ReportWire

Tag: Bay Area

  • Five in a row: Pittsburg crushes Cardinal Newman to claim latest NCS D1 crown

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    Pittsburg demolishes Cardinal Newman to cruise to fifth straight NCS Division I championship.

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    Nathan Canilao

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  • Letters: Fremont cricket field critics fear the unknown

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    Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.

    Cricket field critics
    fear the unknown

    Re: “Neighbors up in arms over cricket field plans” (Page B1, Nov. 22).

    It was shocking to read that a few neighbors are opposed to having a cricket field in the proposed Palm Avenue Community Park in Fremont. The main fear is that flying cricket balls could injure a child or elderly person or damage homes or cars. Do baseballs ever fly out of the field and cause personal injury? Balls flying over to the street or neighborhood will be rare and can easily be prevented in the design and construction of the stadium.

    It is more likely the fear of the unknown. People here are not familiar with cricket. Both baseball and cricket trace their origins back to medieval European bat-and-ball games and are more like “cousins.” Cricket fields all over the world are in the middle of cities and residential neighborhoods, and they are safe. It is fun to play and or watch cricket, so let us go for it.

    Subru Bhat
    Union City

    Coal project is bad
    for Oakland’s health

    Re: “Coal project costs mounting” (Page A1, Nov. 26).

    The New York Times article about Phil Tagami’s proposed Oakland coal terminal is very misleading.

    The article says, “a state judge ruled in 2023 that the city had to uphold its deal with Tagami.” However, that ruling only provided Tagami with $320,000 in damages. The disappointed coal developers found a judge in Kentucky whose suggestion of hundreds of millions in damages was rejected by Kentucky’s district court on November 21.

    The article quotes Tagami as denying that the project “makes a difference in the world.” But several mile-long trains every day would be spewing unhealthy coal dust from Utah to Oakland. And when burned, that much coal would cost the world tens of billions of dollars in damages (using the EPA’s social cost of carbon).

    The article says, ”The coal project must now go forward.” Those of us who care about the livability of Oakland will continue to oppose this deadly project.

    Jack Fleck
    Oakland

    Mastering spelling
    unlocks many doors

    Re: “Spelling isn’t a subject we can afford to drop” (Page A6, Nov. 19).

    My attention was drawn to Abby McCloskey’s column.

    As this article asserts, a strong foundation in spelling in a child’s early learning years leads to reading and literacy proficiency down the road. My personal academic experience bears this out.

    In my elementary school years in the 1950s, I had a natural strength in spelling, which was nurtured by my teachers. I still have all of my certificates of achievement, which span local through regional spelling contests that I entered.

    Further, this skill led me toward my love of writing — whether it be in the form of a school essay, poetry or, as you are reading now, my penchant for submitting letters to the editor.

    While “spell check” is a helpful tool, our brains still rely on the visualization of words to connect the dots in our educational journey.

    Sharon Brown
    Walnut Creek

    Immigration judges’
    principles cost them

    As the season of gratitude, peace, joy and hope approaches, recently unbenched San Francisco Immigration Judges Patrick Savage, Amber George, Jeremiah Johnson, Shuting Chen and Louis Gordon have inspired this letter. Although no reason was given for their forced departures, I wasn’t surprised. Having seen several preside over mandatory immigration hearings restored my hope in this country’s future. Unfortunately, the very behaviors that gave me hope put them at risk of losing their jobs. Behaviors like being well-versed in immigration law, diligent in their efforts to fully understand cases from both immigrant and government perspectives, and exhibiting both kindness and respect to all present within their courtrooms.

    The current administration has rendered these judges easily disposable obstacles to any campaign promises conflicting with this nation’s laws, Constitution and system of checks and balances. Fortunately, obstacles like integrity and allegiance to oaths of office can’t be as easily disposed of.

    Linda Thorlakson
    Castro Valley

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  • Bay Area Afghans worried after Trump’s comments on immigration

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    There is now frustration and fear after President Trump’s new comments on immigration, including a possible crackdown affecting Afghan residents, following the National Guard shooting in Washington, DC.

    Just days after the deadly National Guard shooting in DC, Afghan immigrants in the Bay Area say they’re feeling new fears following President Trump’s vow to stop immigration requests from what he called “third world countries,” and his call for “reverse migration.”

    Trump’s comments come after authorities identified the suspect as an Afghan national, who once worked with a CIA-backed group, killed one national guard reservist and severely injured another.

    A man who came from Afghanistan to the US in 1981, who asked to remain anonymous, said he is fearing retaliation against him and his community.

    “My message is to others. Please be useful to this country. It is a very lovely country, and we hope that we have accomplished something that we are hoping for peace, prosperity, and happiness,” he said.

    He says Afghans in America are overwhelmingly peaceful and shouldn’t be judged by one person’s actions.

    The president also said he’ll re-examine the status of green card holders from 19 countries including Afghanistan.

    Afghan immigration justice group ANAR warns against using a single incident to justify broad restrictions.

    “What we are seeing right now is a form of large-scale harm and collective punishment in response to a specific incident and this really doesn’t do anything to keep our communities safer or to promote national security,” said Laila Ayub, ANAR Co-Director and an immigration attorney.

    ANAR plans to monitor any new policies and says the US has legal and moral obligations to uphold.

    “This bigger picture affect of restricting pathways for people and really abandoning our united states obligations under domestic and international law to ensure protections of people who are fleeing their homes,” Ayub said.

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    Velena Jones

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  • These 11 Bay Area pop-up bars serve up festive cheer this holiday season

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    The winter holidays are nearly here, which means it’s a great time to gather with friends and family for some festive celebratory drinks. But where to go? If cozy kitsch, the glow of Christmas lights and an abundance of tinsel are your vibe, head for one of these 11 pop-up holiday cocktail bars around the Bay Area.

    Sippin’ Santa and Miracle — two pop-up bar organizers — work with existing bars to offer their seasonal cocktail menus. The Sippin’ Santa concept is generally more tropical and tiki-drink focused, while the Miracle bars also offer professionally developed cocktails “and the nostalgic energy of the best office party you’ve ever been to.”

    Originally launched in 2014 in New York City, the Miracle pop-up has grown since then, and now brings its seasonal pop-ups worldwide, according to its website. Meanwhile, the first Sippin’ Santa started in 2015 in New York City and has since expanded to over 60 locations across North America, especially following the creation of a 2018 partnership with tiki connoisseur, writer and bar owner Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Generally, the menus are the same across the different locations for each concept, and each has a number of collectible cocktail mugs as well.

    There are five of each concept open now or very soon around the Bay Area.

    Santarex mugs are a popular item at Miracle’s pop-up holiday experience in participating restaurants and bars. (Photo by John McCall, South Florida Sun Sentinel) 

    SIPPIN’ SANTA LOCATIONS

    Beer Baron, Pleasanton

    Open 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 15-Jan. 4, at 336 St. Mary St., Pleasanton; beerbaronbar.com

    Faith & Spirits, San Carlos

    Open at 4:30 p.m. daily through Dec. 31, at 765 Laurel St., San Carlos; faithandspiritssancarlos.com

    Kona’s Street Market, San Francisco

    Open 5 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays-Saturdays, Nov. 28-Dec. 31 (closed Christmas Day), at 32 Third St., San Francisco; konastreetmarket.com

    55 South, San Jose

    Opens at 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 20-Jan. 3, 55 S. 1 First St., San Jose; the55south.com

    Flamingo Lazeaway Club, Santa Rosa 

    Open 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and 2:30-10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 31, at 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa; lazeawayclub.com

    Additional California locations are in Hollywood, Paso Robles, Sacramento, San Diego and Santa Barbara.

