Category: Bay Area

Local elected officials and advocacy groups are buoyed by signals that President Joe Biden will sign a declaration expanding the 346,177-acre San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by one-third within the next few weeks. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif. and Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, who have bills stalled in Congress that expand the monument by adding 109,167 acres of federal forest land, while designating 30,000 acres of protected wilderness and adding 45.5 miles to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, reacted positively to a Washington Post report published on Thursday, April 11. But neither legislator could confirm the story, which was sourced through two anonymous sources briefed on the topic. Representatives from Chu’s Office and Padilla’s office said Thursday they had not received any word from the White House. Padilla’s office has heard rumors from conservation groups, and some of those groups told the office that Biden himself may make it official during a future visit to California. The White House did not answer an inquiry by press time. “The Biden Administration knows the value of protecting our public lands to combat climate change and ensure

By Samantha Murphy Kelly | CNN Apple is working to a fix a bug in its latest iOS software that suggests the Palestinian flag emoji when some users search for the word “Jerusalem” in the emoji keyboard. The company told CNN it is aware of a bug within predictive emoji in the keyboard and is working on a fix that will be made available in the next iOS update. Apple’s latest software, iOS 17.4.1, was introduced on March 21, but the recent discovery of the bug upset some users on social media. In one post on X viewed more than 2.3 million times, an iPhone user questioned whether Apple was aware of the error – and whether it was intentional. Apple said the issue was a mistake and not coded into the keyboard intentionally. But the user, who said she was Jewish, provided a long list of other cities that don’t surface a flag when entered into the emoji search box. It’s possible Apple’s machine-learning technology determined the suggested emoji based on analyzing texts from millions of its users. Apple declined to elaborate on the

SAN JOSE — A San Jose State University student has been arrested and charged with arson on allegations he set two trash can fires about a week apart inside the campus library, according to authorities and court records. The college sophomore was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Elmwood men’s jail on suspicion of four counts of arson, and was initially held in lieu of $400,000 bail, jail records show. Cal Fire, which dispatched its Office of the State Fire Marshal to investigate the fires alongside university police, announced the arrest Friday. The state firefighting agency issued a bulletin Tuesday — the day before the arrest — seeking public help identifying a person recorded by a security camera entering a restroom around the time of the first reported fire on March 31 inside the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library. That trash can fire, believed to have been intentionally set, occurred in a seventh-floor men’s restroom and was extinguished before causing any serious damage, police said. A second fire under similar circumstances was reported April 8 in a men’s restroom on the eighth floor. Cal

We’re two years out from the 250th anniversary of America’s founding — and state legislators are working on California’s involvement in the upcoming party. The federal government in 2016 tasked federal lawmakers and states with planning for the semiquincentennial, and in the years since, 43 states and U.S. territories have formed official commissions dedicated to the effort. So far, California has not. But could that change two years out from the celebration? That’s the hope of Sen. Janet Nguyen, R-Huntington Beach, who is behind a bill to set up a state commission to commemorate the semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of America’s founding as well as the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Under the legislation, California’s commission would be required to “plan and coordinate commemorations and observances of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution,” the bill said. The state archivist would head the commission, and it would include two assemblymembers, two state senators, one individual proposed by the California Historical Society and five from the general public. While California is without an official semiquincentennial commission, Gov.

The Cal and Stanford men’s basketball programs received good news on Friday. Mark Madsen reaffirmed his commitment to Cal as speculation swirled that he would be a top candidate to take over at BYU from Mark Pope, who left to replace John Calipari at Kentucky. And Stanford’s 7-foot-1 center Maxime Raynaud withdrew his name from the transfer portal, giving the Cardinal a huge piece as new coach Kyle Smith aims to rebuild the program. In a post on X/Twitter account, Madsen said he and his wife, Hannah, “want to thank every single member of the Cal community for your unconditional love and support this year. We have felt welcomed and embraced. Gratitude would be an understatement. We love Cal and the Bay Area. We are excited and fully committed for the future here at Cal.” Madsen led Cal to a 13-19 record last season, his first in Berkeley, and signed an extension last month through 2030. The Bears went 3-29 in 2022-23. Before arriving at Cal, Madsen coached four seasons at Utah Valley, finishing 70-51. He won 48 games over his final two seasons. In

