Category: Bay Area

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor. Legislators should OK single-payer health plan State legislators should pass AB 1400 or CalCare now to give all Californians the health care they need. Obamacare is a big improvement in preventing insurance companies from denying health care because of pre-existing medical conditions, but some people still have no health care — for example, if they are low income, unemployed, in certain geographical, racial or otherwise marginalized groups — because insurance companies choose to maximize profit by not serving them. If New York, like California, does pass universal health care, or a single-payer system as is now more likely, the increasingly necessary step away from the richest nation on Earth paying twice as much for the poorest health outcomes may become a thing of the past sooner than we hoped for. Ruby MacDonald El Cerrito Never too early to talk to kids about racism On March 26, the administration at Kensington Hilltop Elementary informed community members of “a significant number of incidents in which derogatory slurs have been aimed at students and

By Haley Talbot, Lauren Fox and Clare Foran | CNN House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Columbia University’s president to resign Wednesday during a tense news conference where the crowd repeatedly interrupted the speaker and at times loudly booed him and other GOP lawmakers who were with him as they stood at the microphones. “We just can’t allow this kind of hatred and antisemitism to flourish on our campuses, and it must be stopped in its tracks. Those who are perpetrating this violence should be arrested. I am here today joining my colleagues, and calling on President Shafik to resign if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos,” Johnson said Wednesday. Johnson visited Columbia University on Wednesday to meet with Jewish students and delivered remarks with other Republican lawmakers. When Johnson and the GOP lawmakers walked up to begin speaking, there were loud boos. During the question-and-answer portion, a coordinated chant of “Mike, you suck” erupted from the crowd. At another point during the remarks, the crowd started chanting loudly, to which Johnson said, “Enjoy your free speech.” The timing of Johnson’s visit comes as the embattled speaker is facing an

By Edith M. Lederer | Associated Press UNITED NATIONS — Russia on Wednesday vetoed a U.N. resolution sponsored by the United States and Japan calling on all nations to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms race in outer space, calling it “a dirty spectacle” that cherry picks weapons of mass destruction from all other weapons that should also be banned. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 13 in favor, Russia opposed and China abstaining. The resolution would have called on all countries not to develop or deploy nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction in space, as banned under a 1967 international treaty that included the U.S. and Russia, and to agree to the need to verify compliance. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said after the vote that Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space. “Today’s veto begs the question: Why? Why, if you are following the rules, would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them? What could you possibly be hiding,” she asked. “It’s baffling. And it’s a shame.” Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily

Looking to buy a home in Alameda County? Now is your last chance to apply for an interest-free loan from a local program that helps first-time homebuyers afford a down payment. AC Boost, a $50 million county effort launched in 2019, is accepting applications through May 15 for its final round of funding. To qualify, applicants must be first-time homebuyers who live or work in Alameda County or have been displaced from a home there in the last 10 years. Eligible buyers can borrow up to $210,000, depending on their income. Applicants can earn no more than 120% of the area’s median income. That’s $177,500 for a family of four. In March, the typical price for a single-family home in the county hit $1.4 million, a 16% jump from the same time last year, according to the California Association of Realtors. A 20% downpayment on a home that price? A cool $280,000. On top of the price spike, stubbornly high mortgage rates have pushed homeownership even further out of reach for many residents. In addition to helping priced-out homebuyers, the program aims to close the

Those who enjoy fishing and who seek trout and salmon in particular were reminded Wednesday by California Department of Fish & Wildlife officials that they should keep their dogs away from the uncooked fish. A parasitic flatworm called Nanophyetes salmincola can be transmitted to canines that eat the two types of fish before they’re cooked, creating a bacteria-like organism in their body and a condition called salmon poisoning disease, officials said. It is seen only in dogs. The disease is potentially fatal but is treatable. Signs of the disease in a dog include a rise in body temperature, a loss of appetite, listlessness, diarrhea and vomiting. Rapid weight loss may also happen. Dogs with those symptoms must be rushed to a veterinary hospital, officials said. They can die within two weeks of eating uncooked fish containing the parasite. Fish and Wildlife officials said the the flatworm — or “fluke” — occurs naturally in the waters of Northern California, particularly the north part of the state. Trout found in Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and

