The spring of our discontent has arrived, and April figures to be an interesting month for followers of Chicago’s not-so Fab Five.

Four of our professional teams— the Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox— are all in action, while the Bears are on the clock.

Throw in a mayoral election and some inclement weather and you have the three staples of the Chicago food group — sports, politics and weather — intermingling. When all is said and done, it could be an April for the ages, a month of potential goodbyes and welcome backs, from Jonathan Toews and Nikola Vučević to Jason Heyward.

April also marks the opening steps of the six-month slog for our two summer teams and very well could be the end of the line for our winter teams, the two occupiers of the United Center. Even for Chicago sports fans used to multitasking games, it’s everything everywhere all at once.

The re-rebuild of the Hawks, not to be confused with the Stan Bowman-led rebuild of two years ago, continues its slow death skate toward securing the best odds in the Connor Bedard lottery. The Hawks began the “Farewell Jonathan” plotline of their unscripted series Saturday night at the United Center, giving the face of the franchise the first of his three “last hurrahs” at home.

The captain either could retire or get nudged into leaving via free agency, so the marketing department can begin planning “Welcome back, Jonathan” night next fall. We don’t know Toews’ future, but a behind-the-scenes team video of his journey through the last six games is virtually assured.

The sub-.500 Bulls, the Hawks’ West Side brethren, finish their fight for a play-in spot and the right to lose another first-round playoff series to the Milwaukee Bucks. Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnišovas then will give his annual end-of-season news conference and turns his attention to the draft and the long-running search for Lonzo Ball’s replacement.

The Cubs and White Sox, meanwhile, began their seasons with low-grade fan optimism and no love from Las Vegas, hoping to prove their positive spring training vibes are reason enough to believe they’ll remain relevant come October.

The two main architects, President Jed Hoyer and general manager Rick Hahn, already are under the microscope. Hoyer literally was on the hot seat on opening day, positioning himself under a heat lamp in the Cubs dugout while talking with reporters. The metaphors sometimes write themselves.

Up at the Bears cave in Lake Forest, general manager Ryan Poles is plotting the most anticipated draft in Bears history while Chairman George McCaskey turns his gaze toward his new “consultant,” Ted Phillips. (Not to be confused with … oh, wait, nevermind. It’s actually the same Ted Phillips!)

It should be quite the smorgasbord of craziness, and for those without a handy sports calendar, here’s a schedule of some of April’s must-see events.

Monday: San Francisco Giants at White Sox

Michael Kopech faces the Giants in the homer opener as no-nonsense advocate Pedro Grifol gets introduced to Sox fans. With Election Day on Tuesday, it’s also the last chance for mayoral candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson to pledge their allegiance to the Sox.

Tuesday: Atlanta Hawks at Bulls

Huge game that could determine play-in seeding for both sub-.500 teams. A trip to Miami could be at stake for the No. 8 at No. 7 play-in game. Forecast is in the 80s.

Saturday: Blackhawks at Seattle Kraken

Last chance in 2023 to once again ask why the Hawks let Eddie Olczyk leave the TV booth and go to Seattle.

April 9: Detroit Pistons at Bulls

Final Bulls regular-season game and possibly the last home game in a Bulls uniform for Vučević, the always accountable center who sacrificed his numbers to be the third wheel of the offense. Karnišovas wants him back, but can he afford him? Practice your “Voooooch” calls just in case.

April 10: Seattle Mariners at Cubs

Barring rainouts, it should be rookie Hayden Wesneski’s first home appearance since being named the fifth starter. Is he the Cubs’ best rookie pitcher since Kerry Wood?

April 10: White Sox at Minnesota Twins

The Twins were as disappointing as the White Sox in 2022 but at least brought back shortstop Carlos Correa. This game opens the season series, which mercifully was reduced to 12 games under the new schedule.

April 11: Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins

The last Toews-Sidney Crosby matchup? Can you imagine the Penguins letting Crosby play in another uniform? Naaaah.

April 12: Bulls play-in game, TBD

The No. 9 and 10 seeds of the Eastern Conference face off, with the winner playing the loser of the game between the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds. Assuming the Bulls don’t get the eight seed, this will be their destiny.

April 14: Baltimore Orioles at White Sox

Barring a change in the Sox rotation, starter Mike Clevinger will make his home debut. Making him the No. 4 starter ensured at least two road starts to get his feet wet.

April 14: Philadelphia Flyers at Blackhawks

One last skate for Toews? The Hawks’ season ends at the United Center, and tears no doubt will be shed over the possibility of the end of an era.

April 20: Los Angeles Dodgers at Cubs

“Welcome Back, Jason Heyward” night. Heyward was the rare Cubs player who hit .214 and .204 in back-to-back seasons but never was booed at Wrigley Field. A standing ovation, a video-board highlight package and a Cubs gift of an innings window from the center-field scoreboard are standard operating procedure for 2016 players upon their return.

April 27: NFL draft. First round.

Anticipation mounts after the huge predraft deal with the Carolina Panthers moved them from No. 1 to No. 9. Can the Bears break the streak and announce their pick before the Tribune’s Brad Biggs tweets it? Doubtful.

April 28. NFL draft. Rounds 2-3.

Poles watching heats up. The Bears have No. 53 (from Baltimore) and No. 61 (from Carolina) in the second round and No. 64 in the third round.

April 29: NFL draft. Rounds 4-7.

You’ve come this far, so you might as well watch the final six Bears picks, including No. 258 in Round 7. You can now sleep until the start of training camp in July.

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Q: Ira, Bam Adebayo sits out and the offense takes off. Coincidence? Cody Zeller had 20 and Kevin Love had 18, so don’t tell it wasn’t because they didn’t go inside. – Bill.

A: Actually, coincidence had a lot to do with it. Dallas’ defense is trash, with shockingly minimal effort on that end. This was a night that anyone and everyone could have had big numbers. But there is something to the reality that Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler often work from the same real estate. With Kevin Love as the backup center, the Heat were playing more five out, freeing Jimmy Butler to have the freedom to probe the lane. And Cody Zeller essentially was working off Jimmy’s cues, rather than trying to create his own actions. But what worked Saturday against the Mavericks won’t necessarily work Thursday against the 76ers.

Q: That play-in to the Finals path is gonna hit different – John.

A: And likely is going to hit hard. The other three teams in the East play-in bracket – the Raptors, Hawks and Bulls – all have defeated the Heat this season, with Chicago having closed 3-0 against the Heat and Toronto at 3-1. There is no favorable draw, which is why the No. 7 seed is so critical, to get as many as two homecourt chances to advance to the best-of-seven first round. Or you can look at it as the Heat playing for the No. 1 seed in the play-in bracket (if that makes you feel any better).

Q: So happy for Dwyane Wade. Unlike baseball, the NBA got it right with him being first ballot and unanimous. Who doesn’t love Dwyane? – Elliott.

A: First, it’s not an NBA decision, with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a shrine for those who excelled on all levels, in all genders, in all leagues. But yes, none of the snippyness of the voting for other Halls, where some don’t get votes because being unanimous or first-ballot is viewed as something reserved for the all-time best of the best. Then again, Dwyane arguably stands right there.

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Newly obtained emails on John Kerry’s climate fiefdom raise questions about his stubborn secrecy and possible use of a private email account for official government business.

Protect the Public’s Trust, an ethics watchdog group, tells the Herald that new Climate Office emails released through a records request show staffers scrambling to downplay titles and a memo cc’d to a Gmail account that appears to be for Kerry.

Kerry’s climate communications office did not respond to Herald questions about the Gmail account and related topics. Protect the Public’s Trust, however, did share all the emails gained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Those documents raise serious questions about how Kerry runs his office and how the Climate crew remains chilly toward transparency. The emails are heavily redacted but do reveal some of the inner workings of the first-of-its-kind agency.

One key email shows that on Jan. 31, 2022, a “Manchin discussion/engagement” dispatch was cc’d to “John F Kerry (redacted) @gmail.com.” That same email about U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is also cc’d to “Kerry, John F (redacted) @state.gov.”

The redacted email portions were labeled “(b)(6),” meaning that they fell under the sixth exemption to the FOIA. That exemption allows an agency to withhold “personnel and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”

All the other emails listed on the 102-page FOIA file are peppered with state.gov or other .gov email extensions.