    The Snowball Old-Fashioned cocktail made with rye whiskey, gingerbread, aromatic and wormwood bitters and orange essence will be served during the Miracle pop-up bar experience at participating restaurants and bars this holiday season. (Photo courtesy of Miracle)
    The Snowball Old-Fashioned cocktail made with rye whiskey, gingerbread, aromatic and wormwood bitters and orange essence will be served during the Miracle pop-up bar experience at participating restaurants and bars this holiday season. (Courtesy of Miracle) 

    MIRACLE LOCATIONS

    You’ll also find Miracle pop-up bars at the following bar locations. These cocktail bars are less tiki-themed, more.

    Pop’s Public House, Gilroy

    Open 4-9 p.m. Mondays, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays, 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 31, at 1300 First St., Gilroy; popspublichouse.com

    The Fat Pigeon, Livermore

    Opens 2 p.m. weekdays and noon weekends through Dec. 31, at 2223 First St., Livermore; fatpigeonbar.com

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    Kate Bradshaw

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  • Several earthquakes jolt area south of San Jose on Thanksgiving

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    A number of earthquakes — the strongest registering in at a magnitude of 4.0 — struck south of San Jose on Thursday

    The earthquakes happened near San Juan Bautista in San Benito County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

    Here are the specific earthquake details, listed in descending order on the magnitude scale, according to information provided by the USGS:

    1) 4.0 earthquake hit at 12:57 p.m. 5 KM south of San Juan Bautista

    2) 3.9 earthquake hit at 12:48 p.m. 6 KM south of San Juan Bautista

    3) 2.7 earthquake hit at 12:10 p.m. 6 KM south of San Juan Bautista

    4) 1.9 earthquake hit at 4:36 p.m. 5 KM south of San Juan Bautista

    5) 1.4 earthquake hit at 1:02 p.m. 6 KM south of San Juan Bautista

    6) 1.4 earthquake hit at 12:12 p.m. 5 KM south of San Juan Bautista

    7) 1.3 earthquake hit at 12:23 p.m. 6 KM south of San Juan Bautista

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    Jim Harrington

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  • Sharks can cling to one positive trend after blowout loss to Avalanche

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    SAN JOSE – Perhaps the Sharks’ biggest strength in recent weeks – beyond getting outstanding individual performances from second-year center Macklin Celebrini and rookie goalie Yarsolav Askarov — has been their ability to get past a bad game.

    The Sharks, regrettably, are in that position again going into Friday’s home matinee against the Vancouver Canucks, as they try to bounce back from their most lopsided loss of the season.

    On their heels from the start, the Sharks were blasted 6-0 by the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Wednesday night as they allowed two goals in the first period and three more in the second.

    Nothing went right for the Sharks as Askarov, through no fault of his own, was pulled early in the second period after the fourth goal. San Jose also managed only a handful of quality scoring chances as it was shut out for the third time this season.

    Now it’s a matter of correcting those issues – the lack of compete and physicality, along with some mental errors and defensive breakdowns – in time for their game against the Canucks, who are coming off a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.

    “To get better and to be a good team, you can’t dwell on the past,” Sharks forward Adam Gaudette said Thursday. “If you have an off night, the most important thing is the response the next game. You can’t let those losses stack up.”

    The Sharks (11-10-3) haven’t, as after their last seven losses, they’ve responded with a win six times.

    The most recent example came last weekend, when, after a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, the Sharks responded the next day with a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.

    The Senators outcompeted the Sharks for most of the final two periods. But after what coach Ryan Warsofsky called an “honest” talk the next morning, the Sharks responded with a much better overall effort – combined with a tremendous performance from Askarov – to finish what was a four-game homestand on a positive note.

    “You hope at some point it clicks, and you don’t have to have a response after a letdown, and you grow your team, and you grow your game,” Warsofsky said Thursday. “But for where we are as an organization, with the (youth) on our team, we’re probably going to have some nights where we maybe take a step forward, and a few games later, we take a little bit of a step back.

    “We’ve got to, as coaches, challenge that and try to teach through that, demand more, and have an understanding of what it looks like when we have success. I think our group has responded pretty well for the most part this year.”

    Much better than the previous few years, anyway. As the Sharks went 20-50-12 last season, they had five losing streaks of at least six games and responded to a loss with a win only 13 times.

    This season, after a 0-4-2 start, the Sharks’ longest losing skid is two games, as they lost on the road to Calgary and Seattle on Nov. 13 and 15. That’s allowed the Sharks to stay near the playoff cutline, as they entered Thursday two points back of the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference.

    The Sharks will fly to Las Vegas right after Friday’s game to play the Golden Knights on Saturday.

    “There’s just a better product on ice, and a bigger belief that we’re a good team in here,” Sharks winger Ryan Reaves said. “When you start believing that, those losses don’t mean as much. A loss is a loss, but you’ve got to move on, and good teams learn how to move on.”

    CELEBRINI SITS

    Celebrini was given a maintenance day on Thursday but will play Friday, said Warsofsky, adding that the Sharks’ leading scorer and No. 1 center isn’t dealing with anything specific.

    “Just a lot of hockey for him,” Warsofsky said. “Just going through the wear of it all, just kind of dealing with bumps and bruises, and (Celebrini’s) no different.”

    Celebrini had 20:47 in ice time on Wednesday and played late into the third period. Celebrini centered the Sharks’ top line with William Eklund and Will Smith and had three shots on net, 11 shot attempts, and won seven of 17 faceoffs. The Sharks’ power play created some scoring opportunities but still went 0-for-4.

    SKINNER, MISA TIMELINES

    Forwards Jeff Skinner and Michael Misa, both out with lower-body injuries, skated again on Thursday and could, if they continue to progress, join the Sharks for their next scheduled practice on Tuesday.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Share the Spirit: Hijas del Campo uplifts farmworkers in east Contra Costa County

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    BRENTWOOD – Mayra Jimenez Almaras was 8 when she came to the U.S. from Mexico with her parents and two siblings. At 11, she was working long hours under the scorching sun in the Brentwood fields, picking green beans and packing corn.

    Those days are now behind her as the 21-year-old prepares to graduate from Saint Mary’s College of California in December with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

    As a way to give back to the organization that helped her family, Jimenez Almaras works as a community health worker with Hijas del Campo, which, translated from Spanish, means “daughters of the field.”

    The Contra Costa County-based nonprofit aims to help migrants, seasonal farmworkers, and their families to improve their lives, working conditions, health, and safety. Their work focuses on food security, health care, housing, education, workers’ rights and legal aid.

    Jimenez Almaras was in high school when she first met Marivel Mendoza and Dorina Moraida, co-founders of Hijas del Campo. At the time, they were handing out back-to-school supplies and educational resources.

    “A door opened for me, providing different types of resources, not just education-wise but, in general, so much mentorship and leadership,” said Jimenez Almaras.

    Through the nonprofit, Jimenez Almaras not only received support for her college application but also a laptop.

    That same laptop not only helped Jimenez Almaras, but also her mom, who later used it to complete a community health worker certification program through Hijas del Campo.

    Now, Jimenez Almaras’s mother no longer works in the fields, but instead in an elderly care home.

    Her two siblings have also moved on. Her older brother teaches at an area school, while her younger brother is pursuing a degree at a community college.

    Jimenez Almaras said that while the world sees farmworkers as a vital source of food for their plates, many fail to recognize that farmworkers themselves face food and financial insecurities, as well as chronic diseases.

    She urged local leaders to respect and advocate for the community that provides sustenance.

    “Have that respect, treat everyone equally, and at the end of the day, just be thankful that we’re there every single day, not only thriving for our own families, but thriving for yours as well,” said Jimenez Almaras. “Look out for the people that feed you and don’t bite those hands.”

