California Dolphin

Since resuming office, President Donald Trump has not for one minute parted from his promise to leverage tariffs to ignite a new “golden age.” At times, he seems to be working continually to stimulate major trading partners into arrangements that make America great again. However, anyone attempting to follow the bouncing tariff proposals may get dizzy. What is the president trying to do, and why does it seem so hard to make final decisions? To whatever degree the tariffs are about controlling access to America’s economy and securing something in return, a fluid situation will result. Trump’s expensive bargaining chip may also require him to navigate a strange political alliance — one that frequently forms when the government puts its thumb on the scale of business matters. In February, Trump announced 25% tariffs on all goods from Mexico and Canada and a 10% added tariff on China. Days later, after outcries, the tariffs were delayed and coverage modified. More recently, we were told that tariffs would be expanded to more nations — perhaps all nations — with each border tax charged equal to what they charge America. A “sauce

Last fall, when initial data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a surprising drop in drug overdose deaths, the universal response was relief. We were finally getting something right in addressing the opioid epidemic, which accounted for most of the decrease and has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. That progress has been hard-won and should be celebrated. Addiction specialists are hopeful we can push the still-too-high numbers of opioid deaths even lower in 2025. But we also shouldn’t miss the trees for the forest. So much more work is needed to understand what’s behind the decline and how to ensure everyone who needs help gets it. And the Trump administration, which made tackling the opioid crisis a priority during the president’s first term, should more carefully consider how some of its proposed policy and funding changes could upend all of this. Let’s start with the general themes that appear to be responsible for the improvement on a national level. People working on the ground and studying interventions all agree that making naloxone (Narcan), which can reverse an overdose, widely available and increasing access

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Megan Hilty, 44; Lucy Lawless, 57; Amy Sedaris, 64; Eric Idle, 82. Happy Birthday: Set your sights on self-improvement, personal progress and lifestyle changes centered around activities, people and projects that make you feel good about yourself and your contributions. Look for openings that help you segue into positions that allow you to make a difference and overcome pitfalls standing between you and the life you want to live. Let your mind wander, and encourage your creativity to lead the way. Your numbers are 8, 13, 21, 24, 27, 34, 45. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Share your thoughts and feelings. You must do the legwork to achieve something new or make positive lifestyle changes. Reach out to people in the know and pick their brains. The information you gather will help you fine-tune your plans, giving you the best chance to achieve your goals. 3 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Position yourself strategically, and revise your plans to ensure you can reach your objective with time to compensate for last-minute changes. Handle matters personally. Pay attention, and you’ll recognize when

TODAY’S WORD — EPARCHY (EPARCHY: EP-ar-kee: A diocese of an Eastern church.) Average mark 35 words Time limit 50 minutes Can you find 45 or more words in EPARCHY? The list will be published Monday. YESTERDAY’S WORD — MONOCLES: melon mole mono monocle moon moose oleo omen once noel noes noose nose clone close cole colon come cone console cool lemon lens lone loom loon loose loosen lose scone sloe sole solemn solo solon some sone soon 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.

Dear Eric: My husband’s best friend of 18 years is married to “Martha,” who is bipolar. She self-medicates with THC. I’ve become uncomfortable being around her. My husband is supportive of my feelings, to a point. He doesn’t want to lose John’s friendship, which I totally understand. Two weeks ago, Martha had asked me to come over. The minute John was out the door, Martha told me that her son was coming over and that it was not for John to know. Red flags! Minutes later, here came her son, drunk, with a bag full of pot for Martha. I was really uncomfortable because her drunk, stoned son scared me. I left my ex for this exact behavior. Unfortunately for Martha, John came back early and saw Martha’s son leaving. When we had lunch with John and Martha yesterday, my husband was sure something would be said to clear the air. Nothing was said. I can beg off only so often from the four of us getting together. Martha will tell John to ask my husband why I’m not answering the phone. I don’t want

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am in my late 30s and childless, not by choice. I prefer to have a small circle of friends, but I have found it difficult to find other childless friends. Statistically, most people my age have children — especially in church settings, where I spend a lot of my time. It often leaves me feeling like I don’t fit in, as I cannot relate to the conversations revolving around pregnancy and childrearing. One close friend, who is aware of how I feel, and with whom I converse nearly every day, often shares stories with me that I cannot relate to. I often find it hard to cope with this, as they bring up a lot of grief and feelings of being the odd one out. She just shared her excitement over a conversation she had with two friends (whom I do not know) about the similarities in how they raised their now-adult children and some of the relational results of their various parenting choices. I don’t want to squash my friend’s excitement, nor do I want to discourage her from sharing

DEAR ABBY: My husband is soon to have his first book published. We have both waited a long time for this moment and are thrilled that he’ll finally have this achievement under his belt. While I never had any real expectation about a possible dedication, I thought I might get a short mention. Instead, the dedication went to someone he doesn’t know personally, and I was completely left out. His co-author took the opportunity to acknowledge their spouse in addition to other people. I am sad that my husband wouldn’t acknowledge my support. I’m not sure if I should say anything to him about it. If I do and he changes the dedication, it won’t really be from him. If I wait, I will continue to feel slighted. He is a dedicated husband and supports me in everything I do, so is this a big deal just because I feel like it is? What to do, if anything? — UNACKNOWLEDGED IN THE EAST DEAR UNACKNOWLEDGED: I am sure your husband had his reasons for dedicating the book the way he did. Because this is a

Today is Saturday, March 29, the 88th day of 2025. There are 277 days left in the year. Today in history: On March 29, 1974, a group of Chinese farmers digging a well struck fragments of terra-cotta buried underground; archaeologists would ultimately discover terra-cotta sculptures of more than 8,000 soldiers and other figures. The “Terra-cotta Army” would become one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Also on this date: In 1943, World War II rationing of meat, fats and cheese began, limiting American consumers to store purchases of an average of about two pounds a week for beef, pork, lamb and mutton using a coupon system. In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted in New York of conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. (They were executed in June 1953.) In 1961, the 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, allowing residents of Washington, D.C., to vote in presidential elections. In 1971, Army Lt. William L. Calley Jr. was convicted of murdering 22 Vietnamese civilians in the 1968 My Lai massacre. (Initially sentenced to life imprisonment with hard

REDWOOD CITY — Mills softball was a good team last year. The Vikings finished the season with a record of 14-7, losing in the quarterfinals of the Central Coast Section Division IV tournament to Aragon. But this season, Mills has taken things to another level.  Currently No. 6 in the Bay Area News Group rankings, the Vikings are now 9-2-1 after run-ruling Sequoia 13-3 on Friday. Mills has multiple impressive wins on its resume, including a signature 5-3 defeat of No. 5 Mitty, a perennial powerhouse in the Bay Area. So what’s made the difference for the Vikings this year? “The camaraderie with the team,” Mills coach Michelle Beauchemin said. “Most of the girls have been playing together since they were six. So when the freshmen came up, everyone was welcoming and already knew how they played, so they just molded back together from when they were playing rec ball and things like that.  Mills High School infielders high five each other before the start of the fourth inning at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, Calif., on Friday, March 28, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area