The Gmail outlier is what Protect the Public’s Trust is raising a red flag over — that and the steps Kerry’s office takes to be cagy with titles, as they were in April of 2021 when giving a statement to Columbia University media from a Climate Office staffer who wrote they identified as “just … supporting jk on intl negotiations.”

Titles, it seems, are closely guarded. The Herald has asked for all of the titles and pay for Kerry’s office. Those records, FOIA officials have said, will not be produced until October of 2024.

This all shows, says Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public’s Trust, that the Climate Office under Kerry remains cloaked.

“The message that the Biden Administration is the most transparent in history apparently hasn’t made its way to John Kerry’s crew,” Chamberlain said.

“The games they play and the time and effort on the taxpayer’s dime they spend to avoid revealing something so mundane as a title is astounding. It doesn’t take a cynic to begin to wonder what else they have to hide. And why. Add in the inclusion of Kerry’s personal email on official communications and the question naturally arises that, while they claim to be working on serious matters, are they really taking their obligations to the American public very seriously?” he added.

Ironically, on Friday Manchin blasted the Biden administration in a memo over new Treasury Department rules for electric cars that “strengthen Chinese supply chains and Chinese Communist Party-affiliated companies.” Those same rules, which take effect April 18, cut the $7,500 federal tax credit for EV purchases in half for many electric vehicles, the Associated Press reports.

Also, if Kerry is using a Gmail account for Biden administration business, it would be similar to Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state that triggered an FBI probe days before the 2016 election. She was never charged, but she lost that presidential race to Donald Trump.

Kerry has been named President Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change — a Cabinet-level position “that serves on the National Security Council and leads the Administration’s efforts to combat global climate change.”

That office, according to the Department of Justice, is subject to the Freedom of Information Act — despite the prominence of Kerry’s post.

See the complete FOIA return today at bostonherald.com in this story.

PDF DOCUMENT: Complete FOIA return on John Kerry

While Bill Belichick once again avoided endorsing Mac Jones as his starting quarterback Monday at the league meetings, it’s still a good bet Jones will be under center when the Patriots start the 2023 season.

Unless the Patriots make a true effort to go after Lamar Jackson, which remains highly unlikely, Jones is the man.

Speaking with a few analysts and head coaches at the NFL annual meeting about Jones’ prospects this season, many are expecting the third-year quarterback to blossom.

The chief reason?

Bill O’Brien.

Beyond not wanting to spend the money and the draft capital it would take to land Jackson, the Patriots are passing on the Ravens star quarterback because they appear comfortable enough with the in-house situation. Much of that has to do with new offensive coordinator O’Brien. He’s the X Factor.

The expectation is that O’Brien will turn Jones back into a quarterback who can keep the Patriots relevant. And that’s not just the view from Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who told the media Monday he was a huge fan of Jones, and that now having O’Brien would “work to (the quarterback’s) advantage.”

SiriusXM NFL analyst Jim Miller agreed. He said O’Brien would be a difference-maker, and actually pegged the Patriots to win the division because of how much he’d help Jones.

And that’s with or without Jones having elite weapons.

ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck wouldn’t go that far, but he was another who projects a significant turn-around for Jones.

“Who knows? Bill O’Brien could be magic this year,” Hasselbeck said when asked if O’Brien would be a game-changer. “Maybe the Patriots learned some things they needed to learn last year … we’ll just have to wait and see what it actually looks like.”

Given news of Jackson’s desire to be a Patriot, per Kraft, it puts an even greater burden on O’Brien to fix Jones.

In reality, however, O’Brien is only one part of the equation. The state of the offensive line is a close second.

“For me, the only non-negotiables are, who’s my play-caller, and who’s my offensive line?” said Hasselbeck, a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback. “You can’t be terrible at those two spots and expect to be good.”

While O’Brien checks off the box as being a competent play-caller, the offensive line remains a question mark.

The Patriots did hire a new offensive line coach in Adrian Klemm, and added reinforcements with tackles Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson. Still, it’s debatable how much better the tackle position will be with those additions.

If Trent Brown returns to being a full-time force at left tackle, that would certainly help. Reiff, meanwhile, figures to start at right tackle, and it’s a wait-and-see on how much of a difference he’ll make, or if he’s even able to hold down the spot all season. That said, it’s likely the Patriots will add on in the draft to try and bolster the unit.

“If you take care of those two things, everything else you can scheme around,” Hasselbeck said. “Would it be great to have an All-Pro receiver? Sure.

“I don’t think I ever had that. But we had coaches that had a system that we could figure out ways to get guys open. We had a system that we could marry what we were good at in the running game, to the passing game. We had a system where we could line up in whatever formations, and find the one matchup that worked for us.

“So if you have a scheme that’s sound, and can protect the quarterback,” added Hasselbeck, “if you can do that, then you have a chance.”

The new system the Pats employed last season, with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge running the show, coupled with a porous offensive line didn’t give Jones a chance. Having O’Brien go back to the system Jones thrived in as a rookie, along with providing some modifications, should allow him a better chance to succeed.

Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, who successfully mentored Jones during his rookie season, was also in the pro-Jones-O’Brien corner.

“I would be surprised if he didn’t rebound,” McDaniels said of Jones, his former protégé. “He’s such a competitive guy. He wants to do well in everything he does.”

Between the boost Jones will get having O’Brien in his ear, and the fact he’s still on a rookie contract, and won’t have the ability to earn top dollar (see Daniel Jones) until his fifth year, that’s a formula the Patriots are banking on.

It’s also a formula that’s easier to navigate, as opposed to going after Jackson. He might be a dynamic quarterback and playmaker, one who would instantly put the Patriots back to contender status, but the team, by most accounts, is content saving their money and assets, and standing pat with Jones.

At least, that appears to be the view of the Patriots’ decision-makers, Belichick and Kraft, even if the head coach refuses to openly back the incumbent quarterback.

Naturally, after regressing last season, there’s concern Jones isn’t the answer at quarterback, that he’s just not good enough to compete with the best. It remains to be seen if he can quiet the naysayers.

Hasselbeck, for one, didn’t think it was necessarily unfair to project Jones’ ceiling based on how he regressed last year, and how he petered out at the end of his rookie season. But he looks at the bigger picture.

“I saw who he was as a player his first year. And he was very impressive,” said Hasselbeck. “What I thought I saw was a young quarterback that was taking a natural progression in his development as an NFL franchise quarterback, and he just hit a huge speed bump last year, and just didn’t look anything like the player we saw in Year 1.

“And, to me, in my view, the reasons for that were related to the coaching change. I feel bad saying that. But I think that seems to be (the case),” he went on. “But now, in my mind, I think they’re back on track. They’re very fortunate to have someone like Bill O’Brien in the building running that offense. I would expect the version of Mac Jones we saw in the first year, if not better.”

That said, Hasselbeck, a former Xaverian and Boston College star, doesn’t completely absolve Jones for everything that went down last season. There are plenty of places he can improve.

“If I was him, my priority would be looking in the mirror, and saying, ‘OK, what were the areas I got exposed? What were the areas that I need to improve on?’ ” said Hasselbeck. “I think that’s the best way for him to grow. But as an outsider looking in, I think the scheme failed him more than anything else in my mind.”

What about his public displays of frustration? His showing up his coaches during games, something that has clearly irritated Belichick? How does that get fixed?

“I would say this: when you blow up, and you start yelling, and you start saying something, it’s on you to back it up,” said Hasselbeck.

He then recalled when he had a major dust-up with Mike Holmgren during a game in San Francisco, when Hasselbeck was Holmgren’s quarterback in Seattle. After the run-in on the sideline, Holmgren made his point by calling the game the way Hasselbeck desired.

“It was almost like he was saying, ‘Alright tough guy, you want to act like you’re one of the best quarterbacks in this conference, I’m going to call the game like that.’ So he got real aggressive,” Hasselbeck remembered. “The point being, if you want to step up and be that guy, you better be that guy. That put me in check in a way.”

That said, Hasselbeck offered some unsolicited advice for Jones.

“It’s not your job to be the offensive coordinator. Your only job is to be the quarterback,” said Hasselbeck. “If you disagree with how a play is being designed, or coached or run, get that out of your mind. Just do the quarterback job how it’s supposed to be done.”

The addition of a competent play caller should help diffuse that situation. Plus, O’Brien is not the type to take any guff from his quarterback — see Tom Brady for details.

Hasselbeck then explained what he liked about Jones, and why he believed he was “head and shoulders” above the rest of his class during that first year.