    Hijas del Campo co-founders Dorina Salgado-Moraida, left, and Marivel Mendoza are photographed in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Hijas del Campo is Contra Costa County-based nonprofit organization that aims to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers, along with their families, to improve their daily lives, working conditions, health and safety. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
    Hijas del Campo co-founders Dorina Salgado-Moraida, left, and Marivel Mendoza are photographed in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Hijas del Campo is Contra Costa County-based nonprofit organization that aims to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers, along with their families, to improve their daily lives, working conditions, health and safety. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) 

    Hijas del Campo was founded by a group of women who met in early 2020 after seeing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted farmworkers.

    Mendoza and Moraida are both first-generation Mexican-American women whose parents toiled in the fields when they first moved to the U.S.

    “My dad didn’t work in the fields too long, but he would always talk to us about how hard that work was and how important it was for us to honor the people who pick our food because it’s a backbreaking job,” said Moraida, the nonprofit’s program director.

    Volunteer Milka Ambrosio sorts and unloads a recent shipment of donated items while at Hijas del Campo in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
    Volunteer Milka Ambrosio sorts and unloads a recent shipment of donated items while at Hijas del Campo in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) 

     

    The organization just celebrated its fifth anniversary. Over the years, it has worked with 500 core families — nearly 2,000 people — through outreach activities, giving farmworkers bags of essential, seasonal items, said Mendoza, executive director of Hijas del Campo.

    For example, during the summer, packed bags include intravenous fluids to treat dehydration, masks to reduce the risk of valley fever, and sunscreen to protect workers from the sun. During the winter, there are hand warmers, socks, gloves, and scarves, among other items.

    “When we say we take care of farmworkers in our county, it doesn’t matter where they’re from,” said Mendoza. “We’re going to make sure that we have some kind of touch point with them and connect them to resources where they live, if it’s possible.”

    Volunteers work on sorting donated clothes at Hijas del Campo in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
    Volunteers work on sorting donated clothes at Hijas del Campo in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) 

    The nonprofit has also partnered with Contra Costa Health Services, the California Department of Public Health, and San Joaquin County to inform providers about the rise in valley fever and how to recognize its symptoms among agricultural workers.

    Amid federal political uncertainty, Mendoza and Moraida said the organization is also educating farmworkers on their rights and partnering with immigration law groups, such as the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area.

    Beyond health, education has become a cornerstone of their work. The organization partners with Lenovo, which donates about 20-30 laptops annually to students from farmworker families, and organizes a “Lunch and Learn” program, bringing in professionals who are either immigrants or first-generation college students to share their stories and inspire students.

    In 2023, Hijas del Campo began building four tiny homes to provide transitional housing for farmworkers living in unsafe or substandard conditions. Each of the homes offers wraparound services, including financial literacy, mental health support, and healthcare access.

    Part of the rent paid to the nonprofit is deposited into a savings account and returned after two years, in hopes that the residents will be independent enough to move out and find their own housing.

    “The hope is that in two years, they’ll feel more stable and confident. Having a secure place to live changes a person,” said Moraida.

    Share the Spirit 2025 logo
    ABOUT SHARE THE SPIRIT
    Share the Spirit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by the East Bay Times/Bay Area News Group. Since 1989, Share the Spirit has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.

    HOW TO HELP
    Donations to Hijas del Campo will enable the nonprofit to buy and distribute 500 food bags to 378 low-income farmworker families in Contra Costa County for two months, prioritizing access for people who face barriers to traditional food assistance. Goal: $10,000

    HOW TO GIVE
    Donate at sharethespiriteastbay.org/donate or by mail using this form. Donations are tax deductible.

    ONLINE EXTRA
    Read other Share the Spirit stories, view photos and video at sharethespiriteastbay.org.

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    Hema Sivanandam

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  • Suspected drug dealer arrested on San Mateo County coast

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    MOSS BEACH – A suspected drug dealer was arrested early Wednesday in Moss Beach, authorities said.

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    Jason Green

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  • How Avs’ Blackwood helped the Sharks’ future franchise goalie: ‘Not everybody’s like that’

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    SAN JOSE – Yaroslav Askarov did not know many people inside the San Jose Sharks organization in Aug. 2024 when general manager Mike Grier acquired him from the Nashville Predators.

    Fellow goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who also came to the Sharks via trade a little more than a year earlier, offered the Russian-born Askarov his support and helped him get adjusted to his new surroundings.

    It’s something Askarov will never forget.

    “I’m still not speaking (English) really well, but last year was worse,” Askarov said. “He was like, ‘Hey buddy, if you need to say something, just take your time. I’m going to be waiting. I’m going to be listening to you. I’m going to try to (help you) understand everything.’

    “Not everybody’s like that.”

    The Sharks traded Blackwood, forward Givani Smith, and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Avalanche last December for goalie Alexandar Georgiev, winger Nikolai Kovalenko, a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick, and a second-rounder in 2026.

    Still, Blackwood, with his big personality, not to mention his often-stellar play, left his mark in San Jose, particularly on Askarov, who has all but replaced Blackwood as the Sharks’ No. 1 goalie with his own recent string of success.

    Askarov and Blackwood were again set to be on opposite sides of the ice on Wednesday night when the Sharks faced the league-leading Avalanche at Ball Arena. In the Sharks’ 3-2 overtime win over Colorado on Nov. 1, Askarov stopped 36 of 38 shots while Blackwood made 20 saves in what was his first game of the season.

    “He doesn’t have bad days,” Askarov said of Blackwood. “He always has fun. He’s smiling, jokes around. It helps during the long hockey season, because you’re keeping your focus most of the time, but he’s that type of guy who makes your life easier and makes your life more fun.”

    The Sharks haven’t reaped much reward for trading Blackwood, at least not yet, as the underperforming Georgiev and Kovalenko are now back in Russia. The 2025 fifth-round pick was used on center Max Heise, who had 15 points in 19 games for the Prince Albert Raiders before Wednesday, and the 2026 pick looks like it will come late in the second round.

    Blackwood, a pending unrestricted free agent, signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract extension with the Avalanche, a term and dollar amount the Sharks were unwilling to commit to, partly because they felt they had their goalie of the future in Askarov, who spent the majority of last season in the AHL with the Barracuda.

    Before Wednesday’s game, Askarov was now 7-1-0 this month with a .959 save percentage – second-best in the NHL among all goalies with at least five starts – as he helped the Sharks rejoin the playoff race after a 0-4-2 start.

    There’s no doubt that Askarov credits Blackwood for helping him become comfortable in San Jose.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Trump administration to investigate UC Berkeley over Turning Point USA event

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    The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into the University of California at Berkeley Tuesday over violence that erupted earlier this month at protests outside an event organized by conservative group Turning Point USA.

    The department said it will investigate whether UC Berkeley violated the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, a federal law that requires colleges and universities that receive federal financial aid to record and report campus crime data.

    The announcement comes as UC Berkeley also faces a Department of Justice investigation into the university’s handling of the event and protests, which resulted in at least four arrests and left one person injured after being struck in the head by a thrown object. Turning Point USA, a nonprofit that promotes conservative values on high school and college campuses, was co-founded by Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot in September during a tour stop at a university in Utah.

    “Just two months after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was brutally assassinated on a college campus, UC Berkeley allowed a protest of a Turning Point USA event on its grounds to turn unruly and violent, jeopardizing the safety of its students and staff,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement Tuesday.

    She said the department is reviewing UC Berkeley’s procedures to ensure that it maintains campus safety and security.

    “This is not about students’ First Amendment rights to protest peacefully. This is about ensuring accurate and transparent reporting of crime statistics to the campus community and guaranteeing that every student can safely participate in educational programs and activities,” McMahon said. “The department will vigorously investigate this matter to ensure that a recipient of federal funding is not allowing its students to be at risk.”

    In a statement Tuesday, UC Berkeley said the university has “an unwavering commitment” to abide by the laws and will cooperate with the investigations, as well as continue to host speakers and events representing a variety of viewpoints “in a safe and respectful manner.”