By Larry Madowo | CNN At least 32 people have been killed and two are missing after flash floods swept through almost half of Kenya. Some 103,500 people in all have been affected. Kenya has registered heavy rain since mid-March but downpours have intensified over the past week, leading to mass flooding. The Kenyan Red Cross says it has carried out over 188 rescues since the onset in March. Some roads in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi were closed Wednesday and several neighborhoods remained submerged after another day of heavy rainfall. “The situation in Nairobi has escalated to extreme levels. The county government for all its efforts is clearly overwhelmed,” wrote city Senator Edwin Sifuna on his X account. “We need all national emergency services mobilized to save lives.” He shared a video of residents trapped on the roofs of their houses in an informal settlement in Nairobi. The Kenya Red Cross Society said it had rescued 18 people in the Mathare 4A neighborhood who had become “stranded due to floodwaters caused by heavy rains last night in Nairobi.” It added that it was carrying

5661 Lemke Place – Google Street View A house located in the 5600 block of Lemke Place in Fremont has new owners. The 1,387-square-foot property, built in 1965, was sold on March 14, 2024. The $1,630,000 purchase price works out to $1,175 per square foot. This single-story home provides a generous living space with its four bedrooms and two baths. Additionally, the home is equipped with a two-car garage, accommodating vehicles and storage needs efficiently. The property occupies a sizable 6,174-square-foot lot. Additional houses that have recently been sold close by include: In June 2022, a 1,067-square-foot home on Silver Reef Drive in Fremont sold for $1,380,000, a price per square foot of $1,293. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. On Roosevelt Place, Fremont, in June 2022, a 1,387-square-foot home was sold for $1,150,000, a price per square foot of $829. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A 1,232-square-foot home on the 5500 block of Hughes Place in Fremont sold in January 2023, for $1,300,000, a price per square foot of $1,055. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

By STEPHEN GROVES and MARY CLARE JALONICK WASHINGTON — For Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Mike Johnson, the necessity of providing Ukraine with weapons and other aid as it fends off Russia’s invasion is rooted in their earliest and most formative political memories. McConnell, 82, tells the story of his father’s letters from Eastern Europe in 1945, at the end of World War II, when the foot soldier observed that the Russians were “going to be a big problem” before the communist takeover to come. Johnson, 30 years younger, came of age as the Cold War was ending. As both men pushed their party this week to support a $95 billion aid package that sends support to Ukraine, as well as Israel, Taiwan and humanitarian missions, they labeled themselves “Reagan Republicans” an described the fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin in terms of U.S. strength and leadership. But the all-out effort to get the legislation through Congress left both of them grappling with an entirely new Republican Party shaped by former President Donald Trump. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks

By JAMI GANZ | jganz@nydailynews.com | New York Daily News Amber Heard offered a rare glimpse into her post-Hollywood life this week, nearly two years after she and ex-husband Johnny Depp finished a weeks-long defamation trial. The “Aquaman” star, who celebrated her 38th birthday on Monday, shared a snap of herself grinning and ringing in the occasion with a glass of Champagne, captioned, “Champagne kind of birthday.” Heard has largely stayed out of the spotlight since the spring 2022 trial. The Virginia trial centered on a 2018 op-ed Heard had penned for The Washington Post in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Though he was not identified by name in the piece, Depp sued her for $50 million for defamation. Heard, who had previously accused Depp of domestic abuse, countersued for $100 million. She attributed the countersuit to Depp’s former lawyer having discounted her allegations as a hoax. In the end, the judge awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, which were ultimately capped by the state of Virginia; the judge also awarded $2 million to Heard’s counterclaim. The former couple

As the calendar inches closer and closer to May and the light of Memorial Day — the unofficial start of summer — begins to creep in at the end of the tunnel, the weather seems determined not to cooperate in the least. And while the cold, windy and drab conditions are, as National Weather Service meteorologist Nicole Sarment put it, “not quite winter weather,” they aren’t inspiring visions of bathing suits and suntan lotion, either. “It looks like we’re going to continue on with this spring roller coaster,” Sarment said. “One day, it may appear the weather may seem settled. The next day, it may seem very unsettled.” The latest dip in the roller coaster brought a second straight day of cold spring temperatures throughout the region. Highs on Wednesday and Thursdsay were expected to peak in the mid-to-high 60s, and the lows overnight are likely to touch the 40s or low 50s at least through the weekend. Temperatures by Sunday may reach the low 70s in some areas. But as the weekend approaches, those temperatures likely will be tinged with the sharp chill brought

