Cal Athletic Director Kasser resigns
In a surprise announcement, Cal Athletic Director John Kasser resigned from his post Thursday to become the executive director of Pac-10 Properties. -more-
In a surprise announcement, Cal Athletic Director John Kasser resigned from his post Thursday to become the executive director of Pac-10 Properties. -more-
While Berkeley’s efforts to reduce the number of new HIV/AIDS cases has been successful over the last six years, the city’s infection rate is still higher than that in Alameda County and California. -more-
Sharing syringes and other equipment for drug injection is a well known route of HIV transmission, yet injection drug use contributes to the epidemic’s spread far beyond the circle of those who inject. -more-
POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — To please a gardener with a holiday gift, think useful. What can he or she do with it in the garden? -more-
Q: We are trying to tighten up our home for the winter and are tracking down and eliminating sources of drafts. The doors and windows were no problem, but we noticed a bad draft coming from our clothes dryer vent. What’s the best way to handle this situation? -more-
WASHINGTON — Aiming to overcome the scandals and infighting that have tarnished its image, U.S. Olympic Committee leaders began a four-day meeting Thursday to choose a new chairman and decide whether to keep an interim chief executive officer. -more-
The Associated Press -more-
By Robin Shulman -more-
By Robert W. Fuller -more-
The Berkeley High women’s basketball team played its first game of the season Wednesday, and got its opening-day jitters out of the way early. -more-
Already facing criminal charges for allegedly transporting immigrants to the United States for cheap labor and sex, Lakireddy Bali Reddy now faces civil charges in the wrongful death of Chanti Jyotsna Devi Prattipati. -more-
Cal defensive end Andre Carter and punter Nick Harris were named to the All-Pac-10 first team this week, the league office announced. It was the second straight selection for both seniors. -more-
When the UC Regents approved plans for the new central dining and office facility, the existing dining pavilions, classic examples of modernism, came closer to the wrecking ball. -more-
The No. 4 Cal men’s water polo team, which finished the 2000 season 17-8 (5-3 in MPSF) and placed second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament last weekend in Los Alamitos, CA, did not receive an at-large berth to the NCAA Championship. -more-
In accord with its mission to encourage the writing of poetry and to bring together people who enjoy it, Poets’ Dinner invites entries in its 75th annual poetry contest. -more-
SAN JOSE — President Clinton and Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, commenting from opposite coasts, said Wednesday their countries have initiated talks on a free trade agreement and agreed that formal negotiations should start as soon as possible. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to consider the insurance industry’s challenge to a new state law that gives thousands of Northridge earthquake victims a year to refile their claims. -more-
WESTMINSTER — More than half of Southern California’s shoreline – from Santa Barbara to San Diego – is unsafe for swimming after rainstorms because of bacteria carried to the ocean by urban runoff, according to a new study. -more-
SAN DIEGO — Three San Diego-based Marines face military charges for allegedly raping two teen-age girls during a port stop in Australia. -more-
STAFFORD — Filled with sadness, environmental activist Julia “Butterfly” Hill returned Wednesday to the wounded tree that was her home for two years. -more-
SAN DIEGO — Religious figurines and bright chrysanthemums stood beside the blood-stained sidewalk where a 17-year-old boy fell dead when a neighbor opened fire on a group of skateboarders. -more-
FRESNO — By his own words, motel handyman Cary Stayner guaranteed that he’ll never be a free man for murdering a naturalist in Yosemite National Park. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Don’t expect the smog jokes to stop anytime soon, but Southern California has made significant progress toward fighting air pollution – especially in the last five years. -more-
For the first time, a vaccine protected monkeys against the lethal Ebola virus, raising doctors’ hopes of developing a means of inoculating people against the terrifying disease. -more-
SANTA BARBARA — More than 20 people knew 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz was being held by kidnappers who eventually killed him but none of them notified police, county grand jury transcripts show. -more-