    The university said the campus provided public reports about two violent crimes that happened that evening — a fistfight over an attempted robbery and the person hit by a thrown object.

    “The campus administration went to great lengths to support the First Amendment rights of all by deploying a large number of police officers from multiple jurisdictions and a large number of contracted private security personnel,” the university said Tuesday. “The campus also closed adjoining buildings and cordoned off part of the campus in order to prevent criminal activity, keep the peace, and ensure the event was not disrupted by protests.”

    The Education Department’s office of Federal Student Aid will lead the investigation. It gave UC Berkeley 30 days to provide copies of the school’s annual security report, all incidents of crime from 2022-2024, all arrests made by law enforcement and referrals for disciplinary action against students or employees disclosed in the annual security report, daily crime logs from 2022-2025 and several other reports.

    In 2020, UC Berkeley was fined $2.35 million for failing to comply with the Clery Act after a six-year federal review revealed thousands of crime incidents were misclassified — the majority of which were related to liquor, drug and weapons violations. UC Berkeley said the campus had referred students for disciplinary proceedings but wrongly classified the violations — many involving minors in possession of alcohol in residence halls — as a campus policy violation rather than a law violation, as required under the Clery Act.

    The Department of Education’s investigation — started in July 2014 — also found a range of issues including failure to comply with sexual violence policies and procedures, failure to maintain accurate and complete daily crime logs, failure to disclose accurate hate crime statistics and failure to issue emergency notifications. UC Berkeley entered into a settlement agreement with the Education Department in 2020 and acknowledged that the campus had made “many administrative errors in the past,” but said it has taken aggressive steps toward improvement.

    Notably, the Education Department’s finding that the campus failed to issue emergency notifications surrounded a campus visit by right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos in February 2017, which sparked violent protests and caused $100,000 in damages to the campus, the school said.

    The Education Department’s investigation said the university failed to notify students of any violence until an hour after protests began to escalate — a delay the department said could have compromised community members’ safety. In a response to the department, UC Berkeley said the finding was based on an incorrect timeline of events and that it had alerted the community immediately after learning the protest had become violent.

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    Molly Gibbs

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  • Letters: Walnut Creek bike path plan doesn’t enhance safety

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    Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.

    Bike-path gambit
    doesn’t enhance safety

    Re: “Safety debate at crossroads” (Page A1, Oct. 30).

    In a recent meeting held behind closed doors, Contra Costa County and the city of Walnut Creek agreed to use over $6 million in funds from programs designed to promote highway safety and improvements to carve out a three-block-long bicycle path on Treat Boulevard.

    The affected area runs from North Main St. to Jones Road, a stretch that currently handles over 40,000 vehicles a day. The proposed path duplicates the existing Canal Trail, which is dedicated to bikers and pedestrians, is located two blocks south of Treat Boulevard and connects directly to the Iron Horse Trail for access to the Pleasant Hill BART station.

    The city acknowledged both the high risk to bikers using the proposed paths and the negative impacts on traffic in this highly congested area. So, why is this project going forward?

    Larry McEwen
    Walnut Creek

    Opposing investment
    policy is out of step

    Re: “Ethical investment policy approved” (Page B1, Oct. 10).

    The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) came out in opposition to an Alameda County Ethical Investment Policy at the Oct. 3 Board of Supervisors meeting. The supervisors passed the policy but delayed implementation.

    The majority of Jews present at that meeting were mobilized by Jewish Voice for Peace and supported the policy.

    A September Washington Post poll found that the majority of U.S. Jews do not support current Israeli policies. The JCRC’s position of opposing a pro-human rights policy is not a mainstream position, and it is not aligned with Jewish values.

    The JCRC accused Israel’s critics of antisemitism and expressed concern about Jewish safety. Associating Jews with the acts of a murderous regime makes Jews less safe. Jews are safer in a world that works for all, including Palestinians.

    We urge the supervisors to implement the Ethical Investment Policy as soon as possible.

    Cynthia Kaufman
    Oakland

    California must go its
    own way on health care

    Re: “Policyholders brace for price increases” (Page A1, Nov. 22).

    The recent story harkens back to a pre-ACA time when people went without insurance because of the high costs of insurance premiums. What we need for California is a Cal-Care for all solution. However, this year, a Cal-Care bill was sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom, and he vetoed it. The main reason is that the federal government is not willing to give money that is due to us, which messes with the state budget.

    Staying in the United States is not beneficial to California. In 2022, we gave $83 billion to the federal government, which ends up getting redistributed to other states. The California National Party is the only party that recognizes this and has universal health care (Cal-Care, or Medi-Cal for all) as part of its platform.

    Maya Ram
    Union City

    Constitution will halt
    third term for Trump

    Re: “Don’t think Trump won’t try for third term” (Page A6, Nov. 18).

    A letter writer opined that President Trump could seek a third term as president by being vice president on a ticket headed by JD Vance, and, after Vance won the presidency, Vance could, by prearrangement, resign, and Trump would become president.

    However, the 12th Amendment of the Constitution stipulates that one who is constitutionally ineligible to be president is also ineligible to be vice president, which would presumably prevent Trump from becoming president under this subterfuge.

    Trump could argue that the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution prohibits him only from being “elected” — but not actually serving — as president for a third term. But the Supreme Court would likely reject this subterfuge on grounds that it conflicts with the plain intent of the 22nd amendment to prevent a person from serving a third term as president through the electoral process, as Franklin Roosevelt did in the 1930s.

    Roderick Walston
    Orinda

    Don’t cancel comic;
    just move it

    Re: “Don’t cancel comic for having an opinion” (Page A8, Nov. 23).

    I am one of the people who have written to request that “Mallard Fillmore” be moved to the Opinion Page, since it is clearly political in nature. I’m not asking that it be censored or removed from the paper, just that it be recognized as political opinion.

    In the past few days, “Mallard Fillmore” has implied that the media only looks for bad things about Donald Trump and twists the truth, that liberals are stealing our tax dollars to support their own political party, and only care about disease in an election year, and the media is hypocritically misleading us about the destruction of the White House East Wing. Meanwhile, “Pickles” taught Nelson to say I love you to his grandma, and “Luann” adopted a puppy. Which of these is not like the other?

    Incidentally, “Doonesbury” is offering more-than-20-year-old strips. That’s not a fair balance.

    Sampson Van Zandt
    Walnut Creek

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  • Care-home employee who left pitcher of cleaning fluid unattended, leading to deaths of two residents, sentenced to 40 days

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    The former employee of a San Mateo assisted living facility who left a pitcher of toxic cleaning fluid in the kitchen that another employee mistook for juice and served to residents — resulting in the deaths of two 93-year-olds — was sentenced Friday to 40 days in county jail and two years supervised probation.

    Alisia Rivera Mendoza, 38, was also ordered to complete 350 hours of community service, including speaking to those working in the care industry to warn them against her mistake, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

    In August, Rivera Mendoza pleaded no contest to one felony count of elder abuse in exchange for no time in state prison and a maximum sentence of one year in county jail, prosecutors said. Rivera Mendoza’s sentence can also be reduced to a misdemeanor after one year of complying with probation.

    She was originally charged in 2023 with two counts of felony involuntary manslaughter and three counts of felony elder abuse.

    Rivera Mendoza’s sentence was imposed by San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Michael Wendler, who also denied a defense motion that would have immediately reduced the charge to a misdemeanor.

    San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said Monday that Wendler’s sentence was “thoughtful,” as Rivera Mendoza does not have a prior criminal record and the mistake was not intentional.

    “Forty days on its face does sound low, but what Judge Wendler has done is taken what might have been a longer jail sentence and converted that into public service hours — that 350 hours of public service work is what he felt was more appropriate for punishment, because 350 hours is a substantial number of days,” Wagstaffe said. “I am not dissatisfied with the sentence.”

    Wagstaffe added that Rivera Mendoza has shown remorse for the incident.