OAKLEY — A policy to guide council members in their personal social media postings passed its first hurdle Tuesday. Though Oakley City Attorney Derek Cole cautioned the city cannot control a councilmembers’ speech on personal social media and has “limited ability” to enforce such a policy, council members still wanted to have a policy in place to give to new members at the start of their terms. Cole explained that private social media accounts belong to the council members and are protected by the First Amendment. As such, the city cannot impose rules that forbid council members from engaging in any type of speech — even if that speech may be perceived as improper. Most cities have social media policies for official staff communications and city accounts, but fewer try to regulate personal accounts. In May of 2021 Antioch City Council members concluded they didn’t need a formal policy to regulate their social media posts. Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock had raised the idea, noting the California League of Cities has suggested municipalities consider such a policy as more elected officials and committee members find themselves embroiled

“Anyone But You” star Glen Powell is finally coming clean about what fans of his hit rom-com with Sydney Sweeney kinda-sorta suspected. It is that he and Sweeney staged flirtatious off-screen moments in order to generate buzz about “Anyone But You,” fueling speculation that their on-screen chemistry wasn’t just acting. The speculation reached a fever pitch last year after Powell and his long-time girlfriend broke up, giving rise to rumors that he and Sweeney had really fallen for each other during production in Australia and started an affair. But Powell admitted in an interview with the New York Times, as “Anyone But You” began streaming on Netflix this week, that the speculation played out just as he and Sweeney intended. “The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry. Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry,” Powell told the Times. “That’s people wanting what’s on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit — and it worked wonderfully.” Powell also said that

Confession: I grew up eating bland foods and never developed a taste for spiciness. My wife, children and friends, who all love spice in its myriad forms, enjoy taunting me to try different foods, usually by claiming something like, “It’s not too spicy! You’ll be fine.” I never am. Whenever I ate spicy foods as a kid, my mother would give me a glass of milk to help ease the burning. I never knew why, but it seemed to work. The good news is that the right beer works too, helping me not only tolerate spicy food but almost enjoy the experience. And for people who already love that chili pepper heat, the combination becomes sublime. So whether you’re a seasoned spicehound or a nervous novice, here’s some advice for pairing beer with spicy foods and how to do so with your eyes wide open (and hopefully not tearing up). Here’s a hot take: I don’t think IPAs work well with spicy foods. While many beer lovers claim that IPAs match well with spicy foods, these drinks really only increase the perception of spiciness. The

The revelation of weighty discipline cases against several high-ranking Oakland police officers over an allegedly mishandled internal affairs investigation has plunged the scandal-ridden department into fresh controversy. The timing is far from ideal, as a judge is scheduled to decide in June if the OPD can be freed from two decades of federal oversight. While the department was making steady progress in recent months toward having its conservatorship lifted, the fallout from this latest misstep could change that. Few details of the discipline — which includes notices of intent to terminate Deputy Chief Drennon Lindsey and Sgt. Mega Lee, as well as at least one officer suspension — have been made available to police-oversight officials, who say they normally have access to investigative documents in such cases. The officers facing punishment have the right to appeal and argue their cases in what’s known as Skelly hearing. They are accused of botching an internal affairs investigation into former Homicide Det. Phong Tran, who is facing a jury trial over allegations he bribed a confidential witness in a murder case. The discipline could deal a significant blow

OAKLAND — International Boulevard in Oakland is home to a vibrant mix of cultures from downtown Oakland to the San Leandro border. Colorful, cultural street murals cover restaurant facades and the street is peppered with food carts and vendors selling everything from fruit cups to T-shirts. But navigating the vital, busy thoroughfare can be a heart pumping challenge for pedestrians and drivers alike. The city of Oakland and Alameda County transportation officials are now pouring several million dollars into making the street safer, more transit friendly and easier to navigate. And they are not alone. Major planning efforts are happening throughout the Bay Area to make it easier for people to get around, whether it’s reconnecting communities severed by freeways or highways, or figuring out ways to make streets safer to cross and transit more easily accessible. Last month, Caltrans also announced $149 million for three projects, including one in South San Francisco to add safe walkways, bike lanes, bus stops and other upgrades in areas with neglected transit infrastructure, including El Camino Real. The busy six-lane thoroughfare is the site of multiple pedestrian fatalities

