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Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee pauses during an interview on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Laure Andrillon)

OAKLAND, Calif. – Last week, Oakland’s new mayor found herself consoling the friends and family of a beloved community college football coach who was shot on campus.

The day after her visit, Barbara Lee sat with The Associated Press for an hour at her downtown Oakland office. A veteran state legislator and federal congresswoman but city leader of only six months, Lee discussed both her city’s struggle with violent crime and its rich culture and deep sense of community.

Then, as the interview came to a close, she got the news she'd been dreading: 66-year-old football Coach John Beam — who'd taught th

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