    Rivera Mendoza’s defense attorney, Josh Bentley, did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

    Rivera Mendoza is also not permitted to work in assisted living or elder care in the future, must pay $370 in fines and fees and will pay restitution in an amount to be determined. She also cannot possess ammunition, weapons or body armor and is subject to search and seizure.

    Atria Park of San Mateo was understaffed on the morning of Aug. 28, 2022 when Rivera Mendoza poured cleaning fluid into a pitcher on the kitchen counter with the intention of using it to clean the kitchen, prosecutors said.

    When Rivera Mendoza went to serve breakfast to the facility’s residents, she left the pitcher on the counter. Another employee mistook the pitcher of cleaning fluid for juice and poured it into three residents’ glasses, prosecutors said.

    The three residents, thinking the liquid poured into their glasses was juice, drank it, prosecutors added.

    The three residents – 93-year-old Gertrude Maxwell, 93-year-old Peter Schroder Jr. and Richard Fong – “immediately went into serious distress” after taking just a few sips of the liquid, prosecutors said. Emergency services reported to the scene to provide aid, but Maxwell and Schroeder died due to ingestion of the toxic cleaning fluid.

    Both Maxwell and Schroder suffered from extremely painful blisters on their mouths before they died, their families said. Fong survived drinking the fluid, prosecutors added.

    This is not the only case of seniors dying after ingesting toxic fluids while in Bay Area assisted living facilities. A 94-year-old man, Constantine Canoun, died in 2022 after drinking an all-purpose cleaner he found in an unlocked cabinet and mistook for a sugary beverage at Atria Walnut Creek. An employee was similarly charged with felony elder abuse in that case.

    In another case, a 55-year-old paraplegic man alleged that Diablo Valley Post Acute, a nursing home in Concord where he was staying for six weeks while recovering from surgery, gave him a bleach-based wound-cleaning solution in a cup to wash down his pills.

    In 2022, the family of Schroder filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Atria that also alleged negligence and elder abuse. The lawsuit alleged that a lack of staff contributed to his death. That same year, Maxwell’s family filed a separate wrongful death lawsuit alleging that Atria attempted to cover up the third death at its Walnut Creek facility.

    Wagstaffe added that the families of the two victims did not have “heavy animus toward” Rivera Mendoza.

    “They were more concerned about Atria and the fact that they were understaffed,” Wagstaffe said, adding that there was insufficient evident to prosecute Atria in this case.

    Kathryn Stebner, the attorney who represented the Schroder family, said that Rivera Mendoza’s sentence is sad to both her and the Schroder family. The family’s wrongful death lawsuit was settled in early 2025, she added.

    “She’s basically a scapegoat in the face of (Atria’s) continuous wrongdoing. To point the finger at her is just not right,” Stebner said. “The real culprits were the corporation, not this poor woman who was overworked, underpaid and the scapegoat of Atria.”

    The California Department of Social Services also fined Atria $39,500 for the two deaths and one hospitalization and in 2023 was considering revoking the care facility’s license. At the time, the company appealed the department’s decision.

    As of November, Atria Park of San Mateo had a “probationary” license status, according to the Department of Social Services.

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    Caelyn Pender

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  • Arrest made in decades-old Foster City homicide

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    FOSTER CITY – An 81-year-old man was arrested Monday on suspicion of killing his estranged wife more than 40 years ago and dumping her body in San Francisco Bay, police said.

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    Jason Green

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  • Actor Joaquin Phoenix lends support to convicted Berkeley activist Zoe Rosenberg in Petaluma Poultry case

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    The latest twist came Monday in the high-profile case of animal welfare activist Zoe Rosenberg, who awaits sentencing for her role in taking four chickens from a Perdue Farms processing facility in Petaluma: a celebrity endorsement.

    Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix, one of Hollywood’s most esteemed actors, released a statement through the group Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE, urging the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office to prosecute Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry facility for “years of documented cruelty,” rather than focusing its attention on activists such as Rosenberg.

    RELATED: Berkeley animal activist Zoe Rosenberg found guilty in ‘chicken rescue’ case tied to Petaluma Poultry

    “Criminalizing people for rescuing suffering animals is a moral failure,” Phoenix wrote. “Compassion is not a crime. When individuals step in to save a life because the system has looked the other way, they should be supported — not prosecuted. We have to decide who we are as a society: one that protects the vulnerable, or one that punishes those who try.”

    In addition to circulating the statement to media outlets, DxE posted it on Facebook and Instagram. By 3 p.m. Monday, the post had been shared more than 1,800 times, and had attracted nearly 2,000 comments, most of them supportive of Phoenix’s message.

    Carla Rodriguez, the Sonoma County district attorney, said her office had not heard directly from the actor, and she had not spoken to him.

    Zoe Rosenberg talks to supporters outside the Sonoma County Hall of Justice after being found guilty of felony conspiracy. Photo taken in Santa Rosa Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat) 

    Rosenberg, a 23-year-old Cal student billed by Berkeley-based DxE as an “animal cruelty investigator,” was convicted Oct. 29 by a Sonoma County jury on charges of felony conspiracy and three misdemeanors. She is set to be sentenced Dec. 3 and could face up to 4½ years for her actions at the Petaluma Poultry processing plant during a 2023 incursion there by activists.

    If it seems odd to see a movie star insinuate himself into the legal affairs of Sonoma County, it fits Phoenix’s lifelong support of animal welfare. He has been vegan since the age of 3.

    When he won the Best Actor award for his dark portrayal of the title character in the movie “Joker,” he took the opportunity to speak out on animal agriculture.

    “We go into the natural world, and we plunder it for its resources,” Phoenix told the audience in Hollywood while accepting his Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony. “We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow, and when she gives birth, we steal her baby even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf, and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.”

    The next day, Phoenix backed up his words with action. In partnership with the activist group LA Animal Save, he helped remove a cow and newborn calf from a slaughterhouse in Pico Rivera, with permission from the owner, and relocated the animals to the Farm Sanctuary property in Acton. Both locations are in Los Angeles County.

    Phoenix won other awards for “Joker” in 2020, and he took up the cause of animal liberation at each step. Before the British Academy Film Awards, known as the BAFTAs, he helped drape a 400-square-foot banner from London’s famed Tower Bridge, declaring “Factory farming destroys our planet. Go vegan.”

    Direct Action Everywhere insists producers such as Petaluma Poultry run factory farms that are too large to ensure animal welfare. Local dairy and poultry businesses vehemently disagree, a debate that came to a head in 2024 when DxE members championed Measure J, which sought to sharply limit the size of those operations in Sonoma County. The measure suffered a resounding defeat at the polls.

    A month before the BAFTA demonstration, Phoenix thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which at the time hosted the Golden Globe Awards, for adopting vegan standards at its 2020 ceremony.

    “But we have to do more than that,” he urged the Golden Globes audience that night. “Together we can hopefully be unified and actually make some changes. It’s great to vote. But sometimes we have to take that responsibility on ourselves.”

    A DxE spokesperson said Phoenix’s statement on behalf of Rosenberg was coordinated by his social impact advisor, Michelle Cho.

    Petaluma Poultry was locally owned until 2011, when it was acquired by Perdue Farms, the Maryland-based agribusiness giant. The company still buys its chickens from local farms. DxE has claimed for years that conditions at the Petaluma facility are cruel to the birds and unhealthy for consumers.

    Perdue Farms denies such claims and has petitioned the courts to prevent DxE demonstrators from protesting at the homes of Petaluma Poultry executives.

    Direct Action Everywhere activists protest at the Santa Rosa home of Jason Arnold, Petaluma Poultry director of operations, on March 22. (Direct Action Everywhere)
    Direct Action Everywhere activists protest at the Santa Rosa home of Jason Arnold, Petaluma Poultry director of operations, on March 22. (Direct Action Everywhere) Direct Action Everywhere

    “Petaluma Poultry is very committed to proper animal care,” local spokesperson Rob Muelrath said on behalf of the company. “Our birds have room to move around, access to the outdoors, and things to keep them engaged. They’re raised on a healthy diet without antibiotics.”

