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14+ min ago (236+ words) With "Sid Meier's Civilization VII" a disappointment, "Anno" has an opportunity to snag the strategy game spotlight. The Ubisoft franchise has been in the shadow of Firaxis' long-running classic, though it takes a different approach when it comes to mixing history and video games. Whereas "Civilization" focuses on nation-building from ancient times to the future, "Anno" takes a narrower approach. Instead of running an empire that stands the test of time, "Anno" focuses on city building and creating colonies that work in unison to fend off and conquer their rivals. THINKING ABOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE The latest entry to the long-running strategy series is "Anno 117: Pax Romana," which takes place during the height of the Roman Empire. Players take on the role of a governor tasked with running an island. They start off with a trading post and they'll have…...

15+ min ago (459+ words) BERKELEY " A plan to sell a Berkeley hotel has fallen through, raising the specter that its loan could be foreclosed with ownership of the property going back to its lender. Earlier this year, the owner of the 113-room University Inn & Suites at 920 University Ave. stated that a buyer had emerged to purchase the hotel, a deal that would head off foreclosure proceedings. The sales plan has dissolved, hotel owner Kubera Hotel Properties stated in a court filing on Nov. 4. The ownership group filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to reorganize its finances. The hotel had been slated to be sold for $17 million, a proposed transaction that a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved. A Saratoga-based group operating as Goldfin Ventures had agreed to buy it. "Unfortunately, the buyer cancelled its offer," an attorney for the hotel's principal owner, a group led by…...

16+ min ago (714+ words) A house that sold for $2.7 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Milpitas in the past two weeks. In total, 12 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past two weeks, with an average price of $1.4 million. The average price per square foot was $522. The prices in the list below include real estate sales where the title was recorded from the week of October 27 to the week of Nov. 9 even if the property may have been sold earlier. 10. $919K, condominium in the 300 block of Desert Holly Street A 1,236-square-foot condominium in the 300 block of Desert Holly Street in Milpitas has been sold. The price was $919,000, $744 per square foot. The condominium was built in 2018. The condominium features 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 9. $1 million, single-family home in the 500 block of Maple Ave. The sale of the…...

43+ min ago (169+ words) The two Bay Area players who won prizes of more than $1 million during August's Powerball frenzy have come forward, the California Lottery said. Each won $1.165 million for picking five numbers, missing only the Powerball number, in the Aug. 30 draw. The jackpot then was $1 billion. The lottery agency on Monday, Dec. 8, identified the two: " D. West, who bought a ticket at the 7-Eleven at 1771 Clear Lake Ave., Milpitas. " Jason Augliera, who bought a ticket at the Speedway at 1616 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill. A press release from the agency quoted West as saying: "Our student loans are gone. Our daughters have safe vehicles now. It brought a lot of peace to our family." In California, lottery winners cannot remain anonymous, but the only information that must be made public is the winner's name and the site where the ticket was bought. Winners…...

46+ min ago (1214+ words) San Jose, the symbolic capital of Silicon Valley, is now ground zero in California's battle over how to govern the rise of data centers used to power artificial intelligence. The county seat of Santa Clara is touting its partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric, claiming the city is "the West Coast's premier destination for data center development." The investor-owned utility now estimates it has enough capacity in its planning pipeline to push the city's electricity use to almost three times its current peak. Those plans are forcing major grid upgrades, PG&E and city officials say, while raising questions about who pays for them and whether the state can keep the power clean. Panelists at a CalMatters event in downtown San Jose clashed over key issues. They included a local official working with PG&E on the city's data-center buildout, a…...