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FREMONT – A pair of juveniles was arrested in connection with a carjacking last week in Fremont, police said. The incident happened around 4:45 p.m. on April 2 at an apartment complex on Stevenson Boulevard, the Fremont Police Department said in a news release Thursday. The victim told officers the suspects pushed her to the ground and took her car. She was not injured. Near the scene, officers found an unoccupied vehicle with the engine running. It was previously reported as stolen, police said; investigators believed the suspects drove it to the scene. Officers later located and pursued the carjacked vehicle into Oakland. During the chase, an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office helicopter crew reported seeing the suspects running from the car. Police said the suspects were eventually arrested on suspicion of carjacking and evading police by driving in the opposite direction of traffic. They were booked into juvenile hall.

By Daniela Sirtori | Bloomberg California’s historic wage hike for fast-food workers drove McDonald’s Corp. to unusual lengths to help franchisees overcome rising costs. Bagel sandwiches — a fan-favorite breakfast item — have been reintroduced at McDonald’s locations in California as part of a plan to boost store traffic. The burger chain is also spending $15 million on local advertising, even though it’s rare for the company to invest in promoting its products in a single state. The moves reflect the urgency across the industry to cope with California’s mandatory 25% pay bump. One McDonald’s franchisee group has characterized the law as a “devastating financial blow,” estimating it would cost each location $250,000 without any mitigation strategies. California required employers to start paying fast-food workers at least $20 an hour beginning April 1, only six months after the minimum-wage bill was signed into law. Franchisees, who own about 95% of McDonald’s US locations and set their own prices, were worried that simply charging more for menu items would scare off customers. Some franchisees felt they had been left out of negotiations with lawmakers, straining their

HAYWARD — A big rig trailer truck overturned early Friday on a South Bay freeway, the second straight day that an overturned truck has turned the commute in that area into a mess. The crash happened when the truck jack-knifed on southbound Interstate 880 just north of state Highway 92 and smashed into the center divider about 4:25 a.m., the California Highway Patrol said. The CHP said the driver was OK and that no other vehicles were involved. All four lanes of I-880 were blocked, and the CHP said there was no estimate for when any of them would be open. The agency diverted traffic from the freeway onto the Winton Avenue on-ramp to get around the wreck. No other information was available immediately. Please check back for updates.

Dublin track and field athlete Joshua Arevalo is the Bay Area News Group’s boys athlete of the week for April 1-6. In online voting that ended at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Arevalo had 46.67% of the votes to finish ahead of Homestead baseball player Logan Thompson, who placed second at 39.73%. Congratulations to all the candidates for this week’s recognition. Arevalo took first place in the 100- and 200-meter races at the Amador Valley Spring Fling. The senior ran the 100 in 11.31 seconds and 200 in 22.61. To nominate an athlete for next week’s poll, email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com by Monday at 11 a.m. Please include stats and team results. We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps.com by coaches/team statisticians for consideration. Winners are announced each Friday on the Mercury News & East Bay Times websites and in the print edition of the Mercury News and EB Times sports sections.

A new Mexican restaurant is generating buzz in Martinez. Mi Casita Mexican Cuisine celebrated its grand opening late last month and has already received nominations for the city’s “Best of Martinez” award. The restaurant is a collaboration among a trio of people who worked together in Danville before starting their own business together: Alexandra Romero, Jorge Romero and Jose Moran. Whenever they had downtime at their previous job, Jorge and Moran would cook Mexican food together, drawing inspiration from their hometown roots in Michoacán, Mexico. Alexandra Romero, who’s from Colombia but loves Mexican food, took note. The includes wet burritos ($13-17), enchiladas ($14-18), tacos and other dishes you might expect, paired with an impressive dessert menu. “I’ve never worked in a place that sells so many desserts,” Alexandra says. Her favorite is the fried plantains ($9) with horchata ice cream, condensed milk and caramel sauce, but there are also apple empanadas, churros, flan and lava cake on the lineup.  On weekends, the restaurant also offers brunch along with bottomless mimosas and micheladas. Details: Opens at 8 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday at 3210 Pacheco Blvd. in