“His decision-making was great. What he was doing at the line of scrimmage was great. How he was protecting the football was great. I was really impressed, really, really impressed,” said Hasselbeck. “I just think Mac has all the things that seem to matter, he has those intangibles.

“I also think those things need to be developed and cultivated, and they need to be put in fertile soil to grow. I really believe he was in fertile soil Year 1. He had the perfect opportunity to grow. He had the greatest head coach of all time, and one of the greatest offensive coordinators ever.”

So after a year stuck in offensive purgatory, some see a light at the end of the tunnel for Jones and the Patriots by extension.

Said Hasselbeck: “Bill O’Brien plus Bill Belichick plus Mac Jones, that works for me. I’ll take that any day.”

Let’s just say if the Patriots don’t make the playoffs, and Jones doesn’t make the expected leap, Kraft letting it be known on Monday that Jackson wanted to be a Patriot won’t ever go away.

Daboll a realist

Belichick ruffled some feathers with the answer he gave after being asked why fans should be optimistic about for the upcoming Patriots season.

His “the last 25 years” response didn’t sit well.

Brian Daboll, a one-time member of Belichick’s staff, had the right idea.

During his Tuesday session with the media, Daboll was asked about the high bar he set in his first season as Giants’ head coach, especially with the team making the playoffs for the first time since 2016, winning a playoff game, and also being named NFL Coach Of the Year.

He answered before the full question was asked.

“Yeah, I got smoked in the playoffs,” Daboll said.

He was then asked how the Giants take the next step, and vault over the Eagles.

“It starts all over,” Daboll said. “I don’t get that far down the road. I just focus on today and try to get better at the things we can get better at. We have a long way to go in terms of time and we have a long way to go in terms of improvement. And … what you do one year has no correlation to what you do the next year and what you do one game has no correlation to what you do the next game.”

File that under not resting on your laurels.

‘Weird uniform’ for Gesicki

At the AFC coaches breakfast, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said he was excited to see tight end Mike Gesicki get an opportunity with another team.

He just wished it was another team.

“He’s a guy that I think the Miami fan base will miss,” McDaniel said of the Patriots new tight end. “It’s just unfortunate in a weird uniform, right? But that’s our business that we thrive in.”

Gesicki, who signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with another $4.5 million in incentives, wasn’t utilized as much in the system McDaniel brought to Miami. The Fins’ head coach believes the Pats are getting a tight end with something to prove.

“I think what you’re getting is a guy with a chip on his shoulder that is going to really, really go after it and do whatever the coaches ask of him,” McDaniel said. “Happy for Mike that he’s getting the opportunity and know he’s going to do his very best to make the best of that.”

Jimmy G in Vegas

Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels told the Herald Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t the only quarterback the Raiders looked into signing, but that Jimmy G was “the best choice” for Vegas going forward.

“I have an affinity for the guy. I’m looking forward to working with him again,” said McDaniels. “What he’s done since he’s gone to Kyle (Shanahan) and John (Lynch) in San Francisco, he’s played in a lot of big games and really performed well under pressure in a lot of those.

“He’s been in a good winning culture. I’m actually excited to learn from him and listen to him talk about the things he’s learned … but very excited going forward with him.”

Tuesday will be the holiest of the high holy days in the Church of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Finally, the Prophecy foretold for so long by so many Democrat disciples has come to pass — Donald J. Trump dragged into court, fingerprinted, mug-shot and maybe even handcuffed.

Can somebody shout amen?!

Every religion looks forward to some sort of end times. What the Rapture is to certain Christians, or the 12th Imam is to Shiite Muslims, the indictment of Trump has been to unhinged Democrats.

Hallelujah!

The Democrats operate their own propaganda outlet to preach the gospel to the faithful 24/7. But after so many false prophecies, the congregations of MSNBC, CNN, PBS et al. have been drifting away, backsliding.

But once Fake News posts the Countdown Clock to Arraignment down there at the bottom of their screens — if they haven’t already done so — their ratings will be vaulting back above not only HGTV, but maybe even the Cartoon Network.

Come Tuesday, the NYPD will part the Democrat mobs in front of the courthouse, just as Moses parted the Red Sea. And there will be miracles, count on it.

When POTUS’ mugshot is released, a million avatars of the blue-and-gold Ukrainian flag on social media will disappear instantaneously, to be replaced by Trump’s scowling head-on and profile shots with the 4-4-23 date underneath.

It’s not even 2:15 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, yet miracles are already occurring. Remember the “manifesto” of the transgender fiend who murdered six Christians in Nashville last week?

The Republicans wanted her hate-filled screed released, but once the news broke in New York Thursday, all stories about both the anti-Christian hate crime and the manifesto vanished.

Ditto the breaking news about the millions in Red Chinese payoffs to the Biden family. Not to mention another inconvenient truth, that the National Archives admitted that 1,170 pages of classified documents had been confiscated from Biden’s phony-baloney office above the steak house in Washington.

Poof! Gone! All the bad news about Biden and the Democrats, up in smoke.

Is there anything a Trump indictment can’t do?

The Democrat flock rejoiceth today. For them, Easter hath come one week early.

The congregation has endured so many false prophets since 2015, leading them astray with one political golden calf and graven image after another.

Faithless electors, the Logan Act, the 25th Amendment, Jill Stein’s recounts, Russia Russia Russia and that list doesn’t even get us to mid-2017….

The walls weren’t closing in. The end was not near.

The Democrat flock tried buy their way into heaven with Dr. Fauci votive candles and hand-knit Robert Mueller mittens. From Amazon, month after month they dutifully ordered dreary tomes they never even cracked open — by Andrew Cuomo, Mary Trump, Michael Wolff, Omarosa, James Comey. They were conned out of millions by the grifters of the Lincoln Project.

Get thee behind me, Deplorables!

With their tithes, Democrats tried to ward off the endless incantations of MAGA! by their plumbers, electricians and other assorted blue-collar tradesmen carrying the Mark of the Beast — calluses on their hands.

You know who these pampered Trump-haters are. By their COVID masks ye shall know them. As one of my listeners texted me, “My ex-wife has TDS.”

I told him, everybody’s ex-wife has TDS.

Yet somehow, through one inquisition after another, Trump nevertheless persisted. But now, finally, Orange Man Bad will be cast into perdition, to endure hellfire and brimstone for all eternity.

As they gaze out the front windows of their mansions in the gated communities, past the fraying “Hate Has No Home Here” signs in their front yards, all the seething, rage-filled Democrats nod sagely and consider the fulfilled prophecy.

The end is near!

Yet it’s hard for those of us who remain unsaved to understand what their end game is. Do they seek to make a martyr of Trump, so that he can win the GOP presidential nomination with ease, after which he will be easy pickings for Brandon next year?

Or do they want to knock Trump out of the race, once and for all, because they fear that if he’s nominated he might yet pull off another upset like 2016?

The problem with trying to engineer a frame-up as raw as the Democrats are attempting is that you can never be sure how it will ultimately play out. It’s easy to throw the first punch, not so easy to stop the ensuing brawl, at least on your own terms.

So Trump is to be brought down on charges that he used $130,000 in private funds to… what exactly?… pay hush money to Stormy Daniels, and this somehow benefitted his campaign and he should have reported it, to somebody? Is that all there is?

Yet Hillary Clinton, in 2016, through her own campaign and the DNC, funneled a million bucks to a dodgy law firm, which hired a shadier oppo-research firm, which then paid off a yet more sinister foreign national.

With the assistance of a Russian illegal alien and a UMass layabout who’d been arrested for DUI, Hillary’s hired hands then concocted a totally fraudulent document called the Steele dossier and passed it off to crooked Democrat cops known as the FBI.

Hillary’s G-men used that document to turn American politics upside down for three years and almost destroy Trump’s presidency, all over nothing.

Was Hillary indicted, tried, put behind bars for her crimes? No, she was fined… $8,000. If it weren’t for double standards, the Democrats would have no standards at all.

As I await the Democrats’ Rapture, I try to look for silver linings in the dark clouds.

The Brandon administration has been planning to rename the Army base in Fayetteville, N.C., Fort Liberty. But apparently now that won’t be necessary.

The Democrats will have no problem continuing to call it Fort Bragg. Only now it will no longer commemorate Gen. Braxton Bragg, CSA. Fort Bragg will now be named after Alvin Bragg, the tubby tinpot tyro, George Soros’ pet parrot. Think of him as this month’s Michael Avenatti.

