Latest news with #Morillo
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Juan Morillo one of several Diamondbacks' heroes in series-opeining win over Padres
SAN DIEGO — Juan Morillo wasn't supposed to be on the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning trying to hold a lead on Monday, July 7, against a National League wild card contender. He'd only just arrived at Petco Park from Triple-A Reno two innings prior, and entered with a runner on base and one out in a three-run game. The Diamondbacks right-hander walked the first two Padres batters he faced, but somehow got a pop out and strikeout, walking off the mound in celebration of keeping the Padres from getting closer. All after throwing 17 balls and five strikes. Advertisement Then Alek Thomas made a big-time catch on the warning track in right-center field to take away an extra-base hit from Jackson Merrill in the bottom of the ninth, and the Diamondbacks — coming off a 3-7 homestand, playing without one of their All-Stars and losing their closer to a right forearm strain less than an hour before first pitch — gutted out a 6-3 win. "Part of the game, too. I don't have excuses for anything. But thanks to God, I was able to escape from that situation," Morillo said in Spanish after the game. "I've felt a lot of pressure before. I was trying to do my job and get out of the inning and help my teammates get a win." The replacement on the active roster for closer Shelby Miller, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain about an hour before first pitch, Morillo got the two outs he was asked to get and set up Kevin Ginkel, a perhaps unlikely closer, to pick up his second save of the season. Advertisement The Diamondbacks also played without All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, who was scratched from the lineup with right groin tightness. But Marte could be back in action as soon as Tuesday, July 8. "They didn't let that news affect them on Shelby. The Marte scratch happened very late, it's easy to get distracted," manager Torey Lovullo said. "It was a situation where in my opinion, players are havig to grow up. I asked guys to do things out of the bullpen where they're going out there and maturing right before our very eyes, and that's what we need them to do." Miller felt something in his arm after he last pitched on July 5 at Chase Field. He joined the team on July 7 in San Diego and was at Petco Park for pregame work. Without him or Marte, the Diamondbacks (45-46) were at a big disadvantage against the Padres (48-42). But Zac Gallen (7-9) put together a second consecutive solid start with one unearned run allowed on five hits in six innings, striking out nine. Corbin Carroll broke out of a two-game hitting slump with a double and triple, Josh Naylor hit a two-run home run, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had three hits "This year's definitely been pretty frustrating for me, from a results standpoint," Gallen said. His earned run average remains high for him, at 5.15. Advertisement "Just to come out here and be able to take the first one, offense did a great job answering back," he added. "Just try to go out there and execute 100 pitches a night and just try and stay locked in and stay within the process of executing pitches." Manny Machado, whose 2,000th career major league hit came off Gallen earlier, grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game. Thomas made his catch right before that. "All I know is a play was made, and we did our job," Lovullo said. "All of our outfielders are getting really good jumps on the ball. They continue to improve in that area. That's clearly why the ball was caught, for sure." Shelby Miller to injured list, Ketel Marte day to day The injuries within the Diamondbacks continued to mount, and the bullpen suffered another one before the team's game against the Padres on Monday, July 7. Advertisement Miller was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain in an announcement made less than an hour before first pitch, retroactive to July 6. Morillo, optioned to Triple-A Reno on July 1, was recalled to replace Miller on the active roster. Miller (3-3, 1.98 earned run average) has 10 saves in 15 chances, and most recently pitched on July 5 at Chase Field against the Kansas City Royals, throwing a scoreless inning. He's appeared in 37 games this season. Morillo returned after having spent more than two months in the major leagues with Arizona. He is 0-2 with a 3.91 ERA in 29 games after his clutch performance on Monday. The Diamondbacks bullpen lost reliever Ryan Thompson to a strained scapula on July 6 when he was placed on the 15-day injured list, and right-hander Kendall Graveman is still working his way back from a right hip impingement. Advertisement Before announcing the Miller injury, the Diamondbacks made a late lineup change, removing Marte from the batting order with right groin tightness and inserting Blaze Alexander. Marte was scheduled to bat second. Instead, players in the lineup were moved up in the order, and Alexander batted ninth. Alexander got his fourth start in the past five games, playing second base for the third time. Marte did not play July 5 and was used as the designated hitter July 3. Naylor, Carroll playing through 'bumps and bruises' Naylor was in the Diamondbacks' lineup on Monday, July 7, playing first base and batting fourth. But Naylor continues to play through a lot of "bumps and bruises," manager Torey Lovullo said. Advertisement "But he continues to want to go out