Story by Tyler Sipe
California’s unemployment numbers continue to show teenagers are among the hardest hit in the flailing economy.
The state’s Employment Development Department reported in August that teenage unemployment rate — among 16 to 19 year olds — was 21.9 percent, an increase of more than 4 percent from the same time last year.
Fremont resident Phuong Nguyen, 18, said she has been actively looking for a job since she graduated high school in June.  She said she no longer wants to depend on her parents, and needs extra income …

Multimedia by Mateen Kaul and Tyler Sipe
 
Fremont’s large American-Muslim population was united behind Democratic candidate Barack Obama for the presidential election. 
Muslim voters said they were backing Obama largely because they thought he would do a better job than Republican rival John McCain in tackling the country’s economic problems.
But they also felt President Obama would be better for their countries of origin, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the international community in general.

Photos and Story by Linsay Rousseau Burnett
Since 1961, the mission of the all-volunteer Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA) has been to operate a working railroad museum that preserves the physical aspects and atmosphere of Pacific Coast railroading from 1910 to 1960. Starting in 1984, the organization opened the Niles Canyon Railway as a living history museum.

By Karen Weise
As the economic downturn moved through Silicon Valley, Fremont’s East Indian community struggled with the possibility of returning to India.
Job cuts started hitting Silicon Valley in September, with layoffs from large mainstays like Yahoo and startups like YouSendit emailing services, according to TechCrunch’s Layoff Tracker.

Multimedia by Tyler Sipe
As Election Day draws near, local African-Americans describe the electric atmosphere during this year’s historic presidential election.

By Karen Weise
The ceremony commemorating the 140th anniversary of the Hayward Fault earthquake emphasized the urgency of learning from the magnitude 6.8 trembler in order to minimize devastation from future quakes. Calling for greater disaster preparedness, the ceremony blended history and science about the quake to jolt the public and officials into action.

By Mateen Kaul
Rep Pete Stark, D-Fremont, has called for investment in public infrastructure to create jobs and ease the current economic crisis, even if it means running up the deficit.

By Mateen Kaul
At James Bunker Elementary School, located in a quiet Newark suburb, a group of sixth graders jostle around a table preparing a poster seeking donations in pennies.

By Mateen Kaul
Presidential candidates Senators Barack Obama and John McCain spent significant time in the two presidential debates discussing their potential Pakistan policies, if elected to the Oval Office. But many Pakistani-Americans see these policies as largely the same.

Audio and Photos by Linsay Rousseau Burnett
Ed Frakes has been painting for over 50 years. Now 71, Frakes describes his life as an artist and explains the meaning behind some of his paintings in this audio slideshow.