Happy Mugshot Day, Democrats. But be careful what you wish for.

Masataka Yoshida’s had a lot on his plate these past few months.

The new Red Sox outfielder has had to adjust to life in a new country, get to know his new colleagues and prepare for his first big league season, all while taking a three-week detour to participate in arguably the most highly anticipated baseball showcase in his home country’s history.

That would be enough to overwhelm almost anyone, but by all accounts the Japanese standout has handled it with aplomb.

He’s made fans of his new teammates in the process.

“Man he’s fantastic to be around,” said fellow outfielder Rob Refsnyder. “Just great, good energy, super professional, a lot of fun to watch somebody create that much bat speed and power, it’s so sound.”

With the World Baseball Classic and now Opening Day in the rearview mirror Yoshida should finally get to settle into a more normal routine. But even in the short time he’s spent with the Red Sox he’s already made a strong impression and established himself as one of the guys.

“He speaks better English than people think, he understands a little bit,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who added that Yoshida has been a joy to manage so far. “It’s cool that he’s trying to communicate with us without using the translator, which is great.”

The process of overcoming the language barrier has been a team effort. Refsnyder said they’ve all worked on learning certain Japanese phrases to better communicate with Yoshida, and he’s gone above and beyond in trying to build team camaraderie.

“He’s done things for us outfielders that we haven’t expected,” said outfielder Adam Duvall. “I think there’s a sense of ‘let’s get to know each other and let’s build a team,’ you know?”

“He got up on the bus the other night and told a couple of stories and it was pretty funny,” Justin Turner said. “I won’t go into the stories but he has a great sense of humor.”

As far as his play on the field, Yoshida hasn’t shied away from the big moment. Though his numbers through two games don’t jump off the page, he has come to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to sustain a late rally and put the ball in play. In both instances the Orioles botched the play, and Saturday Adam Duvall capitalized by launching the big walk-off home run.

Of course, for a guy who’s used to playing for Samurai Japan, arguably the most intensely scrutinized baseball team on the planet, the bright lights of Boston aren’t anything he hasn’t seen before.

“He’s a guy I’d describe as a flatliner, his heart rate doesn’t get too high or too low,” said Justin Turner. “He just stays the course the whole time which I think is a good recipe for success in this game.”

“I think the city of Boston is going to love him,” Refsnyder said. “It was great to see the fans welcome him like that and I think he’s got a great personality and a guy Boston will embrace, and I think he embraces it too.”

Ramifications of Salem Red Sox sale

The announcement came and went with little fanfare, but the recent sale of the Salem Red Sox could have significant ramifications for those hoping to see a return of professional baseball to Lowell.

The Salem club, which currently serves as the Red Sox Low-A affiliate, was sold by Fenway Sports Group to Diamond Baseball Holdings, the same entity that recently purchased the Portland Sea Dogs and has rapidly built the largest portfolio of minor league franchises in the sport.

Like with its other acquisitions, DBH is retaining Salem’s existing front office and has pledged to invest in the club’s operations, technology and gameday experience. Overall the group has announced the acquisitions of 16 minor league clubs and has professed a desire to get to 20 or more.

Why does that matter for Lowell?

If any Red Sox affiliate is ever going to return to Lowell, the Salem Red Sox are the only viable option. The club plays in an aging ballpark far from Boston’s home market and its lease is due to expire after the 2024 season.

One of the main reasons why the Lowell Spinners were contracted was because of the condition of LeLacheur Park. But last summer the City of Lowell agreed to sell the facility to the UMass Building Authority, and UMass President Marty Meehan has pledged millions in ballpark upgrades while expressing support for attracting a Red Sox affiliate back to Lowell.

Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy has also notably and repeatedly refused to close the door on a possible return to the Merrimack Valley.

“It still remains a possibility, all the stars have to align properly for a league, where the club would play,” Kennedy said in late February. “But we always keep that possibility open and we obviously had such a great connection with the City of Lowell for so many years.”

Whether in Salem or Lowell ballpark upgrades are going to be needed, and the private-equity backed DBH has the financial muscle to make the improvements needed to meet MLB’s new minor league facility standards.

The question now is where those investments will be made, so depending on how things go the DBH sale could ultimately herald the key to Lowell’s minor league dream or signal its end.

Volpe’s arrival signals new era in Bronx

How cool a story is Anthony Volpe?

Here’s a kid who grew up a Yankees fan in Morristown, N.J., a short 45-minute drive from Yankee Stadium. He was eight years old when Derek Jeter led the Yankees to their most recent World Series championship in 2009, and a decade later Volpe got the chance to follow in his idol’s footsteps when the Yankees made him their first-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.

“It’s pretty crazy to think about and humbling that other people would make that connection. I was such a big fan growing up, there’s not going to be another player like him,” Volpe said in Fort Myers earlier this month. “I’m just trying to be the best version of myself I can be.”

Now he’s officially arrived, becoming the Yankees’ youngest Opening Day shortstop since Jeter in 1995.

The 21-year-old Volpe made his MLB debut on Thursday, going 0 for 2 with a walk in the Yankees’ 5-0 Opening Day win over San Francisco. The top prospect’s promotion was cause for celebration throughout Yankee nation, but more than that, it’s also a promising sign that MLB’s efforts to curb service-time manipulation are working.

Though clubs would never admit it, MLB-ready prospects like Volpe have long been held back to delay their eventual free agency by a year. The most infamous example came in 2015, when the Chicago Cubs waited until two weeks after Opening Day to call up top prospect Kris Bryant, who would eventually go on to win NL Rookie of the Year.

As part of baseball’s new labor deal clubs now have incentives to promote top prospects for Opening Day. The Seattle Mariners, for instance, received the No. 29 overall pick in this year’s draft after top prospect Julio Rodriguez started from the beginning and flourished into one of baseball’s brightest stars.

Would Volpe have started the season on the Opening Day roster in past years? There’s no way to know for sure, but the fact young stars like him are being elevated and celebrated is a great sign for the game’s future.

New Bedford’s Shuster set to debut

Less than three years after being selected as a first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, New Bedford’s Jared Shuster is set to make his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves today.

The former Tabor Academy standout, who went No. 25 overall out of Wake Forest, rocketed through the minor league ranks and entered the season as Atlanta’s No. 1 prospect after posting a 3.29 ERA in 25 starts split between Double and Triple-A in 2022.

This spring he earned his place in the big league rotation after posting a 1.45 ERA with 18 strikeouts and just four walks in 18.2 innings, holding opponents to a .115 average in Grapefruit League competition. He’ll take the hill today when the Braves face the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park at 1:35 p.m.

At this point in the NBA regular season, most teams make clear their priorities for the season’s final stretch.

Some teams turn their attention to giving players at the end of their rotation more playing time and also focus on moving down the standings with the hopes of improving their draft lottery odds.

Others teams take the opposite approach: they push to move up the standings with the hopes of securing a spot in the play-in tournament/playoffs or better seeding for the playoffs.

The Orlando Magic have made it clear they’re among the teams taking the second approach.

“We know what we’re working toward,” guard Gary Harris told the Orlando Sentinel. “We’re building. We put ourselves in a position to continue to be in the race to make the play-in. Regardless if we make it or not, we know we want to be playing our best basketball this time of the year. Regardless of what happens this year, we know how good we can be. Our goal is the playoffs.”

With Friday’s 116-109 road victory over the Washington Wizards, the Magic have won five of their last seven games and are still eligible to make the play-in.

The Magic (33-44) are four games behind Chicago (37-40) for the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference entering Sunday’s home game against Detroit (16-61).

Orlando owns the season tiebreaker over Chicago, so that magic number is two — meaning the Magic will be eliminated from play-in contention with any combination of two Bulls wins or two Orlando losses.

Both teams have five games remaining.

The Nos. 7-10 seeds in each conference compete in the play-in tournament for the Nos. 7 and 8 spots in the playoffs.

The Magic still need to jump over Indiana (34-44) and the Wizards (34-43) in the standings before trying to catch the Bulls.

But Orlando is playing for more than just a potential play-in spot.

“It’s about teaching young men how to win basketball games,” coach Jamahl Mosley told the Sentinel. “And grow, get better, find their confidence and find their belief. That’s what this is about. I know where we are with the standings and play-in and they’re going to keep fighting for that, but even more so it builds something in ‘this is who we are,’ ‘this is who we’re going to be’ [and] ‘this is what we’re growing toward.’ They all believe and see that. That’s where it starts, with everything — the belief system that you’re capable of doing it in any circumstance.”