BERKELEY — Four candidates have entered the May 28 special election to fill a vacant seat on the Berkeley City Council, with each of them arguing they are the best suited to address the city’s most pressing issues. In the race for the District 4 council seat are Rubén Hernández Story, chief of staff for District 2 Councilmember Terry Taplin; Rent Board Commissioner Soli Alpert; community volunteer Elana Auerbach and Igor Tregub, policy director at Reimagine Power. District 4, which covers downtown and central Berkeley, was previously represented by Kate Harrison until she unexpectedly resigned in late January, citing concerns with the city process. Harrison was the second council member to abruptly depart earlier this year. Councilmember Rigel Robinson stepped down just weeks before and suspended his mayoral campaign. Harris has continued her run for mayor. The four candidates vying to replace Harrison say they are committed to addressing housing affordability and protecting renters, revitalizing downtown Berkeley, supporting small business owners and improving public safety, according to their candidate filing documents and campaign websites. Before joining Taplin’s staff, Hernández Story worked for U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown

TODAY’S WORD — UTENSIL (UTENSIL: yoo-TEN-sil: An implement used in a household, especially in a kitchen.) Average mark 38 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 48 or more words in UTENSIL? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — ALGEBRA able agar ager aglare alga algae arable area areal lager large gable gala gale garb garble gear glare grab earl bagel bale baler bare barge bear berg blare blear brag rage rale real regal 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.

Alfred Sheinwold, who originated this column more than 60 years ago, once described an “uppercut” — a strategy that creates a trump trick for the defenders — in terms of a company of soldiers of different ranks. Today’s South jumped to four spades at his second turn and looked like a favorite to make it. He seemed to have two diamonds and the ace of trumps to lose. West led the king of diamonds, and East correctly overtook with the ace and returned a diamond. ONLY CHANCE West saw that the defense could get no heart or club tricks; their only chance was to win two trump tricks. So at Trick Three, West led a low diamond. East duly ruffed with the seven of trumps, and declarer had to overruff with the jack. West’s six of trumps saluted and moved up one rank. South then led the queen of trumps. West rose with his ace and led a fourth diamond, and East obliged by ruffing with his ten. South had to overruff again, so West’s six got another promotion — and won the setting trick.

Dear Amy: I’m a widower, and my significant other, “Siena,” is a widow. Long ago, we dated in college (semi-seriously) for a couple years, but “life” got in the way and we drifted apart. We married other people. Both of our spouses are deceased. Decades later, we are now in a wonderful relationship. Last year I brought Siena to my daughter’s big annual family get-together. We had a great time. We felt welcome (we thought); but this year, it all changed. I received a text from my daughter inviting me, but not Siena, to the party. I texted back, “What about Siena?” She replied that some of her husband’s family members were uncomfortable with Siena’s attendance. Here’s the “kicker”: Siena had polio long ago (as a child), completely paralyzing both of her legs, and she uses long-leg braces and forearm crutches to walk. I was told that “some” of last year’s attendees were “worried” that she’d trip over the young children scurrying about, but we believe that wasn’t the real reason. At last year’s party, somebody asked Siena if she had been vaccinated against polio as

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had a baby two weeks ago, and my mother-in-law has graciously offered to come stay with my husband and me for two months to help with our newborn. While I appreciate her willingness to lend a hand, I’m worried about her tendency to be overly controlling. I’ve heard stories from friends about how their mothers-in-law took over the household and parenting duties when they came to visit, leaving them feeling sidelined and undermined. I fear that my mother-in-law might try to impose her parenting style and routines on us, disregarding our wishes as parents. I want to maintain a good relationship with her and appreciate her assistance, but I also want to assert myself as the primary caregiver for my child. How can I communicate my concerns without causing friction or hurt feelings? What steps can my husband and I take to ensure we remain in control of our parenting decisions while still benefiting from her help? — Seeking Balance DEAR SEEKING BALANCE: Try to remember that she will be there for only two months. Perspective is key here. Talk to your

