13+ min ago (580+ words) BERKELEY " There is so much uncertainty ahead for Cal football:" Who becomes the next head coach? Who will the Bears face in a bowl game? How much will defections to the transfer portal impact the program? But on Saturday night, after a nightmarish week in which Cal lost the Big Game to rival Stanford, then lost nine-year coach Justin Wilcox to a Sunday firing, the Bears enjoyed their finest moment of the season. Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for career-bests of 330 yards and four touchdowns, then directed a flawless, game-winning 75-yard drive in the final 2:22 to lift the Bears to a 38-35 upset of No. 21 SMU in front of 28,956 at Memorial Stadium. "What a football game," Cal interim coach Nick Rolovich marveled after the Bears surrendered a 31-14 fourth-quarter lead then pulled out the victory. "We talked about being ready for a…...

43+ min ago (1139+ words) Veteran Bay Area biomedical CEO Paul Hastings had to lay off five dozen employees at his company earlier this year, thanks, he said, to what he described as the Trump administration's attacks'on universities, science and medical-research funding, he said. Trump in an August executive order said federal grants had been insufficiently vetted, and some "propagated absurd ideologies." Hastings, whose South San Francisco firm Nkarta engineers "killer cells" to fight disease, said biotechnology companies "across the board" are cutting staff and product-development projects as uncertainty over what comes next rattles investors. The biotech sector, producing treatments for maladies from rare genetic disorders to cancer, is a key economic engine for the Bay Area, pouring nearly $100 billion into the region's economy annually, according to industry group Biocom California, and sending more than $4 billion into local and state tax coffers, trade group California…...

1+ hour, 13+ min ago (135+ words) Apple CEO Tim Cook waves to attendees during an event on the Apple campus in Cupertino, Calif., Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Apple CEO oversees a record profit year and new stock price highs as iPhone17 sales propel the company past Samsung to take the largest share of the world's smartphone market for the first time since 2011. Beverly Hills Democrat and former timeshare company CEO sinks $13 million of his own money into a campaign for governor. Stuck below 1% in polls, he drops out and endorses Eric Swalwell. Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton The leading GOP candidates for governor face an uphill race in a blue state. But so many Democrats have jumped in that the blue vote could be badly fractured, sending both to the top-two November ballot....

1+ hour, 43+ min ago (970+ words) When Sheri Duffy and her ailing mother, Jean, voted for Proposition 19 five years ago, an ad campaign running during episodes of "Judge Judy" convinced them the measure would provide what its title promised: "Home Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families, and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters." Campaign mailers praised the measure for allowing children to inherit their parents" family home "without any tax increases." "I thought I was going to die in that house, just like my mom," said Sheri, 54, who like Mike, had sidelined careers and jobs to live with and care for their aging parents. "We didn"t realize what we were voting for. We really felt duped, just taken advantage of, lied to." Although it"s too late for the Duffys, Sheri is once again joining a grassroots campaign to repeal the inheritance portion of Prop....

1+ hour, 43+ min ago (919+ words) Like all friends, the Friends of Grace nonprofit smooths out the rough edges of life. The San Jose group accomplishes this through a combination of classes, community and hot, healthy meals " a program known as Grace Art & Wellness that's held six days a week at the city-owned Northside Community Center. "Breakfast and lunch aren't just meals " they're a point of entry into healing and connection," said Shawna Scarpitti, president of the nonprofit. She noted that more than 12,000 meals were served in 2024 to hundreds of people who have found or were referred to Friends of Grace. Many members have developmental disabilities or are experiencing mental health challenges. For others, they're coping with the loss of a job, housing or family " or the loneliness and isolation that can come with aging. "We want to decrease the stigma and focus on the individual,…...