there and perform, help this team win baseball games," Lovullo said prior to the four-game series opener against the Padres at Petco Park. "Those are two things that stand out to me," Lovullo said, also mentioning Carroll, who is playing through a broken wrist bone. "The guys that are banged up aren't letting it happen where it's going to take them out of the lineup. They want to go out there and play." Carroll returned on July 5, but was 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in his first two games back from the injured list on July 5 and 6. "I just appreciate what he's trying to do," Lovullo said of Carroll. "His hand has healed enough to where it's not going to do any more damage. I keep asking him how it's going and he said 'fine.'" Advertisement Coming up Tuesday, July 8: At San Diego, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (7-4, 3.55) vs. Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (9-2, 3.25). Wednesday, July 9: At San Diego, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (8-6, 5.42) vs. Padres RHP Dylan Cease (3-8, 4.62). Thursday, July 10: At San Diego, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-5, 5.78) vs. Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (3-4, 3.79). (This story has been updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks lose another bullpen arm but take opener over Padres
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters gather for anti-ICE ‘Block Party' outside federal facility in South Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Federal agents deployed flash bangs and pepper balls during a protest that gathered outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland late Tuesday night. The development comes after the presence of ICE agents in Portland, as well as Oregon overall, was a major point of discussion at a city meeting that drew much public interest earlier in the evening at City Hall two miles away. This comes after weeks of demonstrations outside the ICE facility in South Portland, an area of the city that was once again the site of a massive protest once the Portland City Council meeting wrapped. Travis Decker may have died evading police Earlier in the evening, Portland City Councilors discussed what it means for Portland to be a sanctuary city and how that compares with the presence of federal immigration agents. Members of the public were so interested in the discussion inside City Hall that people filled overflow rooms surrounding it, and protesters even took their signs to the front door and the sidewalk. City leaders talked about the issue after Portland City Councilor Sameer Kanal added a discussion about immigration and the sanctuary city status to the Portland City Council's public safety meeting agenda. 'This is our first conversation. It won't be our last one,' Kanal said. Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo talked about how the ICE facility on South Macadam Avenue has become a complicated issue. Portland native joins cast of 'Love Island USA' 'I think that we're in a very difficult moment between advocates in the community who are fighting for immigrants and, immigration attorneys who are fighting for immigrants as well, because there are different ideas around what the best material strategy is to help people and we know that with the Macadam building closed down, that a lot of immigrants are not able to make their appointments and are being taken to other federal buildings, their attorneys don't know where they are,' Morillo said. Morillo added that she 'also personally believe[s] that we need to protect immigrants as much as we can from ICE, and that, frankly, ICE should be abolished.' On June 14, a during a protest outside the ICE facility. Days later, the building underwent after property damage occurred, including smashed windows and doors and graffiti. On Tuesday evening, after the city council discussion downtown concluded, a large protest dubbed an anti-ICE 'Block Party' was held a couple of miles away, outside the ICE facility in South Portland. Demonstrators continued their mission of what they call getting 'ICE out of Portland.' 'We're on the sidewalk, we're trying to make an impact here, and instead they're coming at us with severe aggression,' said a protester named Daniela K. 'We need a show of support, to show our local leadership that this matters to so many of us, and this may look like a big crowd, but we need more.' Former school employee confesses to raping student Another protester named Helena said she's been there from the start and has created a sign, gradually adding pictures of the people taken into ICE custody, day by day. 'It reminds people why we're here, take the time to actually read their stories,' Helena said, who also attended the Portland City Council meeting earlier in the evening. 'We're just out here, doing what we can, every single day.' A candlelight vigil is planned to honor those taken by ICE agents Wednesday night at 6 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal, state uncertainty complicates county's budget process
