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Gray Leads A’s To Win Over Angels

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Oakland, CA – It’s been awhile since these two teams have faced each other. Now it’s a battle for first place and while the A’s have held the position for half the season, the Angels now own it but in this much anticipated series will determine the better of the two teams.

“It hasn’t been our best stretch here recently,” said Oakland’s manager Bob Melvin pre-game. “We haven’t seen them in awhile, hopefully this picks up our intensity and moves us past this difficult period. Hoping the excitement of this series gets us back to doing what we’ve been doing early in the season.”

The A’s did just that taking game one of the three-game series with a 5-3 victory over the Angels. Oakland is now one game behind the Angels in the American League West. The offense was most impressive, four different guys drove in runs making it a team effort from all.

“We haven’t played like this in awhile,” Melvin said.

Mike Trout didn’t waste anytime taking Sonny Gray deep in the first after hitting a solo home run making it a 1-0 game. Gray settled in forcing a pop-up, a walk and a fly out to end the inning. Coco Crisp answered with a solo home run to leadoff the bottom of the frame. His ball was hit exactly where Trout did tying the game 1-1.

“Trout hits a home run, then Coco answers, that was big,” said Melvin. “That’s like, all right, we’re fine.”

Josh Hamilton extended the Angels lead with a solo shot to right field. Gray has never allowed a home run in MLB on a curveball before tonight. Both Trout and Hamilton hit home runs off his curveballs. Gray got some defensive help, with runners on second and third in the fifth. Kole Calhoun lined into a unassisted double play at second to end the frame.

The A’s tied the game again in the fifth on a fielder’s choice. Hector Santiago gave up a double to Crisp and forced Craig Gentry to ground out. Josh Donaldson hit to shortstop Eric Aybar who over threw first base allowing Crisp to score while Donaldson was safe at second.

Gray almost went the distance pitching in the ninth inning until he gave up a walk to Hamilton. Sean Doolittle took over but before he did Gray walked off the mound to a standing ovation. Gray tossed 8.1 innings, walked two, struck out five and kept his pitch count low. He snapped his four-game losing streak, his longest since pitching a compete game on April 28.

“I really didn’t change anything, I gave up two solo homers early in the game but other than that I felt like I made all of my pitches,”Gray said. “Everything felt good, fastball, curveball and my changeup. It was important not just for me but the team, we needed to go in here tonight, and get this win.”

Sam Fuld’s RBI triple in the sixth made it a 3-2 game. Fuld scored on Andy Parrino’s sacrifice fly extending their lead 4-2. When Stephen Vogt lined a solo home run to right field in eighth for the insurance run that put Oakland ahead 5-2. The A’s now lead the season series against Los Angeles and are 4-0 at home against the Angels.

“We don’t want to get too caught up, it’s one game,” said Fuld. “Given our struggles of late, it was great to get that first one under our belt.”

Once Doolittle took over, the Angels tried to rally back. David Freese hit a RBI single trimming the lead 5-3. Doolittle walked the next batter loading the bases with the tying run on base. Having to work for his 19th save, he struck out Chris Iannetta to end the game after giving up a pair of singles and a walk.

” They battled,” said Doolittle. ” I think that right there is an example of why they’ve been so successful lately, winning a lot of close games, coming from behind in a lot of games to get the win.”

“We haven’t gotten it done up here yet this year, but I think we’re a better team now than we’ve been at any time during the season,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “They’re a good club over there and they certainly can shut you down when they get a lead. They do a lot of different things, and we have to be ready for it.”

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Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025

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Black Americans Still Face Deep Retirement Gaps Despite Higher Incomes

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

A report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that Black Americans continue to face serious challenges in saving for retirement, even as their incomes grow.

The 2025 Retirement Confidence Survey, which included a special oversample of Black workers and retirees, found that the wealth gap remains wide at every income level. Among households earning $75,000 or more, only 33% of Black Americans reported having $250,000 or more in savings and investments, compared with 63% of non-Black Americans. Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.