Harris understands how a late-season push can help a team for the following season.

During his fourth year with the Nuggets in 2018, Denver won 11 of 16 games to set up a matchup with Minnesota on the final day of the regular season, where the winner would advance to the playoffs and the loser wouldn’t.

The Timberwolves won, with the Nuggets finishing that season 46-36, but Denver came back the next season a better team — winning nine of the first 10 games of the season and being the West’s No. 2 seed in that season’s playoffs.

“These are all learning experiences,” Harris said. “That’s how we’re taking it. We’re learning how to win as a team. Sometimes you got to take some lumps. Sometimes you got to get close and not make it just to really understand the importance of each game, not just at the end of the season but throughout the whole season.”

The Magic have their own history of finishing a season strong but missing the playoffs, leading to better success the following year.

Orlando won 16 of the final 22 games of the 2005-06 season but missed the playoffs, finishing the year 36-46. The following season the Magic went 40-42 and made the playoffs by finishing 8th.

Playing in games with consequences down a season’s stretch can help younger teams learn what it takes to reach the next level of development.

That’s been the case for the Magic through the close games they’ve played over the last couple of months.

“Just realizing what it takes to be a really good team,” forward Franz Wagner said to the Sentinel. “High energy, intensity, how well you have to be connected as a group and how little things matter. That last point is the more important one — how important those details are in close games.”

Regardless of how this season ends, there’s a bigger-picture hope that it’ll help lead to more success down the line.

“We talk about it a little bit,” guard Markelle Fultz said. “We try to stay in the moment right now. I feel like a lot of teams and people try to put themselves in a box as far as what they’re trying to do next year or if they’re trying to get picks or whatever, but we’re doing a good job of staying in the moment and taking it one game at a time.”

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.

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If a base is open in front of Jorge Mateo, get ready. He’s running.

The speedy shortstop has been leading the Orioles’ record-setting pace for stolen bases. Baltimore’s 10 steals heading into Sunday’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox are the most by any team through its first two games of a season since at least 1901. Mateo is responsible for four of those swiped bags, one of only eight players with multiple steals in each of his team’s first two games and one of two in the 21st century.

Major League Baseball introduced larger bases this season — going from 15 inches-by-15 inches to 18-by-18 — thus shrinking the distance between them. And anytime Mateo has set foot on one of those bigger bases, he’s taken off to try to reach the next.

“I really love it,” Mateo said. “You gotta be smart. Be healthy this season, just be smart, get on base to take advantage of it.”

Last season, Mateo led the American League with 35 steals, one ahead of Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins as they became the first teammates to finish first and second in the AL since 1971. The race is back on this year.

“Every year, we’re competing,” Mateo said.

Mateo ranked ninth among qualified runners in average sprint speed last season at 30.1 feet per second, according to Statcast. Mullins ranked outside the top 100 at an above-average 28.4 feet per second, but he’s still almost managed to keep up with Mateo. He has three steals through the two games, one coming behind Mateo on a double steal in Saturday’s second inning. In taking third base, Mateo took a cleat to his right hand, causing multiple cuts and spasms. But he got the hand taped near his index finger between innings and remained in the game.

The injury literally did not slow Mateo down. After he reached on a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the fourth, he stole second. Mullins followed with a three-run home run.

The pair combined for only one steal attempt in spring training, a successful one from Mateo, but that was largely to keep them healthy for the regular season, manager Brandon Hyde said.

“I don’t need Mateo to work on stolen base jumps in first few weeks of spring training,” he said. “When we have an opportunity to run, we’re gonna run. We have some guys that can run, got two of the better guys in the baseball, for me, in Cedric and Jorgie.”

With steals also from Austin Hays, Ryan McKenna and Adam Frazier, the Orioles have not been caught on their first 10 attempts. In many cases, the Red Sox have not even attempted a throw. The 10 steals are the most in a two-game span in Baltimore history.

MLB hoped the larger bases would improve player safety while adding more action on the base paths. In Thursday’s opening day games, base-stealers across the league were successful on 21 of 23 tries, compared to five steals in nine attempts in 2022. The 21 steals were the most on an opening day since 1907.

The bigger bases aren’t the only rule change benefiting runners, though. The sport’s introduction of the pitch clock could also introduce ways for runners to time up pitchers to get a good jump, and there are also new limits on pickoff attempts. If a pitcher has more than two unsuccessful pickoff tries, the runner automatically advances.

“Pitchers are hamstrung a little bit on what they can do,” Hyde said. “I think just around the league, you’re gonna see stolen bases go up.”

Hays said that although players such as Mateo and Mullins have been able to “go right back to doing exactly what they were doing last year,” those like him who have been less frequent thieves will in time learn how to capitalize on the clock.

“It’s just still in the beginning stages right now of seeing how we can take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ll just see as the season progresses if there’s any areas that we can expose. That’s definitely going to be a big part of our team, trying to find those things.”

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Dear Dr. John,

Our old Goldendoodle has a heart problem. He has been seeing a cardiologist and is on medications for his advanced Grade 5 murmur and chronic cough. Those include Pimobendan and Furosemide. He is also prone to bad skin but most recently he has again started with green nasal discharge and some eye mucus. Our primary vet gave him antibiotics about six weeks ago and we are scheduled to be seen because it started again, and his appetite is down. Could it return so soon due to an antibiotic resistance?  He seemed to improve last time. He has taken the Cephalexin quite a few times for the respiratory discharge issues and chronic bad skin. Should our vet consider another antibiotic and is the heart a factor? M.N.

Dear M.N.,

Antibiotic resistance is one of the largest challenges to medicine today, both in animals and people. There are some bacteria that have developed the ability to fight antibiotic therapy which can go on to have serious, if not fatal, effects. This does occur in canines, but I have not seen it much myself due to judicious use of antibiotics and using a culture and sensitivity (C&S) if I feel something is not being treated effectively.

Also called antimicrobial resistance (AMR), we see certain bacteria more difficult to treat than others. The best known of these is MRSA, this is also seen in dogs, and is seen with certain species of Staphylococcus. In dogs, other pathogens such as E. coli and Pseudomonas have also been seen to develop AMR. One needs to consider proper dosing, comorbidities such as your dog’s chronic cardiac condition, and frequency of use before suspecting resistances. Chronic skin issues that do not improve with antibiotics might also suggest an immune issue. Additional therapy such as medicated shampoos might be needed. The fact that your dog improved a short time ago with the same nasal discharge issue suggests to me that the Cephalexin did work and perhaps a slightly stronger dosage or length of use might knock out whatever infection is likely occurring. It is worth talking with your veterinarian about your questions.

Dr. John de Jong owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic; 781-899-9994.

Rejoice, people! The Rock & Roll Rumble is back!

After three years of COVID cancellations, the world series of rock is back on – the first round begins April 6 at the Middle East Upstairs, the finals go down May 6 at Sonia and the complete calendar is at rockandrollrumble.com. What is the Rock & Roll Rumble? Just the world’s great battle of the bands, the ultimate local rock showcase, and the very best hometown fest.

As I’ve mentioned many times before, I have found a dozen of my favorite acts at the Rumble – I’m looking at you Mellow Bravo, Ruby Rose Fox, Eddie Japan and the Grownup Noise. While I have written about half a dozen of the 24 artists competing in the past, most are new to me. So I did a little homework I want to pass on to you.

Here are five songs from five artists that hit me hard and fast as I went through each acts’ catalog:

“Sleepwalking,” Gretchen Shae & The Middle Eight

It’s hard to pull edgy post-punk and anthemic rock hooks into the same song. So often weirdness and pop clash too much. “Sleepwalking” pairs post-punk and arena rock perfectly. Gretchen Shae and her band deliver a song that’s equal parts angry guitar squalls and catchy choruses. Bonus points: Shae sings with both bright clarity and a wonderful sneer.

“Power Trippin’,” The Freqs

Face melting! Absolutely an overused phrase. But “Power Trippin’” demands the label. Salem power trio the Freqs charge hard at your ears in this noise rock/stoner metal/hardcore punk epic. The song is just over four minutes long yet it seems like a one-minute Bad Brains sprint, ten-minute Metallica warhorse and Mudhoney mess all at once.