Chanting and waving signs, condemning the visit of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demonstrators broke through police lines Tuesday evening and prevented lecturegoers from entering the high school gates, the entrance to the theater where Netanyahu was to speak. -more-
Some people can’t rent the school district’s Berkeley Community Theater – rap groups, for instance, are barred, according to theater management. -more-
The Zoning Adjustments Board put off a decision Monday to approve an environmental study on the proposed Beth El project. -more-
Lt. Russell Lopes describes the series of shootings in the area of 2700 Sacramento Street as a battle between the Hatfields and the McCoys. -more-
Charging that the city of San Jose violated the California Environmental Quality Act, environmentalists and communities to the south sued to block Cisco Systems, Inc.’s 688-acre research park proposed for one of Silicon Valley’s last remaining rural tracts. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Cancer is eating away at Creighton Frost. His lymph glands, thyroid, larynx and much of the muscles on the right side of his body have been removed. Marijuana, he says, is his only comfort. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A consumer group outraged at spiraling electric bills wants to put a ballot initiative before voters that would reverse the 1996 law deregulating California’s power industry. -more-
SAN JOSE — Stanford University may go ahead with its development plans and reserve the opportunity to build on its nearby foothills, something environmentalists were hoping to prevent. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Eyeing a projected $10.3 billion state budget surplus, Republican leaders Tuesday proposed spending $710 million on jails, crime labs, law enforcement equipment and prosecution of gun-related crimes. -more-
LOS ANGELES — An alternate juror in the corruption trial of four police officers told a judge Tuesday she did not hear an alleged statement by the jury foreman that he believed the defendants were guilty before testimony began. -more-
LOMA LINDA — The risk a study of a toxic water pollutant poses to its human participants is outweighed by its potential benefit to the general public, doctors conducting the research said Tuesday. -more-
TRACY — Allegations of picket line violence prompted a judge to issue a restraining order against workers striking at the massive warehouse that supplies Safeway stores in three western states. -more-
George W. Bush’s point man in Florida argued Tuesday it was “wrong, simply wrong” for Al Gore to claim that thousands of votes have never been counted in the state’s bitterly contested presidential election. The vice president said so anyway, and asked a state court to oversee a hurry-up manual recount of thousands of ballots. -more-
AUSTIN, Texas — George W. Bush is “on track” in planning a new government, one that would include Democrats in key positions, aides suggested Tuesday. Still, continuing legal clouds subdued some of Bush’s optimism. -more-
The vice president of WRE Color Tech, who is responsible for the chrome 6 plume beneath the partially-constructed West Berkeley Skate Park, is curious about why the site at Fourth and Harrison streets was chosen for the park. -more-
Post Proposition 36: what will happen to the incarcerated? -more-
The bill of fare is both healthy and gourmet: baked chicken, lamb, salmon, steamed vegetables and fruit. To drink, there is natural fruit juice and spring water. Everything is cooked with herbs, free of salt and animal fat. -more-
What makes an older person a senior citizen? “Older” than whom? -more-
A huge poster of the Berkeley Golden Bear adorns the wall of the Bernice Layne Brown Gallery on the UC Berkeley Campus. But the bear’s not rooting for Cal’s football team. -more-
Berkeley police arrested one suspect Saturday evening in connection to last week’s shooting at Ward and Sacramento streets and arrested the suspect’s wife on unrelated charges. -more-
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak tonight at the Berkeley Community Theater at about 7:30 p.m. -more-
SANTA CRUZ — Professors at the mellow and proudly unique University of California campus in Santa Cruz rejected a contentious proposal Monday that would have ended the school’s practice of requiring that students get written evaluations in every class. -more-
FRESNO — Citing widespread contamination in state waterways, environmental groups plan to file a challenge Tuesday to a loophole they say allows farmers to discharge toxic pesticides. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A civil rights group has returned to federal court in an attempt to stop Secretary of State Bill Jones from shutting down future vote-swapping Web sites. -more-
STAFFORD — Someone has taken a chainsaw to Luna, the redwood environmentalist Julia “Butterfly” Hill sat in for two years. Activists fear the thousand-year-old tree was mortally wounded. -more-