While many Black Americans expressed confidence managing day-to-day budgets, fewer felt prepared to invest or plan for the long term. The study showed that Black Americans with higher incomes were less likely to have personally saved for retirement, 77%, compared with 87% of non-Black Americans. Retirement experiences also differed sharply. Forty-four percent of Black retirees said they retired earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability, compared with 32% of non-Black retirees. After leaving their main jobs, Black retirees were more likely to work for pay to make ends meet, and more often said their retirement lifestyle was worse than expected. Access to financial advice and planning remains uneven. Just 31% of Black respondents reported currently working with a financial advisor, although nearly half expect to do so in the future. Black Americans were more likely to seek help with reducing debt, creating wills or estate plans, and arranging life insurance than simply determining if they had saved enough to retire.

Researchers Craig Copeland and Lisa Greenwald wrote, “Black Americans reported disproportionately lower financial resources, and how they feel about retirement and financial security is clearly impacted by having less resources.” They continued, “In particular, Black retirees are struggling with higher likelihoods of their retirement lifestyle being worse than expected and having to retire earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability.” “Still,” the researchers concluded, “there are some modifications in the financial system that could help improve their prospects, such as increased assistance in balancing competing financial priorities like debt reduction, supporting family, and building long-term savings.”

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Scorching Heat Sparks Bipartisan Climate Alarm

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.

The American Climate Perspectives Survey 2025, conducted by ecoAmerica, found that 86% of Americans say rising temperatures have increased their concern about climate change, with more than half reporting they are “a lot” more concerned. The sentiment cuts across demographic and political lines, with 97% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 79% of Republicans expressing heightened worry about the climate crisis. “Americans are connecting extreme heat to climate change, their health, and government inaction,” said Meighen Speiser, Executive Director of ecoAmerica.

Nearly nine in ten respondents recognize the toll heat is taking on public health, with 58% saying extreme heat affects health “a lot.” This awareness is remarkably consistent across racial, age, and income groups.  Among Black Americans, 91% said rising temperatures have intensified their concern about climate change, reflecting some of the highest concern levels among any group surveyed. Those concerns are not abstract. Decades of research by the Brookings Institution, NOAA, and others show Black communities often face the greatest exposure to extreme heat and the fewest resources to adapt. Studies have documented that historically redlined neighborhoods, where many Black Americans live, are routinely up to 10 degrees hotter than wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods nearby.

In cities such as Atlanta and Baltimore, Black homeowners are significantly more likely to face heat risks and energy insecurity, limiting their ability to cool their homes as temperatures rise. Nationally, Black renters experience higher rates of energy insecurity, with over half struggling to afford adequate cooling during heat waves. Meanwhile, the latest study also points to a notable shift in how Americans perceive the link between climate change and extreme weather. Eighty-two percent now believe that climate change is making extreme events, such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, more frequent and severe, up six points since 2021. The most dramatic change is among Republicans: the share who recognize that climate change is fueling extreme weather surged 17 points over four years, from 58% in 2021 to 75% in 2025.

These findings arrive as proposals to slash funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advance in Washington. The agencies are widely seen as the nation’s front-line defense against disasters and a critical source of weather forecasting and emergency relief. The risks are particularly acute for Black communities already facing disproportionate impacts from hurricanes and flooding, as seen in the devastation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and more recent storms that have repeatedly displaced predominantly Black neighborhoods in the Gulf Coast and Southeast.

The survey shows Americans are not just worried about rising temperatures — they’re anxious about the government’s readiness to protect communities. Seventy-nine percent said cuts to FEMA and NOAA make them more concerned about the federal government’s ability to respond to climate impacts. That includes 92% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans, underscoring that the anxiety is bipartisan.

Generational divides are also apparent. While 95% of young adults reported that extreme heat has boosted their concern about climate change, the figure was lower — but still significant — among adults over 65, at 70%. However, across all age groups, majorities agree that the crisis is escalating and requires immediate action. “These findings show it’s time to drop partisan politics and rather meet this moment with urgency, leadership, and protection,” Speiser said.

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