    Muelrath added that the facility is regularly visited by U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors, and by Global Animal Partnership, a nonprofit that rates welfare standards at farms, ranches and other businesses related to meat production.

    The Sonoma County Superior Court judge in Rosenberg’s trial, Kenneth Gnoss, prohibited her attorneys from introducing documentation DxE had collected at the processing plant in Petaluma.

    Her attorneys argued she acted out of moral duty to save animals she believed were suffering. She said after the verdict, she had no regrets about her actions.

    Her legal team is planning to appeal.

    “The jury found Zoe Rosenberg guilty on all counts,” Muelrath wrote to The Press Democrat. “The break-in was a well-planned, deliberate breach of private property with the intent to steal — a criminal act that was deliberate, strategic, and bordering on corporate espionage or agro-terrorism.”

    Phoenix’s filmography also includes starring roles in “Walk the Line,” “Her,” “The Master” and, most recently, “Eddington.”

    You can reach Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @Skinny_Post.

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    Phil Barber

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  • Beer and food pairing 101: Consider the three C’s

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    Now that the holidays are here, it’s time to start planning your upcoming family feasts — including what beer you’re going to serve. Over the years, I’ve offered advice on tasty ways to pair beer with a variety of things, such as salads, candy, grilled meats, ice cream, cheese and even Girl Scout cookies. While I’ve been experimenting with pairing food and beer for three decades, there’s really no magic to it. Here are some basic concepts to help you successfully find the right beer for whatever you’re eating. The simplest way to approach pairing beer and food? Consider the three C’s: complement, contrast and cut.

    Complement

    Beer can complement food by harmonizing similar flavors, like chocolate notes in chocolate brownies with the chocolate in a dark stout. Try matching a spicy dish with a hoppy IPA, or a Rauchbier (smoked beer) or porter with barbecue. When two similar flavors combine, they’re often better than the sum of the parts, leading to a more pleasurable dining experience.

    You can look at this from either direction. You can start with a beer and then decide on what food to make. Is your beer malty with caramel or toffee notes? Maybe order a thick steak. Or, if you already have your food, what are its signature flavors? If it’s spicy, maybe drink a spicy beer.

    Contrast

    The second “C” is contrast. Start by looking for opposites. For instance, a classic contrasting pairing is oysters and stout. A dry Irish stout, with roasted chocolate notes and strong coffee bitterness, meets its match in the sweet, briny flavors of oysters. If you’re having something sour, like sauerkraut or kimchi, try a sweeter beer, especially one with fruit flavors to emphasize that contrast between sweet and sour. Or pair a sour beer like a Lambic or a Gose with something like beef stew.

    Basically, hop bitterness, roast malt, carbonation and alcohol can all balance sweetness and fatty richness in food, and the malty sweetness in certain beers can balance the acidity and hot spiciness of foods with those characteristics.

    Adding just the right beer to a special meal can help bring out the flavors and textures in each bite in mouth-watering ways. Here’s a guide to get started with pairing food and beer. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) 

    Cut

    Lastly, the third “C” is cutting. Many beers, especially ones that are highly carbonated, are well-matched for food that is fatty, rich or sometimes even spicy, and can cut through and cleanse the palate between bites. A rich creamy cheese will be no match for a fruit Lambic, for example, and an amber ale will slice through a spicy chicken wing like a hot knife through butter.

    This concept works especially well with fried foods, because frying intensifies the food’s caramel flavors, while the beer’s carbonation and acidity (from the yeast) will cut right through the fat.

    Other considerations

    There are a few other factors to consider when creating pairing combinations. The most important is the strength of the beer. You wouldn’t want to drink a barley wine over 10% ABV with your salad; a more delicate, lower alcohol beer would be a better match. If you’re having a multi-course meal, it’s usually best to start with lighter beers and move up as you go. That will make pairing your dessert with a big sipping beer all the more appropriate and tasty.

    More generally, you want to keep in mind the relative strength of both the food and your beer. Neither should overpower the other. Whether contrasting or complementing, they should remain in balance. Other considerations might be: What is the weather like? What’s the occasion? What mood am I in?

    There are, of course, tried-and-true lists of good pairings. Pizza and lager is a classic for a reason: Simply, it works. I also like to pair brown ale with shepherd’s pie, sour beer with cheesecake, and pilsner with fish and chips. While you can’t go wrong with any of those, it’s more fun to try and come up with your own perfect pairings. One of my absolute best happened by accident. I was at an event that served chili con carne alongside wheels of blue cheese. Adding the blue cheese to the chili (itself quite amazing) while enjoying a lightly spicy IPA cut through the spicy heat of the dish and complemented the tangy cheese indescribably well. It’s a combo I’ve returned to many times. But I never would have discovered how good it was unless I thought about it and tried it. Let me know what perfect pairings you discover.

    Contact Jay R. Brooks at BrooksOnBeer@gmail.com.

     

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    Jay R. Brooks

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  • Askarov stands tall (again) as Sharks finish homestand with impressive win

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    SAN JOSE – Shakir Mukhamadullin and Macklin Celebrini both had goals in the first two periods, and goalie Yaroslav Askarov made 33 saves as the San Jose Sharks earned a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday to close out a four-game homestand.

    Mukhamadullin scored his first goal of the season at the 15:53 mark of the first period, and Celebrini added his 14th at the 11:45 mark of the second on a power play as the Sharks took a 2-0 lead.

    The Bruins got one goal back at the 10:02 mark of the third as Morgan Geekie scored his 17th of the season in front of the Sharks’ net off a pass from David Pastrnak.

    Collin Graf iced the win for the Sharks with an empty-net goal with 1:07 to play.

    Askarov didn’t have a chance on that play and had eight saves in the third period, as the Sharks finished their homestand with a 3-1-0 record.

    Askarov made 25 saves through two periods, including one on a one-timer by Pastrnak midway through the second period.

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San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) keeps an eye on the puck against Boston Bruins’ Marat Khusnutdinov (92) in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

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Askarov entered Sunday as one of the hottest goalies in the NHL. In seven starts this month, Askarov was 6-1-0, and his .957 save percentage was second-best among all NHL goalies who have started at least seven games.

Askarov was coming off a 31-save performance in the Sharks’ 4-3 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings. Askarov also made 24 saves in San Jose’s 3-2 overtime win over the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday to open the homestand.

The Sharks were looking to bounce back after a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday when coach Ryan Warsofsky lamented his team’s lack of complete, battle-level, and attention to detail.

San Jose held a 2-1 lead late in the second period, but a poor line change helped lead to a goal by Senators winger Fabian Zetterlund, and a defensive breakdown late in the third allowed Tim Stutzle to score the go-ahead goal, handing the Sharks their third loss in five games.

The Sharks tweaked their forward lines for Sunday’s game. William Eklund was moved to the top line alongside Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, and Philipp Kurashev slid to the second line with Alexander Wennberg, who played his 100th game with the Sharks on Sunday, and Tyler Toffoli.

Playing on back-to-back days, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky also wanted to get fresh legs into the lineup, as rookie Sam Dickinson entered the lineup for Sam Klingberg. But it was clear, too, that Warsofsky thought Klingberg’s miscue led to Stutzle’s goal on Saturday.

“We don’t scan well enough as a defense, we don’t read it,” Warsofsky said Sunday. “It’s a quick game. So, we’ve got to be able to read it quickly. Again, the change isn’t (ideal), but it’s a 2-1-2 (neutral-zone forecheck). We should be able to defend that pretty easily.”

