Some 500 people rallied at Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus Thursday, decrying the more than 50 deaths and over 1,000 injuries in the West Bank and Gaza strip resulting from the recent altercations between Israeli soldiers on the one hand and Palestinians and Arab Israelis on the other. -more-
Pepples campaign sign removal issue lays with the city manager -more-
Young East Bay artists donated their mosaic art to Highland Hospital this week. -more-
Berkeley’s Joanna Letz hits a serve during her match against Encinal High Thursday afternoon. The Yellowjackets won all five matches between the two schools. -more-
It sounds like a paradox. Use bureaucrats to cut down on bureaucracy. City Manager Weldon Rucker thinks it’s possible. -more-
Both the boys’ and girls’ Berkeley High water polo teams opened their league play with crucial victories against Pinole Valley, but the styles of the wins couldn’t have been more different. -more-
A day after Vice President Al Gore and Gov. George W. Bush bored the country to sleep during their first debate, Berkeley’s City Council hopefuls tried to pump new life into democracy at a grassroots election forum Wednesday evening, taped live at the Berkeley Community Media studios and broadcast on TV-25. -more-
The Cal Bears head into this weekend’s matchup in Tempe, Ariz. looking for a new identity. Following a loss to the weakest team in the Pac-10 last weekend, the Bears need to pull out of their offensive funk against a Sun Devil team that prides itself on playing tough defense. -more-
While many drug treatment providers and elected officials support Proposition 36, the state initiative to give people convicted of non-violent drug possession drug rehabilitation instead of jail time, a number of them question its feasibility. -more-
Due to advances in technology, Alameda County has initiated an “Early Voting” program for this November’s election. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court handed employers a victory Thursday, ruling that nonunion workers can be terminated even if the company’s policy was only to fire for disciplinary reasons. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Dancers and artists pranced on the steps of City Hall to a driving drum tattoo, protesting rising rents and dwindling rehearsal space and demanding more from the city they’ve helped define. -more-
PASADENA — NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, en route to a 2004 rendezvous with Saturn, snapped its first image of the giant planet Jupiter as engineers worked to understand a communications problem with a companion probe. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A lawsuit charges that Verizon, formerly GTE Corp., ripped off the elderly by charging $4 to $6 per month for the customers to rent their rotary telephones, listing the charge as rental equipment. -more-
The Associated Press -more-
SACRAMENTO — Local animal rights advocates thought they had the perfect spokesman for their new campaign to get pit bull owners to spay and neuter their pets. -more-
The Associated Press -more-
STOCKTON — Hundreds of union members including farmworkers, carpenters and janitors rallied here Thursday to push for a $2.25 increase in California’s $5.75-an-hour minimum wage. -more-
DANVILLE, Ky. — Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman charged in campaign debate Thursday night that Republicans want to “raid the Medicare trust fund to pay for their tax cuts.” But Republican Dick Cheney said there was more than enough money to go around, and it is “totally reasonable” to give relief to all taxpayers. -more-
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — On the same Michigan battleground and in virtually the same words, Al Gore and George W. Bush dueled Thursday for the stressed-out-parent vote with ideas such as Bush’s TV family hour and Gore’s daycare tax credit. -more-
Vice President Al Gore announced to the world during the Tuesday night debate that he might not be the most exciting politician. -more-
Al Gore – No Clinton, but probably my choice -more-
“Things change every year in high school water polo. That’s why you have to be wary of every opponent.” -more-
No one smashed a magnum of champagne across the prow of the four-ton pickle Wednesday morning at Old City Hall. -more-
Cal sophomore forward Laura Schott has been named the Pac-10 Women’s Soccer Player of the Week for Sept. 26-Oct. 2, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced Tuesday. -more-
Be wary of trench coats on warm days. That’s the advice given by Sergeant Powell, Head of the Crime Prevention Unit at UC Berkeley. -more-
California is close to setting a record in voter registration this year, with a week to go before the deadline for signing up to cast ballots. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas and Electric Co., losing $1 million an hour from skyrocketing wholesale energy costs, sought permission Wednesday to eventually pass $2.2 billion in losses onto their customers. -more-
A six-alarm fire decimated an abandoned building near Downtown Oakland this morning, and burning embers carried in the wind started another fire, damaging two occupied buildings across the street. -more-
SACRAMENTO — More than two-thirds of California public schools, including some of last year’s lowest-scoring rural schools, improved enough to share in $677 million in state rewards, test score rankings released Wednesday show. -more-
With an estimated 60 million viewers expected to bask in the blue light of the televised presidential debates Tuesday night, a group of students at UC Berkeley voiced their frustration with a process that left Green Party candidate Ralph Nader out of the national limelight. -more-
It was a sit in, of sorts. -more-
City Council candidates from Districts 5 and 3 dined on salmon then stepped to the podium to respond to questions from Chamber of Commerce members at the City Club Tuesday. -more-
Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could abruptly limit the rights of disabled employees at the University of California and other state institutions, activists said Tuesday. -more-