3+ hour, 42+ min ago (536+ words) CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kaley Cuoco, 40; Elisha Cuthbert, 43; Ben Stiller, 60; Billy Idol, 70. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Indulge in activities that are conducive to meeting new people or developing a closer connection to someone you love. Positive change begins with you and how you conduct yourself physically, intellectually and emotionally. Refuse to let insecurities cost you due to an inability to tell it like it is. A change of heart requires action. 4 stars CANCER (June 21-July 22): Participation and interaction will lead to opportunities for positive lifestyle changes. Think outside the box, use your imagination and be the one to make things happen. Utilize your skills to fit demands, and financial gains will follow. A networking event or reunion with past associates will result in unexpected offers that are worth checking out. 2 stars LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Mix business with pleasure; attend professional…...

3+ hour, 43+ min ago (101+ words) TODAY'S WORD " IDOLATRY (eye-DAHL-ih-tree: The worship of a physical object as a god.) Average mark 50 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 63 or more words in IDOLATRY? TODAY'S WORD " IDOLATRY: idly idol iota daily dairy dart daylit dial diary dilatory dirt dirty doily dolt dory oily oral lady laid lair laity lard liar lido load lord adit adroit airy alit alto arid arty tail tailor tardy taro tidal tidy toad toady today toil told trail tray triad trial trio trod troy tyro radio raid rail ratio rialto riot road roil roti royal yard...

3+ hour, 58+ min ago (394+ words) No. 2 Serra 28, No. 3 Los Gatos 21 No. 2 Pittsburg 42, No. 3 Cardinal Newman 17 No. 2 Monte Vista 24, No. 4 Clayton Valley Charter 10 No. 3 El Cerrito 32, No. 5 Ukiah 21 No. 1 Middletown 37, No. 2 Piedmont 23 No. 1 St. Ignatius 24, No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral 21 No. 3 Menlo-Atherton 31, No. 8 San Mateo 21 No. 3 Lincoln-San Jose 49, No. 1 Branham 21 No. 1 Piedmont Hills 31, No. 2 Sobrato 30, OT No. 3 Miramonte 28, No. 1 Hayward 21 No. 3 Bishop O'Dowd 59, No. 4 Fortuna 21 (Mercury News & East Bay Times) No. 1 DE LA SALLE (12-0) No. 2 ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN (12-0) No. 3 PITTSBURG (11-2) Beat Cardinal Newman 42-17 in NCS Division I final No. 4 SERRA (8-5) Beat Los Gatos 28-21 in CCS Division I final No. 5 LOS GATOS (9-4) Lost to Serra 28-21 in CCS Division I final No. 6 ACALANES (11-1) No. 7 MCCLYMONDS (10-2) Up next: CIF state playoffs, TBA No. 8 ST. FRANCIS (5-6) No. 9 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (6-5) No. 10 LIBERTY (8-3) No. 11 CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER (7-6) Lost to Monte Vista 24-10 in NCS Division II final No. 12 MONTE VISTA (8-5) Beat Clayton Valley 24-10 in NCS…...

4+ hour, 12+ min ago (371+ words) Four people were killed Saturday night during a mass shooting at a child's birthday party near Stockon. At least 14 people were shot during the carnage, according to the San Joaquin County Sheriff's office. Police said that shortly before 6 p.m. dispatchers received reports of a shooting that occurred near the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue in an unincorporated area just north of the Stockton city limits. "This is a very active and ongoing investigation, and information remains limited," San Joaquin County Sheriff's officials said on social media Saturday night. "Early indications suggest this may be a targeted incident, and investigators are exploring all possibilities. Detectives are actively working to determine the circumstances leading up to this tragedy." Police had few details Saturday night. Heather Brent, a spokeswoman for the San Joaquin County sheriff's office, said at a news conference near the site that…...

4+ hour, 43+ min ago (843+ words) Dear Eric: I'm a 47-year-old guy who has been with my wife, who is 44, for 12 years. Six years ago, we made the decision to uproot ourselves from city life and buy acreage. We had long discussions about what this would entail " the work it needs, maintenance, et cetera. My wife was very keen on the idea, and she assured me that she would be helping with all that the property requires. We both work full-time jobs. Since we moved here, she has barely lifted a finger. I handle most of the outside work, which is laborious, and the understanding was that she is to handle the majority of the inside housework. I find myself doing the lion's share of everything as she is more interested in her internet games and streaming videos. I have a few health concerns that need…...