SAN JOSE – A Federal Election Commission complaint filed Friday against Silicon Valley congressional candidate Sam Liccardo alleges he illegally paid for a recount as part of an effort to avoid a three-way race with rivals Joe Simitian and Evan Low. Related Articles April 19, 2024 Election | Editorial: Congressional recount in tied race already shows need for state law changes April 18, 2024 Election | Updated count keeps Cecilia Lunaparra in the lead for Berkeley council April 18, 2024 Election | More than 20 previously uncounted ballots discovered during Congressional District 16 recount Ap ..read more

CLEVELAND — The Oakland A’s did not have much success slowing down the Cleveland Guardians offense late last month when the two teams met for a season-opening four-game series at the Coliseum. That proved to be the case again Friday, as the A’s allowed five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and never recovered in a 10-2 loss to the Guardians to open a 10-game road trip. Starter Joe Boyle allowed a two-run homer to Tyler Freeman in the second inning and Steven Kwan and Andrés Giménez both drove in a pair of runs in the fifth as the A’s dropped to 1-4 in games against the Guardians this sea ..read more

Perhaps you’ll be celebrating the 4/20 “holiday” in traditional fashion. You’re on your own finding deals for that. But if you end up with the munchies, a few restaurants are happy to help with deals and/or special menu items. Naturally, non-tokers may take advantage of these discounts too. At Tony & Alba’s Pizza and Pasta in San Jose, co-owner Al Vallorz is always up for some creative fun. For Saturday only, he’s concocted an appetizer of Cheesy Garlic Knots with crushed Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Cheetos and a 4/20 pizza topped with barbecue chicken, mozzarella and ranch dressing on pizza dough ..read more

Associated Press LOS ANGELES — The University of Southern California further shook up its commencement plans Friday, announcing the cancelation of a keynote speech by filmmaker Jon M. Chu just days after making the controversial choice to disallow the student valedictorian from speaking. The private university in Los Angeles on Monday said it was canceling valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s speech at the May 10 ceremony because of safety concerns. Tabassum, who is Muslim, has expressed support for Palestinians in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and university officials said the response to her select ..read more

EAST PALO ALTO – A 19-year-old East Palo Alto man was arrested Friday in connection with a fatal stabbing in February, police said. Related Articles Crime and Public Safety | San Mateo County law enforcement agencies to host May gun buyback event Crime and Public Safety | Man arrested in connection with stabbing at Pacifica home Crime and Public Safety | Package thief ruins Bay Area bride-to-be’s special day Crime and Public Safety | Former Daly City police officer facing child abuse, firearm charges; accused of slapping daughter Crime and Public Safety | Peninsula man arrested on suspic ..read more

By Gracey Wakary and Edna Tarigan | Associated Press MANADO, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities closed an airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano Thursday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. Mount Ruang on the northern side of Sulawesi Island had at least five large eruptions Wednesday, causing the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation to issue its highest-level alert, indicating an active eruption. The crater emitted white-gray smoke continuously during the day Thursday, reaching more t ..read more

By Jan M. Olsen | Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Firefighters stabilizing the burned-out husk of Copenhagen’s historic Old Stock Exchange tried to use giant shears on a crane Friday to cut away dangling scaffolding, but suffered a setback when the implement fell into the debris. A large blaze broke out Tuesday at the 400-year-old landmark in Copenhagen, toppling its roof and iconic dragon-tail spire. On Thursday, a large section of the outer wall of the building collapsed inwards. The most valuable paintings and items inside had been saved from the flames, and no one was injured. “A fu ..read more

By Ashok Sharma and Krutika Pathi | Associated Press NEW DELHI — Millions of Indians began voting on Friday in a six-week election that’s a referendum on Narendra Modi, the populist prime minister who has championed an assertive brand of Hindu nationalist politics and is seeking a rare third term as the country’s leader. People began lining up at polling stations hours before they were allowed in at 7 a.m. in parts of 21 states, from the Himalayan mountains to the tropical Andaman Islands. Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10% of the world’s population — will elect 543 members to the lower ..read more

The Antioch Unified school board president has called for Superintendent Stephanie Anello’s resignation, after several employees accused her of failing to discipline a supervisor whom they say bullied them. The action comes a day after NBC Bay Area News reporter Candace Nyguen broke a story about employees’ written complaints that Kenneth Turnage II — the district’s director of facilities, maintenance and operations — has intimidated, bullied and harassed employees for more than a year. Kim Atkinson, a district purchasing technician, said that shortly after Turnage became her supervisor in Jan ..read more

By Mark Baker and Keiran Smith | Associated Press SYDNEY — Shoppers and workers returned to a “really quiet” Sydney mall Friday, where six days earlier an assailant stabbed six people to death and wounded more than a dozen others in an attack that police believe targeted women. Westfield Bondi Junction mall near world-famous Bondi Beach had opened Thursday, although shops inside were closed, for a “community reflection day.” New South Wales state Premier Chris Minns described it as “the first step in healing” in what has been a traumatic week for Australia’s largest city. There was a large pol ..read more