Misdemeanor charges were filed Tuesday against executives from five companies accused of marketing products for diabetes patients that either contained potentially harmful drugs or failed to accurately measure blood-sugar levels. -more-
OAKLAND — The Oakland Unified School District announced today it is looking into allegations that standardized testing results were fudged in three classrooms. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis is standing behind a California law that imposes some of the nation’s toughest rules on press access to inmates, blocking those reporters who do land face-to-face interviews from taking in cameras or writing materials. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis has demanded that federal authorities move quickly to reduce electricity rates, but has failed to appoint a director of the one state agency set up to help power customers, a newspaper reported Tuesday. -more-
COVINA — Students got an unusual assignment from their English teacher: Pick out a victim, come up with a recipe for assassination and devise a successful getaway formula. -more-
CHICAGO — Flu vaccines could help day-care children and their school-aged siblings stay well and reduce the use of over-prescribed antibiotics, a new study suggests. -more-
WASHINGTON — High-tech companies could bring in nearly 600,000 new skilled foreign workers over the next three years and also hire thousands more foreign students from U.S. graduate schools under a bill the Senate passed Tuesday. -more-
BOSTON — Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader, shunned by the presidential debate commission, scored a ticket to Tuesday night’s debate but was turned away at the door. -more-
BOSTON — Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush clashed over tax cuts, prescription drug assistance under Medicare and abortion Tuesday night in their first campaign debate of the fall, pivot point in the closest White House contest in a generation. -more-
Home to Grove Street Park, the South Berkeley Library, the Ashby BART Station and a struggling shopping area, District 3 sits roughly between Ellsworth and Sacramento streets and Dwight Way and the Oakland border. According to the 1990 census, the area had a median income lower than the city’s as a whole and home values were also below the rest of the city. The area is home to a little less than half the city’s African American population, a reminder of the times when African Americans were unable to live east of Martin Luther King Jr. Way. -more-
Seven members of Berkeley’s “Bike the Bridge Coalition” were arrested and charged with felony conspiracy after they tried to bike across the Bay Bridge Monday morning in the middle of rush hour traffic. They were protesting a range of bike issues including Gov. Gray Davis’ veto of Senate Bill 1629, the “Good Roads Bill.” -more-
Residents near Grove Street Park don’t want convicted drug offenders hanging out in their neighborhoods. So neighborhood activists went with Mayor Shirley Dean, Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek and Councilmember Kriss Worthington to meet with the District Attorney. -more-
Forgive ninth-grader Craig Long for having to have his mother bring him up to speed on the academic achievement gap issue. He stays pretty busy in his advanced placement classes, especially geometry, he said. -more-
A teenage girl was attacked and raped Friday about 7:30 p.m. near the Ohlone park baseball diamond at Delaware and Sacramento streets. -more-
On a chilly Sunday night, Nigerians of all ages came out to the Independence Day celebration in El Cerrito to watch ancestral dances, eat home-cooked spicy soup, and strut their stuff in the colorful traditional costumes of their nation in transition. -more-
A fresh breeze from the Andes blew over UC Berkeley’s International House Thursday evening. -more-
Nearing the end of her life and plagued with senility, my grandmother fell into a strange state of grace. At 95, she believed herself a young woman again living in her hometown in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. -more-
Two weeks ago, Cal punter Nick Harris was heralded as a Heisman Trophy candidate. This week, after failing to get off three kicks, he’s just another problem for head coach Tom Holmoe to worry about. -more-
The University of California system has formed an internal task force to investigate whether its nine campuses are under reporting the number of on-campus rapes and sexual assaults. -more-
Perennial powerhouse St. Mary’s High witnessed an unwelcome, yet eerily familiar spectacle last Saturday afternoon as Archbishop Riordan High (San Francisco) put together the kind of punishing offensive exhibition that St. Mary’s fans have grown used to their own Panthers imparting. Powered by a dominant defensive line and a very methodical “seven minutes and a cloud of dust” Wing-T offense, Riordan (4-0) ran for 364 yards en route to a 28-7 victory in a non-conference meeting between the two schools. -more-
Even City Council members agree their meetings are too long. Agenda items get pulled for a variety of reasons and end up stuck in what seems a permanent backlog. -more-
In a game interrupted by an on-field fight and two confrontations between the referee and University of San Diego coaches, Cal sophomore Laura Schott shined through the distractions with a hat trick, leading the Bears to a 3-0 win in the championship game of the Golden Gate Classic -more-
LIVERMORE — Scientists at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory are dabbling in a bit of Buck Rogers technology as they develop a series of test laser guns for the military. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Attorneys for Napster Inc. were due back in court Monday to justify the reprieve the company won in July that kept its wildly popular Internet music-sharing service up and running. -more-
OAKLAND — State officials confirmed they have begun investigating health and safety issues involving facilities caring for the developmentally disabled which contract through a nonprofit agency. -more-