“Rats Abandon Ship,” One Fall

I’ve been waiting to see One Fall since frontwoman Helen McWilliams teased her new band to me last year during the Tijuana Sweetheart reunion. If you like melodic punk – and c’mon, who doesn’t – the Salem quartet will slay you. McWilliams voice has never, ever sounded better than on “Rats Abandon Ship.” It’s impossibly big and framed so expertly by a tidal wave of sneering, cheering hooky punk guitars and drums.

“Nothin’ Goin’ On,”  The Chelsea Curve

The Chelsea Curve can do a tender tune or bittersweet pop number, and do them well (I recommend “7000 Hour”). But it feels wrong to single out anything downtempo – or even midtempo – when writing about the Rumble. This thing is typically won on the backs of bangers. “Nothin’ Goin’ On” is a banger. Punky and poppy (but not pop punk), smart and tight (but not clean and also a little loose), with a nice nod to two-tone ska, “Nothin’ Goin’ On” is an ideal set closer. Here’s hoping the trio brings in the Mod Squad horn section that adds a spike to the recorded version of the song.

“The Wolf,” Wildcat Slim

This song has a very odd vibe, very odd and very awesome. It recalls those strange artists of the ’90s that bridged ’60s acts such as the Doors and Jefferson Airplane with the grunge movement – Jane’s Addiction, Blind Melon, and even early Smashing Pumpkins. It’s a towering mess of a song. I dig it so much. Oh, and “The Wolf” sounds nothing like anything else on Wildcat Slim album “Smorgasbord.” Somebody knows how to name an album!

In the heat of last year’s New Hampshire GOP U.S. Senate primary, the top Senate Democrat spent millions promoting far-right Republican Don Bolduc’s bid to win the nomination over a more moderate calendar.

In Michigan, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee “rewarded” Rep. Peter Meijer for being one of just 10 GOP members of the House to vote for President Donald Trump’s impeachment after the Jan. 6 riot by running TV ads promoting his opponent, MAGA Republican John Gibbs.

It worked. Bolduc and Gibbs won their primaries, then went on to lose badly in November. They were part of a national Democratic effort from Pennsylvania to Illinois to help weak Republican candidates become their party’s nominees.

Now, some Republicans say Democrats are doing the same thing in the 2024 GOP presidential primary. They believe Trump is the one Republican who will lose to President Biden, and the decision by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to charge the former president in a legally questionable case is part of that effort.

Even some Democrats have acknowledged that Bragg’s case is a stretch that federal prosecutors looked at seven years ago and declined to take up. It is particularly weak for the first-ever criminal case brought against a former president. The fact that he is also the front-runner for his party’s nomination raises the stakes even higher. And the weakness of the case is even more troubling.

As a result, “It could very well be that it helps President Trump in a Republican primary,” former senator Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said. Toomey, an outspoken Trump critic inside the GOP, said Trump’s arrest on such shaky charges, “Will underscore views that many people have about the political nature of prosecutions, and prosecuting Donald Trump in particular. If that were the case, it would help Donald Trump reach the finish line first in the Republican primary.

“Interestingly,” Toomey added, “that would presumably serve President Biden’s interest very well because I do think Donald Trump is the most beatable Republican in the general election.”

Toomey isn’t alone. Discussing whether Bragg’s prosecution might be a Democratic attempt to help Trump lock down his base and become the nominee has been swirling through GOP circles.

Kimberly Strassel, who writes about politics for The Wall Street Journal, also sees an arrest as a way to motivate Trump’s supporters and “others in the Republican Party” to rally around the candidate over his unfair treatment. “That’s what Democrats are hoping for. They’d like to push him over some of the other candidates because they believe that if they can get him back on the ballot again in 2024, he’s the best shot of their beating a (GOP) opponent.

“Oh, and by the way, if Joe Biden’s the nominee, he’s already done it once.”

Veteran Democratic strategist Bob Shrum calls that thinking “absurd.” He said there is no Democratic Party campaign/criminal justice collusion. It’s just a politician who broke the law.

“Democrats aren’t coordinating this effort. There’s a D.A. in New York and a D.A. in Atlanta and a special counsel in the Department of Justice. This isn’t a political strategy,” Shrum said. “I understand why Toomey would say that. He’s pretty anti-Trump, and he wants to create the impression that Democrats want Trump to win.”

Is he right?

“I don’t want to run against Trump, because he might win,” Shrum said. “The problem with this ‘help Trump win’ strategy — and smart people know this — is that Hillary Clinton was rooting for Trump in 2016. If you think he’s not good for the country, you don’t want him to be the nominee.”

So, why is Alvin Bragg willing to go out on such a weak legal limb to make the first-ever arrest of a former president, if not politics? And why wouldn’t the same Democratic Party that spent nearly $50 million successfully influencing Republican primaries last year want to play in the GOP race next year?

Even comedians think arresting Trump is playing into the former president’s hands.

“Are you guys really going to arrest Trump?” Chris Rock asked the crowd at a recent Kennedy Center event in Washington. “You do know this is only going to make him more popular. It’s like arresting Tupac. He’s just gonna sell more records. Are you stupid?”

Corey Lewandowski was Trump’s campaign manager in 2016 but is currently unaffiliated in the 2024 primary. Asked about the current state of the GOP race, he said, “I do believe Trump can win the primary.”

Asked if he believes Democrats want Trump to win, Lewandowsky replied, “I do.”

Michael Graham is managing editor at InsideSources.com.

Decorum absent

Elizabeth Warren, a minority hire at Harvard Law School and former “descendant” of both Cherokee and Delaware Indian tribes who couldn’t beat either Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders in her home state presidential primary, has decided to run again for the Senate.  She apparently launched her reelection campaign with an ad featuring a supporter declaring, “Elizabeth doesn’t (expletive) around.”

Three weeks ago, Rep. Lori Trahan, who won’t be running late for a MENSA meeting, tweeted: “Don’t (expletive) with a union guy from Massachusetts,” in defense of Teamster boss Sean O’Brien who got verbally aggressive with an Oklahoma senator.  I don’t blame Lee Cooperman for shedding a tear.  Wisdom, decorum, and accountability have left the building.  The B team has given way to the C team.  We’re in deep trouble.

Sean F. Flaherty
Boston

 Turning from Trump

Donald Trump is still the Big Kahuna among Republicans but a growing majority of GOP voters prefers someone else. The spring of Trump insults is bubbling less effectively now and may, mercifully, run dry. As patience thins, he is no longer a coruscating personality but rather oftimes a blithering fool. The splendor of his policies contrasts with the squalor of his persona, the dignity of his patriotism belies the decay of his behavior and the immensity of his vanity obscures what little is left of his honesty. To bowdlerize his speeches leaves scant value. He is a spent force but will not recognize it until someone of integrity steps up to challenge him.

Paul Bloustein

Cincinnati, OH

Audits 101

I am very confused by Ron Mariano’s statement (“Mariano blasts DiZoglio audit move,” 3/27/23).

He stated “I don’t understand what she hopes to accomplish”. Does one of the most powerful politicians in Massachusetts not know what an audit is?

I learned what an audit is back in high school economics 101. What he really meant to say is “I know what she wants to accomplish but we can’t have that happen in this state”.

And of course the reason it could not happen in this state is because if it did, we would not have any state government anymore, except in jail.

Michael Westen
Malden

Biden’s veto

Joe Biden wants investments in pension funds and retirement accounts to disregard profit and invest in Equity Social Governance (ESG) companies.   He vetoed  bipartisan legislation that would stop forcing ESG down our throats.  Biden has no right to lean on money managers so ESG priorities are more important that profit.   His veto will make you poorer.  I want the highest return I can get.  And, any profit I make can be given to a cause that I choose to give to.  Keep your greedy hands off my money, Joe.

Donald Houghton

Quincy

Hunter probe

I am still waiting for the Hunter Biden indictment. In everything I have read there is enough evidence to proceed.. But then again his dad is president and he is a Democrat.

Paul Quaglia

Billerica

Q. My ex-husband just finished buying me out of our house and he filed for bankruptcy.  Once I got the buyout money, I made an offer on a house which was accepted.  I need to put down the $100,000 he gave me last month.  Someone told me that I can’t spend it because any payments he made in the month before filing for bankruptcy will be reversed and that he can then discharge the property division from our divorce in his bankruptcy.

I am also worried because I declared my alimony as income on my mortgage application.  I don’t think I will qualify for the mortgage without the alimony.  Can he discharge his alimony obligation too?  Should I back out of my house purchase?

