime contains some scientifically-proven nutrients. Let’s break down these ingredients so that you will understand their importance and how they support healthier hair.

Lemon Peel Oil: Lemon oil contains antibacterial properties, and it is great to use for greasy hairs. Moreover, lemon oil controls oil buildup, maintains a healthy scalp, reduces dandruff, and eliminates dead cells.

Tea Tree Oil: Tea Tree Oil contains antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that make it beneficial for scalp health.

Turmeric Oil: Turmeric contains powerful antibacterial and antifungal properties to treat various skin conditions such as dandruff, itchiness, dryness, and fungus.

Niacin: Niacin is one of the important B-vitamin that keeps your skin and hair healthy. Moreover, Niacin moisturizes the scalp and prevents the development of dandruff and dry hair.

Biotin: Biotin is an important vitamin for hair health because it stimulates keratin production in hair and increases the growth of new hair follicles.

Why Choose FoliPrime Hair Serum?

FoliPrime is a uniquely formulated hair formula that has lots of potential to help you achieve fuller, longer, and healthier hair. It can help you achieve all these benefits thanks to its scientifically-proven vitamins, minerals, and plant-based ingredients such as Biotin, Niacin, Lemon Peel, Tea Tree, and Turmeric.

By applying 2-4 drops directly on the scalp, you are addressing the root cause of hair problems. It will not take you long to start noticing results, and you’ll be amazed by how healthy your hairs look when you apply it daily for a few months.

Many hair care products contain harmful additives and synthetic chemicals that do more harm to hair than good. FoliPrime has avoided such elements and only included plant-based ingredients, which are well-supported by various scientific studies.

FoliPrime Pricing and Where To Buy

FoliPrime is available only on its official website.

You can purchase one FoliPrime bottle at $69, providing you with enough content for a month. You can save some dollars by purchasing a 3-bottle or 6-bottle package that will reduce the price per bottle to $59 and $49, respectively.

Every package comes with a 60-day money-back, so you can try it without worry.

Click Here To Get FoliPrime From Its Official Website At Maximum Discount Price

 

 

 

The news and editorial staff of the Bay Area News Group had no role in this post’s preparation.

Preview service claims to eliminate risks of migrating mission-critical workloads

Google is preparing a mainframe modernization service that intends to simplify and lessen the risk of migrating mainframe workloads to the cloud - a complex process that can be frought with pitfalls.…

ADP chief economist Nela Richardson explains why she thinks the labor market will stay tight into next year and contribute to elevated inflation.

Enlarge / Please don't do this. (credit: Getty Images)

Big Tech wants to kill the password, with "Passkeys" being the hot, new password replacement standard on the block. Passkeys are backed by Google, Apple, Microsoft, and the FIDO Alliance, so expect to see them everywhere soon. iOS picked up the standard in version 16, and now Google is launching passkey betas on Chrome and Android.

The passkey argument is that passwords are old and insecure. Computer passwords were originally conceived as an easy-to-remember secret for humans to type into a text box. As the need for greater security arose, password managers arrived, making it easy to save and recall your passwords. Now, instead of some human-memorable phrase, the ideal way to use a password is to have a computer generate some wild string of characters and never reuse that password anywhere else. The password manager revolution is all a hack, though, built on top of that original text box. We don't really need the text box anymore, and that's where the Passkey standard comes in.

The Passkey standard just trades cryptographic keys with the website directly. There's no need for a human to tell a password manager to generate, store, and recall a secret—that will all happen automatically, with way better secrets than what the old text box supported, and with uniqueness enforced. The downside is that, while every browser in the world supports showing that old text box, passkey support will need to be added to every web browser, every password manager, and every website. It's going to be a long journey.

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WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.V. — Nick Bosa missing a Wednesday practice sure is more concerning this week than last week.

That’s because Bosa is battling a groin issue that sidelined him after halftime of Sunday’s 37-15 win at Carolina. He was among seven would-be starters missing from the 49ers’ defense at practice.

Coach Kyle Shanahan, speaking between Wednesday’s walk-through and regular practices, said he’s hopeful Bosa still might rally to play Sunday at the Atlanta Falcons (2-3).

How the 49ers (3-2) are adjusting the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense is a mystery unfolding here in the secluded Appalachian Mountains, where they’re practicing at The Greenbrier Resort for a third straight year between East Coast road games.

Samson Ebukam, who starts at defensive end opposite Bosa, was not practicing Wednesday because of Achilles tendinitis, from playing on Carolina’s synthetic turf, an issue that also was to limit guard Aaron Banks (knee).