SAN BERNARDINO — A hundred volunteers are participating in a drinking water study which requires them to take pills containing an industrial pollutant found in rocket fuel. -more-
SAN DIEGO — The city could be fined up to $25,000 a day unless officials devise a plan to keep runoff from a heap of polluted dirt from getting into a creek and Mission Bay. -more-
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court entered the debate over medical marijuana Monday, agreeing to decide whether the drug can be provided to patients out of “medical necessity” even though federal law makes its distribution a crime. -more-
WASHINGTON — Scientists have long theorized that about 15 different genes play a role in who is born with the severe brain disorder autism – and now they’ve finally found one of those genes. -more-
George W. Bush begins planning; says ‘give it up’ -more-
WASHINGTON — Six in 10 Americans, including a fourth of Al Gore supporters in a new poll, say it is time for the vice president to concede now that George W. Bush has been certified as the winner of Florida’s 25 electoral votes. -more-
The City Council voted Tuesday to seek outside legal council before deciding whether to support a city attorney’s opinion that has caused a legal revolt by four members of the Landmark Preservation Commission. -more-
CHICAGO – California defeated South Alabama, 70-59, for the first victory of the Caren Horstmeyer era Saturday at UIC Pavilion. The Bears are 1-3 on the year, while the Jaguars fall to 2-2 with the loss to the Bears in the consolation game of the UIC Thanksgiving Tournament. -more-
A study conducted last year by the city’s Heath and Human Services Department, Public Health Division has identified a a significant difference in health between newborn African-American and Caucasian babies born in Berkeley during the last three years. -more-
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The University of California women’s volleyball team (13-15) defeated host New Mexico (10-17), 3-0 (15-9, 15-8, 16-14) Saturday night in the championship match of the Albuturkey Classic held at the Johnson Center in Albuquerque, NM. -more-
Peruvian immigrants in the Bay Area have mixed reactions to President’s Alberto Fujimori’s recent surprise announcement that he is resigning. -more-
LOS ALAMITOS – The No. 4 ranked California men’s water polo team (16-9) fell in a 6-5 squeaker to No. 2 ranked UCLA (21-3) in the title match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament, Sunday in Los Alamitos. -more-
University of California at Davis researchers say many of the substances we enjoy consuming actually trigger pain, and argue that pain makes up an important component of some flavors. -more-
Daily Planet wire report -more-
COVINA – Authorities evacuated 30 homes Saturday when a homeowner mixed pepper spray with water and spilled it onto his lawn, causing a police officer and several other residents to fall ill, firefighters said. -more-
Florida’s secretary of state prepared to certify the votes cast for George W. Bush and Al Gore in the near-deadlocked election that would determine which of them becomes 43rd president of the United States. But the struggle went on, the vote numbers under challenge even before they were declared. -more-
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – While recounted Florida votes edged toward certification Sunday, lawyers for Al Gore and George W. Bush doggedly pursued more legal avenues for changing the totals yet again. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – High housing costs pose a “major problem” for four of five residents in the San Francisco Bay area’s red-hot property market. -more-
On Wednesday morning, commuters traveling from the East Bay to San Francisco will be able to use the FasTrak system on two lanes of the Bay Bridge, one of the busiest commute routes in the country. -more-
Work has halted on the skateboard park near Fifth and Harrison streets following a Friday morning emergency meeting among city officials and skate park enthusiasts. -more-
For two weeks John Christian has been sitting in front of the downtown Berkeley BART station on Shattuck Avenue each day, asking for change. And so far, the people of Berkeley have come through. -more-
Work has halted on the skateboard park near Fifth and Harrison streets following a Friday morning emergency meeting among city officials and skate park enthusiasts. -more-
New coach Horstmeyer starts 0-3 with Bears -more-
The University of California women’s volleyball program has signed Mia Jerkov to a National Letter of Intent, it was announced by Golden Bear head coach Rich Feller. -more-
A long-time Berkeley resident and public transportation user is more upset than a baby’s stomach after eating hot links. And that’s all Candice Etter said she wanted – hot links. -more-