A. You don’t need to panic or back out of your house purchase.

Most agreements which require buyouts of homes over time are structured so that in exchange for a final payment, he would receive a deed in his sole name to your former home.  Sometimes deeds are signed up front and held “in escrow” by the lawyers until the final payment then given to the party buying out the other then released for recording.  Assuming that is what happened, the bankruptcy trustee will not claw back the $100,000 he paid you because it was a valid purchase for value.  In other words, he paid $100,000 to now own $100,000 in equity in his home and the home is now in his sole name.  This is one of the exceptions to what gets clawed back in bankruptcy.

If he owes you any other payments on account of asset division, he can probably discharge that in bankruptcy however so hopefully the $100,000 was the last of the asset division.

Looking forward, he will be allowed to continue making his alimony payments.  Indeed, depending on what chapter he files for bankruptcy under, he may be required to continue to pay alimony as part of his bankruptcy agreement.  Alimony is considered a domestic support order which has a priority claim in bankruptcy (meaning you would get paid if he owed arrears before some other creditors) and is also not dischargeable.

So, you can be glad his problems are no longer yours and enjoy your new home.

Email questions to whickey@brickjones.com

Parenting is hard. You give all you’ve got to love your children and make sure they’re safe and thriving. You may not be sleeping well. You haven’t had time to yourself. You miss being with other adults.

Every parent has asked themselves this question at some point: Is it OK to take a break from my children?

The daily pressures of juggling work, children and everything else can feel like too much. You might feel even more tired and stressed out.

That is why taking time for yourself is not only good for you, but also good for your children. It’s a lot easier to support them when you’re refreshed after a little mental and physical break. There is no shame, failure or lack of love in needing time for yourself. We care for others best when we have taken care of ourselves as much as possible.

Here are some ways you can do this:

Spend time with a friend in person or on the phone

Take a walk

Try meditation or breathing exercises

Run out for a favorite treat

Schedule an activity with someone you love

If time is short, even a simple 15 minutes to take a shower or read a book when your children are in a safe place or with another caregiver is helpful.

There are precautions to keep in mind.

Leaving children alone, even if they’re asleep and you have a baby monitor, isn’t safe. Some states have a law about the age a child can safely be home alone. Even if your state doesn’t, most children younger than 12 are not safe to be by themselves without an adult.

Find a babysitter or ask a trusted friend or family member to care for your children. Whether it’s for 15 minutes or a few hours, someone responsible should always be present with your children. If you’re on vacation, check with your hotel about a list of local babysitting services.

If you have family, friends or neighbors who also have children, you could work out caring for each other’s children from time to time. Ask your day care, preschool or school for resources. There might be someone in your faith community who would volunteer to help.

It’s important to know and trust the people who care for your children. If something doesn’t feel right, trust yourself as a parent and don’t leave your child with that person. Make a list of one to three trusted people you can call on to help. That way when you really need help or are stressed, you already know who to call. Remember, you’re not alone, and you can lean on others to help!

Besides getting out and having time to yourself, doing things you enjoy together with your children is good for them and you. Consider taking a walk with your baby in their stroller, reading, coloring, building blocks, playing a board game or outside game, preparing a meal and eating together or doing a craft together.
Joining a parent’s group through your faith community, neighborhood organization, gym or community center is another way to make time for fun. Many are free to join and provide a connection to other parents.
Remember that all parents need time for themselves. When you take care of your own mental and physical health, your children benefit too.

If you ever feel like being a parent is too much, it’s OK to ask for help. You can also talk with your pediatrician, who can connect you with more resources.

For more information, go to HealthyChildren.org.

Amanda “Bird” Hoffert Gilmartin, MD, FAAP is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado with a dual appointment in general pediatrics and the Kempe Center, where she serves as the Assistant Clinical Medical Director of the Child Health Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She is the Medical Director for the Children’s Hospital Colorado foster care clinic – Kids In Care Settings (KICS). Dr. Gilmartin also serves on the executive committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Child Abuse and Neglect./Tribune News Service

The peril in Heather Graham’s new Prime Video project “On a Wing and a Prayer,” streaming Wednesday, only sounds like a movie.

A family of four are in a small private propeller  plane when their pilot dies.  Can Dad actually land the plane and save his wife and daughters?

It really happened to Doug White and his family who credit angels and God with saving them.

For Heather Graham, who plays Teri White, a sweet surprise was discovering that Dennis Quaid, a co-star a decade ago, had asked for her.

“I had a great time with him and was super flattered he remembered and thought of me,” Graham, 53, recalled in a Zoom interview.

“This was really interesting in that it’s a true story. I like the idea of having a dark night of the soul and somehow getting through that. That’s a beautiful story.”

Playing Teri, still very much here, was “Intimidating in a way.  A fiction script with a good role is great. But true stories are fun, because you can really research the real person and I like researching things.”

Graham didn’t find much online while a phone call proved invaluable.  “She has a super-charming Southern accent and she’s very loving and supportive.

“When she saw the movie she immediately wrote me and said she loved it and she loved my performance and my accent, which is a relief. You know, you play a real person you don’t want them to be like, ‘That was wrong.’

“I learned a lot of interesting small details about her life. Like she was a pharmacist and Doug was a pharmacist. How she said that the angels were holding up the plane. And that Doug’s brother had died — they had just been at the funeral for Doug’s brother — and how she felt his spirit was there, helping them survive.

“She’s very spiritual and has deep faith. It reminded me that it’s great to have a connection to a higher power or whatever you believe in. And how that can really get you through those hard moments.”

Among the producers is “Touched by an Angel” star Roma Downey who is famously faith based, not just with her roles but as a producer.

“I didn’t know her but now I do. She’s always sending me these inspirational movies. She has this kind of magical fairytale life. I went to her house, it’s on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Very incredible. And she’s just a warm person who I guess just wants to tell stories that are inspiring people.”

“On a Wing and a Prayer” streams Wednesday on Prime Video

Q. I was asked to complete a writing test as part of a job interview. I’m in PR and realize that’s standard, but they gave me 10 products and wanted 10 sample pitches and a media list! This seems excessive. Can I just tell them no way?

A. I feel your pain — yes, writing samples are part of the interview process, especially in PR, but what makes me pause is the number. Ten samples — really? I could see one or two, tops.

This is taking up your time, but my other concern is how do you know they’re not leveraging this as free labor? Plus, a media list — that crosses the line. I’d run, not walk, away from this employer. Yes, tell them no way — you can say it tactfully, something along the lines of, “While I appreciate your interest in my candidacy, with all due respect, other PR agencies I’m interviewing with are requesting two writing samples. They’re not asking for a media list because that doesn’t really attest to my skills other than providing valuable information for free. I’d be happy to do two samples — will that work on your end?”

Or you may want to pull the plug on your candidacy and walk away. You can say something like, “After further consideration, I’ve decided to withdraw my candidacy. Thank you anyway for the opportunity to interview here.” Sometimes candidates forget you’re in the driver’s seat, too! You can always choose to walk away and, at the very least, question it. I often find that when candidates question something that seems “off,” it most likely is.

Q. I’m having an amazing first quarter! My boss said the company is nixing performance reviews. I’m actually one of the ones who look forward to them — my bonus is tied to them! With no performance reviews, does that mean no bonus? What should I do?

A. First, congrats on your first quarter! Second, talk to your boss. Express your concern directly with your boss. Simply ask how bonuses will be determined. If it’s tied to numbers, how can you properly document your metrics so your compensation is tied to it? What other metrics do you need for annual salary review and a potential promotion? Should you document this anywhere else? And without a quarterly and I’m assuming annual performance review, are there other more casual, more frequent conversations occurring? Ask what will take their place.

The thing to remember is that, with or without a formal process, it’s important to drive your career (which sounds like you’re already doing, because if you weren’t, you wouldn’t be concerned about not having performance reviews, which many people tend to dread). Be proactive and chat with your boss. Perhaps there’s a deeper meaning behind getting rid of performance reviews and the reasoning behind it, but definitely make sure your boss knows about your incredible first quarter.