Early-season injuries have also waylaid defensive tackles Arik Armstead (feet) and Javon Kinlaw (knee), linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (knee) and safety Jimmie Ward (hamstring; hand). Armstead did not accompany the 49ers on this trip but Kinlaw did, as did Moseley.

Ward underwent surgery Tuesday on the left hand he fractured on Sunday’s opening kickoff. He will be evaluated in a few weeks whether he can play with a club-like soft cast, Shanahan said.

“The expectations are the same, the responsibilities are the same,” linebacker Fred Warner said of the defensive replacements. “We don’t change things to cover, say, a guy’s weakness. The expectation is the same no matter who’s out there.”

WHAT ABOUT AIYUK?

A year ago at The Greenbrier, Brandon Aiyuk was under intense scrutiny because he didn’t start the season opener at Detroit the preceding week. This time, coach Kyle Shanahan made it abundantly clear that Aiyuk has not returned to the doghouse.

“Everyone expects numbers based off guys playing well, and it doesn’t always work that way,” Shanahan said. “B.A.’s been playing really good. He had his best game against Carolina, his second-best game the week before, but the ball doesn’t always go that way.

“… His time will come. When we’ve come to B.A., he’s done a hell of a job. He had some opportunities last week and we just didn’t get it to him, which would help stats and perceptions. That’s all it really is to me — perception. B.A. is playing his (butt) off.”

Aiyuk’s 17 catches on 27 targets for 237 yards and one touchdown rank behind only Deebo Samuel (20-37-266-2). Shanahan praised Aiyuk’s route running and blocking on every play, adding: “I don’t base if guys are playing good or bad off their stats. I watch what they do on each play. … He’s playing very good football right now.”

QB CUT, MACK RETURNS

The 49ers are a two-quarterback team once again, at least for a short while. Quarterback Kurt Benkert’s three-week stay on the practice squad came to an end Wednesday morning when he got released.

The 49ers needed to make room on the practice squad for the return of running back Marlon Mack, a day after his roster release, and the addition of kicker Sam Sloman, who’s filling in while Robbie Gould works through a knee contusion.

Jimmy Garoppolo will make his fourth straight start Sunday, and his backup remains Brock Purdy, who made his NFL debut Sunday by taking the final snap and kneeling to clock out a 37-15 win.

Season-opening starter Trey Lance, three weeks removed from ankle surgery, did not travel on this trip but is participating in meetings via video conference. The plan is for him to go on the remaining road games after this Sunday’s in Atlanta.Related Articles

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By DON THOMPSON | Associated Press

SACRAMENTO  — An unusually high number of California lawmakers will be gone after the November election due to a collision between redistricting in 2020 and changes to term limits that voters approved a decade ago.

The turnover has groups cheering the opportunity to increase lawmakers’ gender and ethnic diversity. Advocacy group Close the Gap celebrated what executive director Susannah Delano called “ the Motherlode of open seats” and a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to reshape the Legislature over the next six years.

A quarter of the 40-member Senate is being replaced this fall, with seven members termed out of office and three others not seeking reelection. No members of the 80-member Assembly are termed out, but 22 members who will reach their 12-year term limit to serve over the next six years opted not to seek reelection this year.

Half of the Senate is up for election every two years, while all Assembly members run every two years. But this year even the incumbents are running in legislative districts that were redrawn after the census.

Gone due to term limits, for instance, is Sen. Bob Hertzberg, a former Assembly speaker and Senate majority leader perhaps best known recently for unsuccessfully pursuing bail reform. Assemblyman Brian Maeinschein, a fellow Democrat, is among those endangered by redistricting after just authoring a law prompted by Britney Spears’ bad experience with California’s conservatorships law.

Still, Democrats’ overwhelming majorities in both chambers seem safe.

Senate Republicans gave away one seat (see below). And six Assembly members — five of them Republicans — were drawn into three districts, guaranteeing losses for three incumbents, including at least two from the GOP.

Here’s a look at some of the top races:

SENATE DISTRICT 4

Republicans hold just nine Senate seats. But they helped Democrats when six GOP candidates split the primary vote to replace retiring Sen. Andreas Borgeas in this rural Central Valley and Eastern Sierra district. Two Democrats prevailed under California’s primary system, which advances the top two vote-getters no matter their party affiliation. The Democratic Party is backing labor leader Tim Robertson over charter school administrator Marie Alvarado-Gil.

SENATE DISTRICT 16

Sen. Melissa Hurtado moved into this southern San Joaquin Valley district to avoid a primary contest with fellow Democratic incumbent Anna Caballero. Hurtado defeated two Democratic rivals, but now faces Republican David Shepard. Democrats hold a 13 percentage point voter registration advantage, but the California Target Book, which tracks legislative contests, puts that within Republicans’ reach because Central Valley voters tend to be more conservative.