When school districts seek ballot approval for new property taxes, they should be transparent about the measures and encourage voter participation. The San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s two measures on a special May 7 election ballot flunk both tests. Voters should reject Measure E, a replacement of an existing parcel tax with one that has new inflation adjustments, and Measure F, a separate new parcel tax. These measures should have been placed on either the March primary or the November general election ballot. Calling a special election suppresses voter turnout. To see this, consider that the last time the district sought voter approval for a parcel tax, in a May 2015 special election, voter turnout was 34%. Compare that to the just-completed March primary in which voter turnout for the district’s two cities, Danville and San Ramon, was 39%. Or the November 2022 general election, in which turnout for the two cities was 61%. And, in that election, the San Ramon school board’s only competitive race drew 61% of registered voters. In their explanation for the election timing, district officials claim, without supporting evidence, that

TODAY’S WORD — CHALLENGE (CHALLENGE: CHAL-enj: To dispute, to confront or defy boldly.) Average mark 32 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 40 or more words in CHALLENGE? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — PATIENT pain paint pane pant pantie pate paten patent patten peat pent pieta pine pint pita ante anti taint tape teat tent tine tinea tint titan inapt inept nape neap neat To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.

Declarers often face difficult guesses. Nobody guesses right all the time; that’s the nature of guessing. But inferences from the bidding or play may be helpful. In today’s deal, North’s raise to two spades, with three jacks and no shape, was questionable. Against four spades, West led the nine of diamonds: ten, jack, ace. South then needed to resolve a guess in hearts; he had to reach dummy to finesse in trumps. He tried a heart to dummy’s jack — and went down two when East took the queen and cashed two diamonds, and the defense also got the ace of hearts and king of trumps. KING OF TRUMPS An expert South should succeed. He knows East started with the K-Q-J of diamonds, and declarer should assume that East has the king of trumps. But East didn’t open the bidding, so declarer can’t give him the ace of hearts also. At Trick Two, South must give himself a chance by leading a heart to the king. He picks up the trumps with a finesse and loses only two diamonds and a heart. DAILY QUESTION You

Dear Amy: My sister will earn her Ph.D. this summer in another state. My wife and I have a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old. Bringing the whole family to the graduation would be too much for our younger child to handle. I’d like to bring our older child, who is close with the graduating aunt. My wife doesn’t support that idea because she wants to be there for that child’s first airplane flight. She acknowledges that this is a selfish desire. Should we go as a family, despite the headaches that will come from flying with a baby, or should I go solo? – Harried Husband Dear Harried: I have to admit that as someone who has flown – a lot – with my daughter when she was a baby and a toddler, and subsequently with many other children of varying ages, I don’t see flying with a 3-year-old as being the important and unmissable milestone your wife seems to perceive it to be. (I still have flashbacks of running from one end of the Dallas airport to the other with my daughter, repeatedly dropping our

3520 Ross Road – Google Street View The spacious property located in the 3500 block of Ross Road in Palo Alto was sold on April 8, 2024. The $5,650,000 purchase price works out to $1,212 per square foot. The house, built in 1991, has an interior space of 4,660 square feet. This two-story home offers a spacious layout with eight bedrooms and six baths. Inside, there is a fireplace. In addition, the house features a two-car garage. The lot size of the property measures an impressive 0.3-acre. Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include: A 1,754-square-foot home on the 3500 block of Arbutus Avenue in Palo Alto sold in March 2023, for $3,100,000, a price per square foot of $1,767. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. In June 2023, a 1,771-square-foot home on Arbutus Avenue in Palo Alto sold for $3,100,000, a price per square foot of $1,750. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. On Christine Drive, Palo Alto, in October 2022, a 2,227-square-foot home was sold for $4,100,000, a price per square foot of $1,841. The home

5939 Blossom Avenue – Google Street View A house located in the 5900 block of Blossom Avenue in San Jose has new owners. The 1,321-square-foot property, built in 1971, was sold on April 10, 2024. The $1,610,000 purchase price works out to $1,219 per square foot. This single-story house offers a roomy layout with four bedrooms and two baths. Outside, the home presents roofing composed of wood shake roofing / shingles materials. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. The property is equipped with a heating system and central A/C. Additionally, the house features a two-car garage. The lot of the property is substantial, measuring 6,930 square feet. These nearby houses have also recently been purchased: A 1,543-square-foot home on the 6000 block of Palm Springs Circle in San Jose sold in April 2024, for $1,780,000, a price per square foot of $1,154. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. On Azule Avenue, San Jose, in July 2022, a 2,074-square-foot home was sold for $1,500,000, a price per square foot of $723. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. In