California Dolphin

When San Jose Earthquakes forward Ousseni Bouda  faces the Seattle Sounders Saturday night at PayPal Park, he may run to the sideline more than normal during breaks in the action to sneak some water or electrolytes. A practicing Muslim, Bouda is abstaining from food and drinks from sunrise to sundown this month in observance of Ramadan, which ends Sunday. It may seem challenging for a pro athlete to compete under these restrictions. But that’s the point. “On game days, it’s a little bit harder, but in general, it’s just such a month that’s full of blessings for Muslims,” Bouda said. “It’s something that we’re really proud of. It’s a month that makes us think about other people more than ourselves, because when you fast and you can’t eat or drink, it makes you feel the pain that those who don’t have enough to eat or water to drink feel. “So, if it is hard, that’s how it’s supposed to be. That’s just the way I think about it.” SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: San Jose Earthquakes’ Ousseni Bouda (25) runs with the ball during

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