The Cal women’s crew team received two important commitments during last week’s early signing period for the National Letter of Intent. Two of the top recruits in the country, Shaina Kennedy and Laura Terheyden, signed NLI’s and will be joining the Golden Bears next fall. -more-
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. received 56 percent of the total number of consumer gas and electric complaints filed statewide between 1997 and 1999, according to the California Public Utilities Commission. -more-
Got canned food? -more-
The magnitude 5.2 Napa-Yountville earthquake in September 2000 caused $50-$100 million of damage. When a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurs on the Hayward fault, we expect over 150,000 housing units to be made uninhabitable, over 350,000 people to be forced from their homes, and over 110,000 people to require public shelter. -more-
SAN MATEO — The federal Drug Enforcement Administration approved a program Wednesday that will allow San Mateo County to give away government-grown marijuana to 60 AIDS patients as part of a first-of-its-kind study to assess the potential benefits of the drug. -more-
STANFORD — Nestled at the base of oak-studded foothills, Stanford University attracts some of the country’s brightest minds to a place where the high-tech firms that drive Silicon Valley are mere minutes from hiking and horseback riding. -more-
SAN JOSE — Three out of every four would-be California drivers flunked the state’s written driving test on their first attempt after the state overhauled the exam last summer. -more-
SAN DIEGO — The city could be fined up to $25,000 a day unless officials devise a plan to keep runoff from a heap of polluted dirt from getting into a creek and Mission Bay. -more-
A state appeals court has upheld an earlier ruling imposing a gag order on attorneys, police and witnesses in a kidnapping case involving an 8-year-old Vallejo girl. -more-
MARKLEEVILLE — The federal Environmental Protection Agency has formally told Atlantic Richfield Co. to assist in the cleanup of the Leviathan Mine, recently designated a Superfund environmental site. -more-
BRAWLEY — A portion of a popular off-road vehicle playground was closed for the holiday to protect a rare plant, and prevent accidents. -more-
PASADENA — A NASA spacecraft on a seven-year mission to collect comet dust survived a blinding zap from an enormous solar flare this month. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Ten months after the Los Angeles Board of Education voted to abandon the Belmont Learning Complex because of environmental contamination concerns, the future of the nearly completed high school remains unresolved. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A computer mistake on key evidence used to convict three Rampart officers of framing gang members may have misled jurors, defense attorneys claimed, and a judge said it was an important issue. -more-
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — Ask 9-year-old Thomas Hemsing what he’s thankful for this holiday season, and he doesn’t hesitate: -more-
COLUMBIA, S.C. — They say hospitality is the Southern way, and once again Charleston tops the nation’s most mannerly cities list released Friday by etiquette expert Marjabelle Young Stewart. -more-
TUCSON, Ariz. — Rep. Jim Kolbe was asked not to volunteer at a Tucson homeless shelter’s Thanksgiving dinner because he’s a homosexual. -more-
The following Associated Press Article was originally published in late October. -more-
ATLANTA — A survey of what people know about AIDS found that four out of 10 mistakenly believe it is possible to get the disease by sharing a drinking glass or being coughed or sneezed on by an infected person. -more-
OAKLAND — The launch of electronic toll collection on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge is being called a “relative success” by Caltrans officials this morning. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A self-described “old hippie” and music producer has filed suit against Bertelsmann BMG’s e-commerce unit, alleging it is helping to finance Napster Inc.’s online music-sharing service. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Fears of chromium 6 contamination of drinking water has sparked consumer interest in bottled water and home filtration systems, but health officials assure tap water is still safe to drink. -more-
SACRAMENTO – Several thousand supporters of Texas Gov. George Bush rallied Saturday at the state Capitol, demanding a halt to the recount of Florida ballots and denouncing Vice President Al Gore. -more-
BERKELEY — A Nobel laureate’s provocative speech on sunshine and sex left some at the University of California Berkeley campus aghast. -more-