46+ min ago (315+ words) El Cerrito's Gary Youngblood (1) catches the ball against Menlo-Atherton in the third quarter during the NorCal Division 4-A championship at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Bay Area News Group Top 25 (Mercury News & East Bay Times) No. 1 DE LA SALLE (12-0) Last week: Did not play Up next: Saturday vs. Santa Margarita in CIF Open Division state championship game at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, 8 p.m. No. 2 ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN (12-1) Last week: Lost to Folsom 42-38 in CIF NorCal Division 1-AA championship game Up next: Season completed No. 3 PITTSBURG (11-3) Last week: Lost to Central East-Fresno 55-36 in CIF NorCal Division 1-A championship game No. 4 SERRA (8-6) Last week: Lost to St. Mary's-Stockton 31-24 in CIF NorCal Division 2-AA championship game No. 5 LOS GATOS (9-4) No. 6 ACALANES (11-1) No. 7 MCCLYMONDS (11-2) Last week: Beat Roseville 42-34 in CIF NorCal Division 3-A championship game…...

1+ hour, 2+ min ago (248+ words) San Jose's auditor is recommending a slew of changes to improve drug storage and oversight protocols at the city's fire department, following the April arrest of a captain for allegedly tampering with and stealing medication. The incident spurred the department to request a review by the city's auditor, which outlined seven recommendations to prevent that from happening again. As part of an agreement with Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services, the San Jose Fire Department provides advanced life support and has access to controlled substances, such as morphine and midazolam. During the last fiscal year, the department responded to approximately 68,500 medical emergencies and administered drugs at 835 incidents, with morphine accounting for 76% of usage. But in April, city officials knew something was amiss after finding vials had been tampered with and a paramedic also reporting that drugs were not having the…...

1+ hour, 5+ min ago (773+ words) For Kitka, completing another circle around the sun marks more than the passage of time. The all-women Bay Area vocal ensemble's far-flung repertoire flows out of the seasonal cycle, accompanying and commenting on centuries-old celebrations and rituals marking rebirth and death, sowing and reaping. Kitka's new album "Kolo" embraces the cosmic rotation, while providing a map for the 10-member ensemble's popular Wintersongs concert series, which includes concerts in Santa Cruz (Dec. 13), Menlo Park (Dec. 14), Oakland (Dec. 18-20), and San Francisco (Dec. 21). Uncertain about whether to embark on a new recording project, with all the effort and expenses an album requires, "Kelly and I had an epiphany," said Kikta's longtime artistic director Shira Cion on a recent video call with Kelly Atkins and Janet Kutulas, Wintersongs music co-directors and "Kolo" producers. "We've had two beautiful creation songs from Estonia and Ukraine in…...

1+ hour, 12+ min ago (914+ words) There is perhaps no baseball visual more awkward, yet still universally accepted, than the one you see in teams" introductory press conferences. You know the one. A grown man, usually nine figures richer, stands at a podium, wearing a suit and tie. Then, a team executive hands him a jersey. The tie? That stays on. The player then pulls the polyester button-down over the dress shirt, buttons it up, and creates a unique sartorial nightmare. It"s a god-forsaken look. It"s patently ridiculous. But as we dive headfirst into the San Francisco Giants" offseason, it is the only thing that matters. I have heard all the rumors. I have parsed the innuendo coming from baseball"s winter meetings. But until I see a collar tucked under the neck of a crisp, cream-colored Giants jersey, nothing has happened. And we…...

1+ hour, 16+ min ago (321+ words) A restaurant inspired by the gastronomy of the Bay Area's Indigenous Ohlone people will soon open high in the Berkeley Hills. Located inside the Lawrence Hall of Science, the "ammatka Cafe is scheduled to debut for lunch service on Jan. 7, 2026. It's the latest project from Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, who also run the seasonal restaurant "o'oytak on the UC Berkeley campus, which reopens this spring. (Both eateries fall under their "Cafe Ohlone" label.) The menu will highlight food important in Ohlone culture, with an emphasis on seasonality and local resources. A smoked-duck sandwich with Mt. Tam Triple Cream cheese is served with rose-hip jam, for instance. Black-sage tea is harvested from the museum's nature lab, and a watercress pesto-ricotta wrap features produce grown at an Indigenous community-learning garden. Admission to the Lawrence Hall of Science is not required to…...