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San Jose Sharks’ Tyler Toffoli (73) fights for the puck against Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) and Boston Bruins’ Elias Lindholm (28) in the first period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

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Curtis Pashelka

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  • Sharks’ Klingberg takes a seat after miscue; Will roster spot be available for young center?

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    SAN JOSE – Say this about the way the San Jose Sharks’ active roster is put together: When coach Ryan Warsofsky wants to make a change on defense, he has no shortage of options.

    Sunday, it was again John Klingberg’s turn to take a seat in the press box, as the Sharks prepared to face the Boston Bruins at SAP Center to finish a four-game homestand.

    Playing on back-to-back days, Warsofsky said he wanted to get fresh legs into the lineup Sunday, as rookie Sam Dickinson entered the lineup for Klingberg. But it was clear, too, that Warsofsky thought Klingberg’s miscue helped the Ottawa Senators earn a 3-2 win over the Sharks on Saturday.

    Klingberg scored a power-play goal for the Sharks in the first period. But he was also on the ice late and out of position in the third period when the Senators got a 2-on-0 and scored what would become the game-winning goal.

    As Sharks forwards Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev headed off the ice on an ill-timed line change, Klingberg was too far to the outside when Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson sent a pass right past Shakir Mukhamadullin to Drake Batherson.

    Batherson passed to Dylan Cozens, whose shot on a forehand-to-backhand move was saved by Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic. Klingberg got back but was unable to clear the puck off the goal line before Tim Stutzle arrived and poked it across with 6:38 left in the third period for the go-ahead goal.

    “We don’t scan well enough as a defense, we don’t read it,” Warsofsky said Sunday. “It’s a quick game. So, we’ve got to be able to read quick. Again, the change isn’t (ideal), but it’s a 2-1-2 (neutral-zone forecheck). We should be able to defend that pretty easily.”

    Klingberg, signed to a one-year, $3 million contract as a free agent in July, was a healthy scratch for the first time this season on Tuesday when San Jose hosted Utah.

    “I’m a defenseman. I’ve got to know what’s going on behind me,” Klingberg said after Saturday’s game. “But I’m thinking it’s a 1-1-3, so I’m gapping up on (Stutzle) and then they pass it, and there’s a breakaway 2-on-0 behind me. So, I’ve got to realize that a lot quicker.

    “(Nedeljkovic) obviously makes a huge save, and then I kind of get stuck with my stick in his pad. Otherwise, I’m clearing out (the puck) on the goal line.”

    Veteran defenseman Nick Leddy will also be a scratch for a third straight game Sunday, as the Sharks had eight available defensemen against the Bruins. They will soon have a ninth, as Vincent Iorio finishes up his two-week conditioning loan with the Barracuda.

    The overabundance of blueliners has created a bit of a tricky situation for Warsofsky, who has to dress the best lineup he can for every game while ensuring that Dickinson and Mukhamadullin are still playing and developing the proper way.

    Asked Sunday how tenable it is to continue to have nine defensemen, while only having 12 forwards, Warsofsky said, “It is what it is. We’ll focus on today, and the guys on the roster, and we’ll make do.”

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • 49ers 5 keys to beating Panthers on Monday night for elusive second straight win

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    SANTA CLARA – On display now at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a memento from the 49ers’ last game, only it’s the Arizona Cardinals’ jersey of Jacoby Brissett, who set an NFL record with 47 completions last Sunday.

    Embarrassing as that may be, the 49ers brought home their seventh victory of the season. Winning by any means possible is all that matters from here on out to the playoffs, and possibly back home to Levi’s Stadium for Super Bowl LX in this bizarro-world season.

    That’s why the 49ers (7-4) can not overlook the surprisingly upstart Carolina Panthers (6-5) in Monday night’s matchup.

    “It gets more important the later you get in the year, especially playing against a team right now who’s in the playoff hunt, fighting for first place in their division,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “So, I think we fully understand how important it is to get a back-to-back win.”

    The 49ers have not done that since their 3-0 start, instead alternating wins and losses each weekend amid myriad injuries.

    The Panthers had won just twice in 20 road games dating to 2023 before winning their past three away from Charlotte. They’re seeking their first Monday Night Football road win since 2016, and, almost a decade later, this is their first encore away from home since then.

    They’re not total strangers out here. They were, after all, the 49ers’ NFC West cohort from 1995-2001. They lost Super Bowl 50 here a decade ago. And they clobbered Shanahan 23-3 in his 49ers’ debut in 2017.

    But, again, all that matters now is who wins Monday night and makes a sizeable step toward the playoffs. Here are five keys for the 49ers to make that happen:

    1. STOP THE RUN

    The No. 1 task for any defense is stopping the run, and Monday night that puts the 49ers’ focus on Rico Dowdle. His patience style paid off with a 1,079-yard season last season as the Dallas Cowboys’ starter, and he’s carried that over this season to the Panthers.

    He is averaging 5 yards per carry, and he’s 167 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season. Mind you, he ran for 391 yards combined in back-to-back games against Miami and Dallas last month. Dowdle played a bit role as a Cowboys backup in two previous games against the 49ers, totaling just 26 yards in those 2020 and ’23 games. Spelling him are Chubba Hubbard and rookie Trevor Etienne.

    Curtis Robinson’s first career start comes with weighty responsibility as the play-relaying, movement-signaling middle linebacker role previously occupied by Fred Warner and Tatum Bethune, the latter of whom is out likely these next two games before the Week 14 bye because of last Sunday’s high-ankle sprain.

    2. TIGHTER PASS DEFENSE

    The 49ers not only failed to sack Brissett amid his 47-completion barrage, they yielded the fourth-most yards in their history (452). Carolina’s Bryce Young almost threw for that many on Sunday, too.

    In beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-27 in overtime, Young delivered a career-best game (448 yards, three touchdowns, 123.2 rating). He has a bona fide No. 1 target in Tetairoa McMillan, who leads all rookies with 748 yards (four touchdowns). The 6-foot-5 McMillan had 130 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday, but he’s yet to produce a reception longer than 40 yards.

    The 49ers got interceptions last game from Deommodore Lenoir and Malik Mustapha, perhaps signaling a long-awaited launch point for a takeaway trend. The 49ers’ pass rush, led by Bryce Huff and Keion White, also could wake up and get to Young, who got sacked five times last game.

    Pay particular attention to intermediate passes between 10 and 19 yards, where McMillan has thrived (407 yards) and the 49ers’ defense has waned (111.3 passer rating).

    3. AN ‘UNWANTED’ McCAFFREY

    McCaffrey entered the NFL in 2017 with a chip on his shoulder and carried it with him from the Panthers’ trade to the 49ers three years ago. Motivation is never a concern. But perhaps he should channel his post-trade emotions and lash out for his third 100-yard game in the past six weeks, though the 49ers certainly wouldn’t mind another three-touchdown outing like last game.

    “In hindsight, I firmly believe it’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” McCaffrey said in May 2023 about the trade. “But at the time, it was bittersweet, right? You’re leaving (Carolina). In my head, I was pissed off, and to be frank, I felt, ‘You guys don’t want me anymore.’ I was hungry. That was the first emotion. I was hungry to get back to the football that I knew I could play.”

    Fullback Kyle Juszczyk called it a “weird” feeling the first time he faced his original team, the Baltimore Ravens, and said: “I’m sure Christian is going to have some of that. There’s going to be guys he played with over there and a few coaches, the medical staff. I’m sure he’ll be extra juiced up to go out there and put on a good performance.”

    The Panthers struggled last week to slow one of McCaffrey’s fellow all-purpose backs in Bijan Robinson, who ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns while adding 39 receiving yards.

    4. RED ZONE EFFICIENCY

    Often seizing on defensive coverages they’ve scouted, the 49ers have scored touchdowns on 12 of their past 15 red-zone drives over the past three games, and 16-of-19 dating to the Oct. 19 win over Atlanta.