SENATE DISTRICT 20

Hertzberg is termed out, but is trying to pass the torch to son Daniel Hertzberg. The San Fernando Valley district is safely Democratic, but Hertzberg finished neck-and-neck with fellow Democrat Caroline Menjivar in the June primary. The elder Hertzberg is meanwhile running for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 7

Democratic Assemblyman Ken Cooley is a top target for Republicans in his suburban Sacramento district where the Democratic voter advantage narrowed to 5 percentage points after redistricting. Cooley’s primary campaign focused television ads on an obscure member of the extremist Proud Boys in what Republicans called an effort at misdirection. The GOP’s endorsed candidate still advanced: Josh Hoover, an Assembly aide to congressional candidate Kevin Kiley.

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 40

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Redistricting was not kind to Republican Assemblywoman Suzette Martinez Valladares. She flipped what had been a Democratic seat two years ago, but 42% of voters in the redrawn Los Angeles County district are registered Democrats to Republicans’ 29%. She received less than half the vote in a three-way primary race, a subpar “flashing warning sign” for November, says the California Target Book that tracks legislative contests. She faces labor organizer Pilar Schiavo.

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 76

Maeinschein was a Republican before he switched parties in 2019, criticizing then-President Donald Trump. Now he’s seeking reelection in a San Diego County district that’s slightly less friendly after redistricting, though Democrats still hold a 6 percentage point voter registration edge. His “anemic showing” with just under half the primary vote “could set off alarms,” says the Target Book, but he faces Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane, whose “strident, red-meat campaign” may be too conservative for the moderate district.

By Larry Neumeister | Associated Press

NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump will have to answer questions under oath next week in a defamation lawsuit lodged by a writer who says he raped her in the mid-1990s, a judge ruled Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejected a request by Trump’s lawyers that the planned testimony be delayed. The deposition is now scheduled for Oct. 19.

The decision came in a lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll, a longtime advice columnist for Elle magazine, who says Trump raped her in an upscale Manhattan department store’s dressing room. Trump has denied it. Carroll is scheduled to be deposed Friday.

Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said in a statement: “We look forward to establishing on the record that this case is, and always has been, entirely without merit.”

Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney, said she was pleased with the ruling and looked forward to filing the new claims next month “and moving forward to trial with all dispatch.”

Trump’s legal team has tried various legal tactics to delay the lawsuit and prevent him from being questioned by Carroll’s attorneys, but Judge Kaplan wrote that it was time to move forward, especially given the “advanced age” of Carroll, 78, and Trump, 76, and perhaps other witnesses.

“The defendant should not be permitted to run the clock out on plaintiff’s attempt to gain a remedy for what allegedly was a serious wrong,” he wrote.

Carroll’s lawsuit claims that Trump damaged her reputation in 2019 when he denied raping her. Trump’s legal team has been trying to squash the suit by arguing that the Republican was just doing his job as president when he denied the allegations, including when he dismissed his accuser as “not my type.”

That’s a key question because if Trump was acting within the scope of his duties as a federal employee, the U.S. government would become the defendant in the case.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a split decision last month that Trump was a federal employee when he commented on Carroll’s claims. But it asked another court in Washington to decide whether Trump’s public statements occurred during the scope of his employment.

Kaplan, the judge, said Trump has repeatedly tried to delay the collection of evidence in the lawsuit.

“Given his conduct so far in this case, Mr. Trump’s position regarding the burdens of discovery is inexcusable,” he wrote. “As this Court previously has observed, Mr. Trump has litigated this case since it began in 2019 with the effect and probably the purpose of delaying it.”

The judge noted that the collection of evidence for the lawsuit to go to trial was virtually concluded, except for the depositions of Trump and Carroll.

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“Mr. Trump has conducted extensive discovery of the plaintiff, yet produced virtually none himself,” Kaplan said. “Completing these depositions — which already have been delayed for years — would impose no undue burden on Mr. Trump, let alone any irreparable injury.”

The judge also said the deposition could be useful when Carroll’s lawyer next month files a new lawsuit under New York’s revival law, the Adult Survivors Act, allowing her to sue for damages for the alleged rape without the statute of limitations blocking it.

Whether the rape occurred is central to the defamation claims, as well as the anticipated new lawsuit, the judge said.

