Soaring assault rates and a large number of self-inflicted wounds make Alameda County one of the most dangerous areas in the state for young people. But the county does a better job than most in providing after-school programs, job training and other violence prevention programs, according to a new study. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

Tuesday, Nov. 19 -more-

Gabriela Rios-Sotelo doesn’t have her mentor around anymore but has become a leader in her place. -more-

Vijay Lakireddy, 32, was sentenced to two years in a minimum security prison Monday for his role in a family operation to smuggle young Indian girls into the country for sex and cheap labor. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

ALAMEDA — For once, it was the Oakland Raiders who got the ball and kept hold of it as the clock slowly ticked away. -more-

The NCAA upheld its one-year bowl ban on California’s football team Monday, but restored nine scholarships it revoked in June after an investigation into academic fraud and other infractions. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

Alabama hasn’t been regarded this highly in 25 years. -more-

With absentee ballots counted, 8th District City Council candidate Gordon Wozniak has inched closer to winning an outright victory in the Nov. 5 general election and avoiding a runoff against his nearest competitor, UC Berkeley graduate student Andy Katz. -more-

To the Editor: -more-

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department moved swiftly Monday to take advantage of a court ruling broadening its ability to track suspected terrorists and spies using wiretaps and other surveillance techniques. -more-

Berkeley has taken the lead on an ambitious project that, if realized, could have downtown sporting more trout than students. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – Marin County medical examiners confirmed Monday they identified a body found floating between Angel Island and Alcatraz last week as that of a Swiss citizen who apparently was thrown from a party boat last month. -more-

Colleges and universities across the United States stepped up their recruiting efforts to offset dwindling numbers of high school graduates over the two decades ending in 1999, a study by five leading educational institutions reported Monday. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court blocked a legal challenge to the detention of the 600 or so Afghan war prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, giving the Bush administration a major victory in its war on terrorism. -more-

SANTA CLARA — About 600 Santa Clara Superior Court workers walked off the job Monday, forcing the closure of two courthouses and prompting an injunction trying to force some back to work. -more-

Alarming number of rapes -more-

By JOHN CURRAN -more-

SANTA CLARA, — Software maker Roxio is poised to snap up the remaining assets of the now defunct song-swapping company Napster for $5 million in cash and 100,000 warrants to purchase Roxio common stock, the company announced Friday. -more-

NEW YORK — Wall Street pulled back Monday as investors tried to extend six weeks of blue chip gains but were stymied by war concerns and a tepid Wal-Mart outlook. -more-

LOS ANGELES — He has been a genetically engineered twin and a pregnant man, a barbarian and a spy, a kindergarten cop and a killer. Now some Republicans are casting Arnold Schwarzenegger as the next governor of California. -more-

SANTA CLARA — Mayors from several U.S. cities gathered Monday at a conference to hash out energy issues with a focus on the future of the tumultuous deregulated market. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Four hundred years after it put down roots in what would become Southern California, a giant oak was offered a move Monday to save its life by getting it out of the path of a four-lane road to the latest outpost of suburban sprawl. -more-

OAKLAND — Two dozen recruits will soon hit the streets as Oakland Police Department officers — one of the first classes to graduate from the police academy since the department instituted reforms in the face of a series of scandals. -more-