    That’s pumped them up to the 11th-best red-zone offense in the league, with a 63.4% conversion rate. After a down 2024 season (57.1%), this full-strength 49ers offense could be trending back toward it’s league-leading mark in 2023 (67.2%).

    The Panthers’ defense ranks 29th in red-zone efficiency, yielding touchdowns on 65.8% of such drives.

    If the 49ers don’t score touchdowns, they should get points from newly signed kicker Matt Gay, who’s filling in after Eddy Piñeiro’s hamstring strain Sunday. Gay has made all 43 field-goal attempts in his career inside 30 yards and 84% on overall field-goal tries, though just 32-of-54 when attempting from 50 yards and longer.

    5. WIDE RECEIVER OUTBURST

    With Brandon Aiyuk’s comeback on indefinite hold and a 2026 breakup on the horizon, the time is ripe for Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne to rise up and link up with Brock Purdy, who’s right big toe is amenable to a second straight start for the first time this season.

    Purdy may have thrown three touchdown passes last Sunday in his triumphant return from a six-game hiatus, but they predictably went to George Kittle (two) and Christian McCaffrey (one). Pearsall had one catch for no gain, Bourne got shutout to remain 18 yards shy of a $500,000 bonus, and Jennings has just 378 yards in a highly publicized contract year. The only 49ers wide receivers under contract for 2026 are Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, and, for now, Aiyuk, pending a likely March exit.

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    Cam Inman

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  • CCS, NCS football playoffs: Best of Saturday’s semifinals

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    Saturday’s games

    CCS Division II

    No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral 63, No. 3 Santa Teresa 27 

    The game was tied at seven in the first half Saturday, but that’s as close as Santa Teresa would get as SHC routed the Saints to advance to the section title game, where the Fightin’ Irish will play rival St. Ignatius next week. SHC used a 28-point second quarter to propel the San Francisco school to the win. Quarterback Michael Sargent accounted for six touchdowns – throwing for four and rushing for two. Running back Jaylen Malcom had three touchdowns for Santa Teresa, which finished 11-1. – Nathan Canilao

    CCS Division V

    No. 1 Piedmont Hills 41, No. 4 Jefferson 14

    Piedmont Hills will play in its first section final since 2010 after making quick work of Jefferson at home. Senior Diego Arias was excellent on both sides of the ball, getting a 32-yard pick-six and throwing a 50-yard touchdown to Travis Linane. Running back Alijah Torres had two rushing scores. Quarterback John Palomo ran for a touchdown and kicker Cash Martinez knocked in field goals from 26 and 32 yards away. Jefferson quarterback Robert Saulny-Green accounted for both of his team’s touchdowns with a rushing score and a passing TD. The Pirates will play Sobrato for the D-V championship next week. They will try to avenge a 40-30 loss to the Morgan Hill school this season. Jefferson ended its season 9-2. – Nathan Canilao

    No. 2 Sobrato 27, No. 3 Terra Nova 19

    Brady Lennon rushed for 272 yards and three touchdowns to help Sobrato to the win and the program’s first appearance in a CCS title game. Lennon broke a 70-yard scoring run on the second play of the game. Brandon Huighes connected with Jacob Sorrentino on a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0. After Terra Nova drew to within 20-19, Lennon’s 26-yard TD run with 1:46 left gave Sobrato (8-4) an eight-point lead. Then when kicker Kyle Gurney recovered a fumble on the subsequent kickoff, the Bulldogs were able to run out the clock. For Terra Nova (8-4), QB Joey Donati rushed for 93 yards and passed for 184 and touchdowns to Robbie Johnson and Holden Najar. – Glenn Reeves

    NCS Division V

    No. 2 Ferndale 35, No. 3 Salesian 7

    Salesian traveled more than 250 miles up Highway 101 for its semifinal game against Ferndale, hoping to return home to Richmond with a shot to capture the program’s eighth NCS championship next week. For three quarters Saturday, there was still hope. The Pride trailed 14-7 with 12 minutes to play. But the home team found another gear down the stretch, scoring three touchdowns in the final quarter to advance to play top-seeded St. Vincent de Paul for the championship next Saturday at Rancho Cotate High in Rohnert Park. Instead of Salesian playing for an eighth NCS crown, Ferndale (12-0) will be seeking its 15th. Salesian finished 10-2.  – Darren Sabedra

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    Nathan Canilao, Darren Sabedra, Glenn Reeves

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  • Waymo moves toward expanding service across Bay Area, Sacramento, SoCal

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    The Mountain View-based autonomous vehicle company Waymo is making big strides towards expanding its service across the state of California. 

    The company is now one step closer to operating its driverless taxis across most of the Bay Area and a big stretch of Southern California.

    In California, Waymo already operates autonomous vehicles for customers around Los Angeles, in San Francisco, through the Peninsula, and all the way to San Jose.

    The California Department of Motor Vehicles updated its website showing that the department has approved additional areas across the state of operation for Waymo’s driverless testing and deployment, including a large swath of Southern California and much of the Bay Area, plus Sacramento.

    In Northern California, the expanded area stretches north past Santa Rosa and all the way east to Sacramento, including cities in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Solano, Yolo, and Sacramento County.

    In Southern California, the expanded area extends north to Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks, all the way past San Diego to the southernmost part of the west side of the state.

    The areas included in these maps are what the state calls operational design domains (or ODDs). The ODDs approved for Waymo apply to both its Jaguar I-Pace and Zeekr RT vehicle models.

    But don’t expect to see Waymos on the road across the Bay Area just yet. The company needs approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to start charging riders and collecting fares for these expanded areas of operation.

    A Waymo spokesperson told NBC Bay Area in a statement on Saturday: “We appreciate the DMV’s approval of our expanded fully autonomous operations.”

    The company noted that the next place in California where it plans to launch its autonomous vehicle service for customers is San Diego, where it expects to welcome its first riders in mid-2026.

    NBC Bay Area has reached out to the California DMV and California CPUC for comment and is awaiting a response.

    Local leaders from the Wine Country to Oakland are keeping an eye on these changes. Multiple elected officials said they’d been contacted by Waymo to talk about autonomous vehicles possibly expanding to their city.

    Oakland District 7 City Council Member Ken Houston said his office had been contacted by Waymo, but he hasn’t spoken with the company yet.

    Houston said he thinks Waymo coming to Oakland “would be a great asset.”

    But he thinks 2026 will be a bit too early to start Waymo service there because the city will be doing major road improvements and encampment abatement then.

    Houston said that 2027 onward could be a better time to bring in the autonomous vehicles.

    Like many leaders we spoke with, Houston said he still has questions for Waymo, too.

    “How’s it going to bring jobs? How is it going to bring vitality to our city? What is it going to do? How are they going to be a partner to the city?” Houston said.

    Oakland’s District 5 City Council Member Noel Gallo thinks Waymos are on the horizon for Oakland.

    “It’s another opportunity for Oakland to join the future,” Gallo said, pointing out the growing list of cities across the country where Waymo is now operating.

    Gallo said he’s spoken with Waymo representatives and has taken a ride on a Waymo.

    “There are some processes and policies we have to go through, but I am in complete support of Waymo coming to Oakland,” Gallo said.

    Oakland’s District 3 Council Member Carroll Fife said Waymo representatives have reached out to her as well.

    Fife said, “I am in the process of doing my due diligence with my constituents and various stakeholders on Waymo’s potential presence in Oakland.”

    Further north in Santa Rosa, Councilmember Jeff Okrepkie said that Waymo also reached out to him and other elected leaders to discuss their plans for the area.

    “My understanding is that there’s infrastructure needed to expand it,” Okrepkie said.

    “I personally welcome it,” he continued, “I think it would be great.”

    Okrepkie said he’s had good experiences so far traveling in Waymo driverless taxis in Arizona.

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    Alyssa Goard

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