In 1955, Emmett Till, a Black 14-year-old Chicago boy, was tortured and murdered by White racists in Mississippi. Lynchings against Black Americans in the Deep South were most prevalent in the years between the Civil War and World War II – a recent study put the overall death toll between 1865 and 1950 to nearly 6,500 nationwide. Even in the 1950s, however, there were two dozen incidents. 

Even in her grief, Till’s mother Mamie Till Mobley made sure her son’s murder would not be overlooked, insisting on a public funeral with an open casket; tens of thousands were there and Mobley made the pictures of the boy’s disfigured corpse public. Mobley’s decision to show the brutality inflicted upon her son added fuel to the Civil Rights movement. After the killers – who later admitted to the crime to Look magazine but were never punished – were found not guilty by an all-White jury in Mississippi, Mobley became a powerful speaker for the cause. 

The story still resonates today, but for years it has been part of the history books, memorialized in black-and-white photos. Now Chinonye Chukwu has co-written and directed “Till,” a powerful drama starring Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett and Whoopi Goldberg that brings both Mamie and Emmett vividly to life. 

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  (L-R) Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Mobley and Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till in “Till,” directed by Chinonye Chukwu. (Photo credit: Orion Pictures)

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  (L to R) Director Chinonye Chukwu speaks with actor Jalyn Hill on the set of “Till.” (Photo credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures)

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  Danielle Deadwyler plays Mamie Till Mobley in the film”Till,” directed by Chinonye Chukwu. (Photo credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures)

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Chukwu’s previous film, “Clemency,” was a quiet and nuanced film that looked at the toll the death penalty takes on those forced to administer it; this time around she is tackling a major story on a broader canvas, aided by Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie and a talented supporting cast that features Whoopi Goldberg, Frankie Faison and John Douglas Thompson.

Chukwu spoke by phone recently about making the film and ensuring that it feels relevant to modern audiences. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q. Were you surprised the movie had never gotten made before?

I wasn’t shocked why it took so long. People have been trying for over 20 years to make the film and it’s a challenge, but I do wonder if in any of those attempts they were trying to make the film of Mamie and her journey. Black women and their contributions in history and movements and even in present-day stories aren’t written and are sidelined. I knew that telling the story from Mamie’s perspective and her emotional story was the only way to tell it.

Q. But you also make sure to bring Emmett alive in the early scenes, to make him a person, not just a symbol. 

It was important that we see him as a human being – we see him as a boy with a personality and we saw the love that exists between Mamie and Emmett and that was critical in order to understand and feel what his absence really meant for Mamie. I wanted audiences to feel his absence beyond just a photograph.

Q. When Mamie sees Emmett’s casket at the train station and breaks down she says, “My boy can’t breathe.” Was that something she said or were you connecting this lynching to the more recent murders of Black men like Eric Garner and George Floyd?

Mamie didn’t say those exact words in that moment but that was her emotional experience, which she reflected on later in interviews and her writing. But it was in part a conscious effort to connect the film to the present realities we live in. 

Q. Were there other ways you sought to draw connections between past and present?

It is a story so deeply tied to our present. I made creative decisions to lessen any kind of generational difference or time period distance between audiences and the film. I had conversations with my composer about the music feeling fresh and modern and exciting and propulsive to take away the feeling of a period film.

And I used a bright color palette to communicate the vibrancy and beauty and boldness of Black people in their community but it also a humanizing color to what we have seen as black-and-white images in photographs and textbooks. 

Q. You refused to further traumatize the audience by showing the beating and murder of Emmett Till. Was that omission something you planned all along?

I knew that before signing on for the film. That was a non-negotiable. I told them I’m not doing this unless there’s no physical violence. 

Q. When “Clemency” came out, you told me in an interview, “To fight the change, you have to be hopeful to imagine the possibilities beyond our world.” Were you surprised that Mamie was able to see a future in those days after her boy’s lynching?

That’s what makes her journey so extraordinary. It was definitely my intention for audiences to feel some sense of hope and possibility by the end of the film. It doesn’t end with the verdict and that verdict doesn’t take away from our power and from our own possibilities on our journey. And the work continues. What we want that work to be might not happen in my lifetime but we do what we can and pass it on to future generations. 

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Q. Will there be a community engagement component, showing the movie to activists and in schools?

That’s already in the works. There was no way we were going to make this film unless it is so deeply interconnected with schools and educators and activists and freedom fighters and politicians. We’re creating strategies to galvanize and create a movement using the film as a tool. 

Q. You mentioned politicians. Given the recent battles over teaching about racism in America, are you worried that there’ll be pushback from politicians on your plans?

I’ll put it this way: that doesn’t concern me or scare me enough to not push forward. We’ve got to do what we can no matter what, and we have to hope for the possibility of change.