Vicki Salemi is a career expert, former corporate recruiter, author, consultant, speaker, and career coach. Send your questions to hello@vickisalemi.com. For more information and to subscribe to Vicki’s newsletter, visit www.vickisalemi.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @vickisalemi./Tribune News Service

Austin is a lovely boy, an easy-going child with many interests who loves exploring new opportunities. He enjoys going to the park, the beach, and the movies. Austin enjoys going to the arcade and playing with Legos and video games. He likes helping to cook, ride bikes and rollerblade, along with crafts and music.
Austin does well in school and enjoys going there. He has developed some great attachments at his school and he regularly comes home with a gold star for being the star student of the day. Austin likes  practicing and maintaining things that he has learned in school such as reading, engaging in math workbooks or spelling workbooks

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To learn more about adoption from foster care visit www.mareinc.org . Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) can give you guidance and information on the adoption process. Reach out today to find out all the ways you can help children and teens in foster care.

Q. My ex is Christian and I am Jewish. When we were together, we made a vow that we would support each other’s faith in the eyes of the children. This is our first attempt to celebrate the holidays after our split, and we have yet to put an agreed upon holiday schedule in place. Passover is on Wednesday this year. It is his week, and he is reluctant to let the kids come over. I’m horrified by his attitude. It’s like nothing we ever said or did ever happened. What’s good ex-etiquette?

A. This is a tough one. Everyone believes their way of worship is the right way, and when couples worship differently, they often agree to expose the kids to both ways of thinking. After a breakup, one or both may not be as invested in cooperating as they once were.

Let’s look at this from the children’s point of view (“Put the children first,” Ex-etiquette for Parents Rule No. 1). No longer celebrating as you once did may be confusing. It also can be confusing if your parents were formally tolerant of the differences, but now say one is right and one is wrong.

In the spirit of good ex-etiquette, I suggest you use Ex-etiquette for Parents Rule No. 7, “Use empathy when problem-solving,” as your guide. It’s basically saying, put yourself in the other’s shoes. Feel what they might be feeling, and that will help you make a loving decision.

You made an agreement when you decided to have children. That agreement, that spirit of cooperation to allow your children to experience important aspects of both parents’ lives, has not changed.

That would mean, out of the spirit of cooperation, dad would allow the children to come over in the middle of the week for Passover. And, if my calculations are correct, the following Sunday will be Easter — on the weekend the children are scheduled to be with you. Therefore, you would return the favor.

Any agreement is good ex-etiquette as long as it is done using the love of your children as the deciding factor.

Dr. Jann Blackstone is the author of “Ex-etiquette for Parents: Good Behavior After Divorce or Separation,” and the founder of Bonus Families, bonusfamilies.com./Tribune News Service

On the second floor of Sanibel Island’s famed Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum (www.shellmuseum.org), just a few feet above where Hurricane Ian swept through and ripped away their aquariums, gift shop and more this past September, there’s a photography show featuring scenes people took of the hurricane’s effects on the area.

One shot of three White Pelicans rising up from the aftermath struck me. I told museum Director Sam Ankerson so and he said, “Yes. It just looks like hope, doesn’t it? We’re getting more and more submissions that move past the destruction and focus on the hope.”

After touring the Greater Fort Myers beach region recently I left with, yes, shock over just how destructive that storm was and how much still needs to be done; but more so with the sense of a community acting with a  passion to rise again.

Which made this Blizzard of 78 survivor who has strong, strong feelings about “lookie-loo” tourists visiting devastated spots to think anew. Because while Greater Fort Myers is still fighting and building its way back, it’s also recovering in a way that makes a visit feel right.

So, is it time to visit? Yes, it is.

It’s not your usual Fort Myers Beach escape. Along the beaches, the views of destruction remain jarring. But everywhere, like that photo of those pelicans, are signs of hope and rebirth.

While I usually like a beachside stay when visiting the region, this time I was tucked into the Hilton Garden Inn, inland like most of the hotels open during my visit. (Seaside resorts are working their way back. You’ll find updates on openings at /www.visitfortmyers.com). It’s comfortable and well located.

The recovery scene was one of awe – and fun.

Nature and fun: At Bonita Springs Wonder Gardens (wondergardens.org), where storm damage was thankfully minimal, I meandered along a lovely path that took me up close with birds, alligators, and more. It’s pretty and historic (it’s been a roadside attraction since 1936), too.

Over on Sanibel Island, The J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/jn-ding-darling) I saw proof of why this area will recover. A group of local volunteers – many of whom lost their own homes in the storm – were there all day clearing, cleaning and repairing. In the heat of the sun and with smiles on their faces, they worked to help the Refuge reopen, which it did.

You can once again kayak, paddleboard or canoe through the glorious mangroves with Tarpon Bay Explorers (https://tarponbayexplorers.com). Those mangroves look a bit different: the storm sapped them of their color.

But there are already pops of green. Nature has a way to coming back.

At the Six Mile Cypress Slough Reserve (https://www.sloughpreserve.org) the boardwalks along lovely waters and through tropical forests are open again. There are tours throughout the day, but walking it alone works well too – the signage is great.

History: With less focus on the coast on this trip, I turned inland and found intriguing history in  Bonita Springs. There are walking tours and drop-in times for spots like the McSwain House. There’s the Shangri-La, where you can dine, spa and even stay the night (and learn about how the glitterati once came there to dry out.) You can learn more – and see a lot – via the Bonita Springs Historical Society (http://bonitaspringshistoricalsociety.org)

And the amazing Edison and Ford Winter Estates (https://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org) had relatively minor damage and is up and running – worthy of at least a half day of exploring.

Do stop in to Sun Harvest Citrus (https://www.sunharvestcitrus.com) one of the nation’s best orange suppliers – and plan on having a soft serve orange.

Dining Is something you never need worry about here: both inland and on the water, there are endless and diverse choices. On Sanibel, popular Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grill (https://www.docfords.com/sanibel-island/) has reopened and it feels like the good old days in there. And all over, more inland spots are thriving, like Bruno’s of Brooklyn (https://www.brunosofbrooklyn.com) in downtown Fort Myers. Just blocks from the waterfront, it’s tucked into a cool little city worth visiting.

And along Fort Myers Beach, where the devastation feels endless and almost everywhere you look is a construction site, something beautiful has happened.

Food trucks have popped up where beloved dining spots once stood. They’re busy with workers and yes, tourists taking in the scene.

It reminds me of the aftermath of a terrible forest fire. The ground is scorched and the world feels broken. But all of a sudden, beautiful little green trees sprout here and there, reminding us that rebirth is coming. It is here, too.

Ben Affleck likes to say “Air,” his new movie about Nike’s game-changing signing of Michael Jordan, is a family-style affair with old friends, including Matt Damon, in front of and behind the camera.

But it’s Affleck, 50, who’s done the lion’s share of work. He produced, cast and directs this, his fifth film, and also wins laughs as Nike’s legendary and legendarily eccentric founder Phil Knight.

“Air” has already won acclaim for its storytelling, humor and heart.  Damon, 52, carries the saga as Nike marketing agent Sonny Vaccaro who ferociously advocates — against intense Nike indifference — to signing rookie Michael Jordan.

“This was a group of people that I knew and had a lot of respect for and worked with often and adore and admire,” Affleck said during a Zoom conference.  “This movie is a massive failure if it’s just my voice.”

While “Air” did not buy rights to Jordan’s story, Affleck wanted the legend’s blessing. “I didn’t understand the movie until I went to talk to Michael. I had to say, ‘Can I run this past you?’ because from a selfish point of view, the stupidest thing would be to make a movie that tells part of his story and if he was opposed to it, there was no movie.

“I found he’s very gracious. I said, ‘Look, this is not historically accurate. It’s a fable, a parable, an inspiring story, so I’m going to take liberties. But I don’t want to violate anything that’s true to you.

“He wanted to make sure other people were accounted for. That’s why Howard White” – a Nike Air Jordan basketball executive and Jordan’s personal friend – “is integral to this. Chris Tucker came in and created this role of Howard White.

“Initially,” Affleck added, “I was to make it a story about Michael himself saying [during negotiations], ‘This is what I deserve.’ His parents weren’t part of the story. But when he said, ‘I didn’t want to go to Portland’” – Nike’s headquarters – “and this is an intimidating powerful man! It’s like being around someone as close to a deity as you’ll find. At this movement I saw awe, adoration and respect when he talked about his mother.

“When I heard it I realized right away this is the story about Deloris Jordan! She’s emblematic of so many mothers of athletes and entertainers. It requires an enormous amount of guidance.

“And who should play your mom? He said, ‘It HAS to be Viola Davis’ – it has to be the very best. And it was incumbent on us to create a role she would say yes to.”

He did.

“Air” opens April 5