PALO ALTO — A member of the Palo Alto Stormwater Management Oversight Committee is facing a litany of criminal charges stemming from an online child exploitation investigation, according to authorities. The suspect — identified as Robert K. Wenzlau, 67, of Palo Alto — was arrested Thursday at his home in Palo Alto, the Palo Alto Police Department said in a news release. Police said Wenzlau first came to their attention on March 5, when authorities in Georgia told them a man had used a “mobile anonymous communications app” to correspond with an undercover officer posing as a 12-year-old girl. The man, who claimed to be 55 years old, provided his cell phone number and used it to first send photos of himself and then child sexual abuse material to the officer, police said. Police did not release the name of the mobile app, citing the ongoing investigation. Palo Alto detectives identified the owner of the cell phone number and determined it was the same person who had corresponded with the undercover officer in Georgia, police said. They also determined he was a 67-year-old resident of

Baseball No. 2 Acalanes 9, Northgate 1 Acalanes extended its unbeaten start to 16 games after blowing out Northgate at home.  The Dons scored four runs in the first and three runs in the third inning as the Lafayette school had eight hits and five walks.  Acalanes third baseman Gavin Bender went 2 for 2 with two RBIs. Branson Smith , Jake Colaco , Isaac Copen and Austin McManamon combined to strike out seven and allow four hits and a run.  Connor Weitl scored the Broncos’ lone run on a wild pitch in the second inning.  After Granada’s loss to Amador Valley on Wednesday, Acalanes is now the only team without a loss in the Bay Area News Group rankings. Northgate dropped to 3-12. No. 8 San Ramon Valley 6, California 1 The Wolves jumped ahead of Granada in the East Bay Athletic League standings by snagging a road win over California. The Grizzlies took a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but it was all SRV after that. The Wolves scored six runs from the second inning to the sixth in a solid offensive

Slow and sloppy for three quarters, the Golden State Warriors finally came to life in the fourth quarter on Thursday night. Playing against one of the NBA’s worst teams, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Warriors looked lost until the very end, when Steph Curry turned it on and Kevon Looney came off the bench to lift the Warriors to a 100-92 win. “It was a tough night for us, we did not execute very well,” head coach Steve Kerr told reporters in Portland. “But we pulled through in the end.” Looney hasn’t played much this season and was a healthy scratch on Tuesday night, but when the Warriors were getting buried by Portland’s second-chance points, Looney entered the game and turned things around. “Loon just saved us, like he has dozens of times in his career here,” Kerr said. “He’s kind of been on the outside of the rotation for the last six weeks or so. And he always stays ready. He came in and changed the game. We were really getting bullied on the glass early in the game. I thought he came in

It’s fair to say San Jose Sharks goalie Devin Cooley is looking more comfortable in his NHL surroundings with each passing game. Perhaps more than that, the Los Gatos native looks like he belongs at this level. Cooley set a new personal record as a professional with a remarkable 49 saves Thursday — including 19 in a busy first period — in the Sharks’ 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, giving San Jose its first victory at Climate Pledge Arena in five tries. “I saw a few shots early on, and that helps you get into the flow of things,” Cooley said of making 10 saves in the first 7:26 of the first period. “Once I made the first couple of saves, I felt good.” Luke Kunin, Kyle Burroughs, and Fabian Zetterlund all scored and William Eklund had two assists as the Sharks (19-51-9) won for the third time in the last seven games and avoided being locked into 32nd and last place in the NHL’s overall standings. Mikael Granlund assisted on Zetterlund’s goal at the 15:37 mark of the second period and now has

It’s fair to say San Jose Sharks goalie Devin Cooley is looking more comfortable in his NHL surroundings with each passing game. Perhaps more than that, the Los Gatos native looks like he belongs at this level. Cooley set a new personal record as a professional with a remarkable 49 saves Thursday — including 19 in a busy first period — in the Sharks’ 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, giving San Jose its first victory at Climate Pledge Arena in five tries. Luke Kunin, Kyle Burroughs, and Fabian Zetterlund all scored and William Eklund had two assists as the Sharks (19-51-9) won for the third time in the last seven games and avoided being locked into 32nd and last place in the NHL’s overall standings. The 49 saves Cooley made are a record for any Sharks goalie in his first road win. Coming off a 34-save performance against the St. Louis Blues last Saturday when he earned his first NHL win, Cooley stopped 33 of the first 34 shots he faced. In the third period with the Sharks killing an interference penalty to Burroughs