FOLSOM — California has had a rough summer in terms of power consumption, with warm temperatures throughout the state causing consumers to crank up air conditioners, sapping electricity supplies. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Three years ago, Xochitl Rodriguez left her human resources job and decided she wanted to teach. Without classroom experience or teaching courses, Rodriguez was hired by the Los Angeles Unified School District and was placed in charge of 20 kindergartners. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A study that contradicted earlier reports that the gnatcatcher was near extinction will not influence a decision to set aside nearly 800,000 acres in Southern California for the tiny songbird. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A proposed expansion of San Francisco International Airport would be exempted from California’s main environmental law, under a bill signed Saturday by Gov. Gray Davis and authored by the leader of the Senate. -more-
Lisa Taylor’s curiosity made her take a Yoga class 11 years ago. The former modern dancer now teaches at two Yoga centers in Berkeley. For her, Yoga is not just a job. It’s a way of life, affecting her at both physical and spiritual levels. -more-
Bad management real reason theater may close -more-
A last-minute header goal by sophomore forward Laura Schott gave Cal a come-from-behind victory over Colorado College Friday afternoon at Edwards Stadium. Cal defeated the Tigers 2-1 in the opening game of the Golden Gate Classic and improved their record to 9-0-1. -more-
A collection of green houses and small classrooms at the corner of Hearst Avenue and Oxford Street, better known as the Oxford Tract, will be replaced with a three-story structure and a 200-space underground parking lot, if a UC Berkeley plan bears fruit. -more-
Everyone loves a second chance. A second chance at a job interview, a second opportunity to take a test, another shot at introducing yourself to that beautiful someone… who doesn’t like second chances? On Thursday night, the Berkeley High defense forced five turnovers to give its offense not just two but five chances to move the football. But the Berkeley Yellowjackets (0-4) failed to capitalize and the Livermore Cowboys (3-1) left nothing to chance with a 15-0 victory. -more-
Holocaust experts and activists detailed the difficulties of earning recognition and reparations for non-Jewish victims of Nazi war crimes during a panel discussion at the Castro Theatre. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – An audit of government agencies in California shows that some, such as police departments and school districts, denied people access to information that is clearly defined in state statutes as public. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – A judge said Friday he will reduce the $121 million in punitive damages that a jury awarded to 17 black workers who were discriminated against at a Wonder Bread plant. -more-
SAN LEANDRO – A carjacking suspect is probably kicking himself after police said he tried to carjack an undercover car. -more-
JOLO, Philippines – The Philippine military eased some restrictions Friday on news coverage of its assault on Muslim rebels holding 17 hostages on a southern island, but continued to limit communications. -more-
SACRAMENTO – The disposal fee for old tires is going up next year to pay for an expanded regulation and cleanup program aimed at illegal tire piles. -more-
EL SEGUNDO – Mattel Inc. has found a buyer for the Learning Co., the software unit that lost hundreds of millions of dollars and led to the resignation of the toymaker’s chief executive and other top officials. -more-
BOSTON – Buy low, sell high: It’s a homeowner’s dream that is coming true in this city thanks to soaring property values. But while sellers profit, the poor struggle to pay rising rents. -more-
PASADENA – Latino activists protested outside Republican Party offices, trying to drudge up support for a bill that would make permanent residency possible for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – David Hostler first learned the troubling news when he journeyed more than 3,000 miles from his Hoopa Valley reservation, California’s largest, to dig through troves of tribal artifacts on display and in storage at Harvard University. -more-
SACRAMENTO – Researchers from the University of California, Davis, are preparing for a new expedition to the Sea of Cortez, six months after five of their colleagues died in a boating accident there. -more-
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gray Davis has vetoed increases for injured and unemployed workers despite complaints that California’s benefits are among the nation’s lowest. -more-
UKIAH – It was 1967 and young prosecutor Tim Stoen was sitting in the Mendocino County Courthouse, being quizzed by a roomful of officials for a new job representing the poor. Afterward, one of the interviewers approached him with outstretched hand. -more-
The capoeiristas flipped and twisted their way into downtown Thursday as part of the Berkeley downtown merchant-supported Fall for the Arts series. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Dancers and artists pranced on the steps of City Hall on Wednesday to a driving drum tattoo, protesting rising rents and dwindling rehearsal space and demanding more from the city they’ve helped define. -more-
EMERYVILLE — The beleaguered Emery Unified School District has accepted the resignation of Superintendent J.L. Handy after alleging that he charged $68,000 in “questionable” expenses to official accounts. -more-
Councilmember Kriss Worthington walked with other breast cancer prevention advocates from Old City Hall to the City Clerk’s office Monday to place a resolution on cancer prevention on the Oct. 10 City Council agenda. Claiming that current breast cancer programs target early detection, not prevention, advocates want the city to “reduce or eliminate its toxic practices by enacting changes such s banning the use of PVC plastic in new construction an working with public facilities and institutions to switch to safer alternative products and methods.” -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco musicians who had vehemently protested the closing of a rehearsal warehouse have decided to take the money and run. -more-
SACRAMENTO – California will try to slow the proliferation of area codes by allowing separate codes for devices such as pagers and cellular telephones. -more-