Facing budget reductions at the local, state and federal level, Kern County officials will have to take a hard look at which programs it wants to support should outside funding dry up. Speaking at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, Assistant County Administrative Officer Elsa Martinez said county funds won't be able to make up for all the reductions being proposed at the state and federal level, meaning certain programs may have to be prioritized. "Our county has a policy about overmatch. What that means, we have made the policy of the county that we are not to backfill production of state and federal programs," Martinez said. "The impacts (of proposed cuts) are so severe that we believe we're going to have to look at that policy and really prioritize the programs that are important to our community and your board." Property and sales tax revenues haven't kept up with expenditures and in March, Martinez told the board that department heads were instructed to reduce their budgets by 3% as the county looked to close a $9 million budget gap. But no amount of efficiency cuts can make up for the money some programs receive from outside sources, and if those funding streams end, the officials will have to decide which programs to support using county dollars. The Public Health Services Department alone faces a reduction of $10 million if all proposed reductions go through. "You heard your director of public health. She has done restriction of travel, canceled contracts. She still has a $10 million hole that she needs to cover," Martinez said. "We're gonna work with her to try to mitigate but at the end of the day, I don't know how to efficiently cut $10 million in such a short time." Reserves saved from sales tax revenue could buy the county some time but without a more reliable funding stream, certain programs may have to be paused or canceled. Roughly 34% of the county's budget is derived from state, federal and other government aid, according to Alexander Alva, budget and finance director with the County Administrative Office. Current projections estimate $69.2 million in reductions to federally funded programs across all county departments. Reductions to that funding could mean cost-cutting measures, resulting in reduced services and other operating adjustments, Alva told the board. Uncertainty in the budget process makes planning for those reductions difficult. "It's a very fluid situation, the budget continually changes, we hear in news, every single day, if not by the hour," said Lito Morillo, director of the Department of Human Services, which oversees the county's Medicaid disbursements. Kern County has roughly 400,000 Medicaid patients, or Medi-Cal as it's called in California, Morillo said. Congress is considering not just reductions to the program's funding, but also changes to eligibility requirements. "All these reductions that I've shared with you are just current proposals at this point in time," Morillo said. "But if they come to pass in some way, shape or form, they will dramatically impact our ability to provide services here in this county." At the same time, several departments are looking at additional mandates but no additional funding. "Proposition 36 has required us to create new expanded substance use services for justice-involved individuals. Care Court mandated the development of an entirely new treatment program and increased coordination with the courts," said Alison Burrowes, behavioral health and recovery services director. "Most of the new requirements are either unfunded or underfunded," Burrowes said. Public Health Services Director Brynn Carrigan noted the county is grappling with unfunded requirements and possible reductions from state and federal sources all while trying to manage some of the worst health outcomes in the state. "The county has the highest mortality rate from diabetes in the state, and leads in reported cases of valley fever, to name a couple," Carrigan said. "Additionally, Kern County experiences disproportionately high rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, further underscoring the urgent need for targeted health interventions and sustained funding support." Fortunately for the county, the budget process isn't finalized until August, which means officials should have a better idea of how much money to expect. On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom will release an updated version of his budget known as the May Revision. While the Legislature will ultimately decide the final budget, Martinez said the "May Revise" will signal the governor's priorities. "However, we cannot backfill every state and federal reduction," Martinez said. "If there are programs that we cannot just use resources or backfill, we might have impacts. We might have layoffs. Again, I don't want to scare anybody. This is not bad news. This is the reality we're living in." A preliminary budget will be presented June 24, and then updated in July after the assessor finishes property valuations. Supervisors said they recognized putting together this year's budget would be a difficult process. "I think the most important line in your entire administrative report for our workforce is on page five, last page, where one of your budget planning goals is to minimize impacts to the county workforce to the greatest extent possible," said District 4 Supervisor David Couch. "I think in an effort to be just open and transparent about this, the methods to achieve minimizing those impacts aren't pretty." District 1 Supervisor Phillip Peters recommended a board subcommittee look into hiring an outside auditor to assess county programs for their efficiency. "I would like for us to consider the possibility of getting an outside company, individual, or identifying some third party that can come and take a look at our budgets and help us," Peters said. "(A) fresh set of eyes on where we can identify efficiencies and opportunities for operational improvements that are available."
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Portland proposal to ban rental price-fixing software hits stumbling block
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland City Council measure that would ban rental price-fixing software has hit a stumbling block. After hearing a third round of testimony on the proposal on Wednesday night, city leaders unanimously approved District 3 Councilor Angelita Morillo's motion to refer the ordinance back to the Homelessness and Housing Committee. A six-figure salary might not be enough in Portland, report finds 'It's kind of with a heavy heart that I have to say this — that there is some new litigation elsewhere that touches on similar issues with the algorithmic price fixing ordinance,' Morillo, the proposal's lead sponsor, said. 'And I want to assert that the litigation is not determinative of what's going to happen here, but it's worth us keeping an eye on and being responsible stewards of policy and maintaining good conversations with stakeholders as we look into it.' The councilor was referring to a real estate software company's ongoing legal battle with the City of Berkeley. In early April, the Associated Press reported that accusing the California city of violating its free speech with an ordinance that prohibits rent-pricing algorithms. The lawsuit against Berkeley is the most recent development in a nationwide attempt to crack down on an alleged price-fixing scheme. In August, Oregon and several other states joined the Department of Justice in filing a federal complaint that claimed with property managers and hike up the cost of rent. The plaintiffs to include some of the country's 'largest landlords' in January. Portland's Homelessness and Housing Committee began discussing an ordinance against these practices the following month. The committee later , but Morillo's recent decision to reverse this move comes as the city is 'facing other immediate priorities, like the upcoming budget.' Complaint requesting prosecution of St. Helens Mayor heads to Oregon DOJ The councilor previously noted that 47% of Portlanders are renters. And while much of the has come from those in support of it, RealPage Vice President of Associate General Counsel Mike Semko argued that banning the software would impact renters negatively. 'What this draft ordinance does at the present moment — It doesn't ban price fixing,' Semko said on Wednesday. 'It bans the use of data sets in applied math. Essentially, what you're doing is — you're banning a math tool. That's not going to help anybody. It certainly won't help housing providers and, by the way, it won't help your residents either.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Hurting everybody': Portland City Council, tenants sound off on proposed AI rent-fixing software ban
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Portlanders are sounding off on a proposed measure that would ban the use of AI to fix rent prices. The Department of Justice and several states, including Oregon, that accused software firm RealPage of using its algorithm to help property owners drive up rent costs. The complaint, which was , is what sparked the Portland City Council policy that could prohibit the act at the local level. Oregon gas pumps ranked 5th most expensive in the US as West Coast prices rise 'I want to note for my colleagues that the Department of Justice does not bring things forward unless there is serious evidence,' District 3 Councilor Angelita Morillo, who co-introduced the ordinance, said. 'This is going to be hurting everybody: renters, small housing providers and small businesses and small landlords, because people aren't investing their money in the economy.' Morillo serves the city's Homelessness and Housing Committee, which has addressed the proposal twice this year. The committee to the remainder of city council just last week. When the policy was re-introduced at Wednesday's meeting, city leaders were met with testimony from people on both sides of the debate. Although proponents have argued that the ordinance would benefit Portland 'mom-and-pop landlords' and renters, with renters accounting for about 47% of the population, opponents fear that the ordinance could exacerbate the ongoing housing crisis. Six Oregon James Beard contenders advance to final round, six semifinalists passed over Joe Gardner, a self-described 'lifelong renter' in the Portland area who testified on behalf of RealPage, claimed that rent costs have significantly dropped in the markets served by the software firm. 'This ordinance will not help marginalized populations, as some proponents have claimed,' Gardner added. 'In reality, part of the impetus for the software was to reduce the importance of face-to-face bargaining in renting — a process that's subject to severe implicit bias effects based on race, gender, English language skills and other factors.' City council will hear additional comments on the ordinance on Thursday. But the discussion of banning rental price-fixing algorithms reaches far beyond Portland. Oregon Department of Education ends math, literacy programs after federal funding cuts San Francisco, Philadelphia and Minneapolis are among the cities that have approved or proposed similar policies. Oregon's Senate Bill 722 as well. If the Portland ordinance is approved, those who violate it could be charged up to $1,000 per violation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
