After neighbors of a proposed antennae site raised concerns about exposure to electromagnetic radiation emissions, the City Council adopted a 45-day moratorium Tuesday on the placement of all new antennae that support wireless communications. -more-
When eligible voters do not participate, what do you expect? -more-
Riding a three-game winning streak, Cal hopes to maintain its momentum when the Bears meet Georgia in the fourth annual Pete Newell Challenge Thursday, Dec. 21. Cal is also a perfect 3-0 in previous Challenges, with wins over BYU (68-64 in 1998), North Carolina (78-71 in ’99) and Gonzaga (72-64 in ’00). -more-
As Californians wait for the energy crisis to send utility rates through the roof, the City Council is looking into the possibility of running its own electric company. -more-
Crises in housing, health care and the environment are just a few of the issues stacked regularly on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ plates. -more-
The omnibus budget bill that passed Congress last week allocated $350,000 to improve the safety and security systems at Berkeley High School. -more-
Gerry Tenney encourages his audience to sing very high and “fancy” in a rendition of a song to teach vowels as part of a series of events the library is calling “A Season of Family Celebrations.” Tenney performed at the West Berkeley Public Library Wednesday afternoon. The last session in the series will be “Drumming and Dance” with percussionist James Henry at 2 p.m. Dec. 28 at the Claremont branch of the library at Benvenue and Ashby avenues. -more-
OAKLAND— Conventional wisdom holds that the pre-Christmas rush can lead to depression, but one mental health expert says emotionally vulnerable people should pay closer attention to the calm after the storm. -more-
EMERYVILLE — Assemblymember Dion Aroner, D-Oakland/Berkeley, has scheduled meetings with Alameda County Superintendent Shiela Jordan and State Superintendent Delaine Eastin to discuss the financial status of the Emeryville School District. -more-
OAKLAND — A woman who murdered her sister and impersonated her in public after stuffing her dismembered body in a freezer was sentenced Tuesday to life without parole. -more-
SACRAMENTO — In education offices around the state, brightly colored textbooks with bunnies and tigers on the front promise to help California teachers make their students math whizzes. -more-
WASHINGTON — The on-again, off-again mission to faraway Pluto may be a go if NASA can do it on the cheap and without imposing long delays on a planned exploration of one of Jupiter’s moons. -more-
Energy Secretary Bill Richardson on Wednesday extended for a week an order requiring Western generators to sell electricity to power-strapped California. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Connecting Southern California, where power plants are humming along, and Northern California, which confronts a dwindling supply, is a congested transmission system known as Path 15. -more-
SACRAMENTO — About 400,000 people, half of them in California, could get immigration amnesty they were previously denied under a bill awaiting President Clinton’s signature. -more-
NEW YORK — Investors’ hopes for a happy end to Wall Street’s most dismal year in a decade are vanishing in a seemingly unending string of stock selloffs. -more-
NEW YORK — Christmas came early for investors in 2000. It came in March, as a matter of fact. Stocks were rising, confidence was soaring, homebuilders and carmakers couldn’t keep up with the demand. -more-
NEW YORK — Fears about a harsh economic slowdown and continuing weakness in corporate earnings sent stocks sliding Wednesday, with the Dow Jones industrials giving up more than 260 points and the Nasdaq hitting another low for the year. -more-
Berkeley Liberation Radio won’t be affected by the recent Congressional legislation limiting the number of licenses available to micro-radio stations throughout the country. It couldn’t get a license if it tried. -more-
OAKLAND — Lakireddy Bali Reddy and four of his relatives were back in court Tuesday as a deal with federal attorneys may be unraveling. The five had said in October that they would enter guilty pleas, but Reddy’s son Prasad Lakireddy is now refusing to do so. -more-
Bay Area lawyers defending micro-radio broadcasters were dismayed by radio lobbyists’ role in passing The Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act of 2000. -more-
With only five shopping days left till Christmas, there’s a comic book character who is dying to make his way under your tree. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Four California cities rank among the nation’s best educated, new Census data show. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — More and more police departments are trying to learn whether officers target minorities for traffic stops. The trouble is they’re cops, not computer whizzes, and may not know how best to gather and analyze their findings. -more-
PASADENA — Voyager 1 is heading to the edge of the solar system, but first it must race the sun toward a milestone – a place where the supersonic solar wind backs up in a pressure wave. -more-
Experts design system -more-
SACRAMENTO — Consumers will have to help bail out two giant utilities that say they have lost $8 billion because of a retail rate freeze and big increases in wholesale electricity prices, Gov. Gray Davis said Tuesday. -more-
WEITCHPEC — Four decades after the remote Trinity River was dammed and diverted to pour water into California’s farm belt, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt tightened the spigot Tuesday, doubling the water kept in the north and outraging growers hundreds of miles away. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A veteran LAPD homicide detective who was transferred to the auto theft division after prosecutors complained about his testimony in a murder case is now the subject of a formal complaint from a prosecutor in an auto theft case, the Los Angeles Times reported. -more-
WASHINGTON — America’s love affair with gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles and pickups is keeping national fuel economy at a 20-year low, the government says. -more-
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A jury returned a $3.5 billion verdict against Exxon Mobil Corp. on Tuesday, finding the oil company defrauded Alabama on royalties from natural gas wells in state waters. -more-
CHICAGO — A study of people who used cell phones for an average of less than three years found no evidence the devices cause brain cancer. -more-
BOSTON — Vice President Al Gore is one of about 500 people nominated for the presidency of Harvard University, according to the chairman of the university’s presidential search committee. -more-
BRUSSELS, Belgium — A bank better known for financing roads and railways said Tuesday it is earmarking $445 million to help European media companies compete with Hollywood and Silicon Valley. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Online music retailer EMusic.com Inc. is suing its Internet rival Mp3.com, saying the company violated the copyrights of the independent record labels EMusic represents. -more-
NEW YORK — The Nasdaq composite index fell to its lowest level in more than a year Tuesday after the Federal Reserve indicated it was worried about the slowing economy, but declined to cut interest rates. -more-
OAKLAND — A former state Assembly member has changed her party affiliation once again, but she’s not saying if it’s a strategic move to eventually pursue another office. -more-
In its last meeting of the year, the City Council will consider a request by Easy Does It Emergency Services Programs to increase its annual contract by $50,000. -more-
In conceding defeat, Al Gore made a gracious and humorous speech. But it was what he didn’t say that pinpointed the limitations of his leadership and the frustration of his followers. -more-
The homeless mentally ill are often the most critically in need of basic services such as housing and medical treatment. But, in what social workers call a cruel twist, they are also the hardest to reach. -more-
It’s 12:51 a.m. Thursday morning, Dec. 14 and I’m angry and I can’t sleep. My stomach roils when I imagine that on Jan. 20, I will be the citizen of a country whose president is George W. Bush. Oh my God! Oh my God! -more-
Run-off elections are costly, voters stay away from the polls in droves, and they don’t serve third-party candidates well. -more-
Carolyn Haydu, a recent graduate from UC Berkeley’s art program, shows off a section of her art piece that will be embedded in the sidewalk in front of the new Berkeley Repertory Theater on Addison Street. The final project will be approximately 84 square feet and will give pedestrians the sensation of walking on air, she said. Haydu who plans to attend graduate school after she completes the project said: “This almost like a graduate project but in the real world.” -more-
Aimee Fisher got pregnant her senior year of high school, and the Christian day care she worked for fired her when she wouldn’t marry her baby’s father. -more-
A sociologist from the University of Berkeley at California has been named a recipient of the National Humanities Medal, to be awarded by President Bill Clinton in the nation's capital later this month. Robert Bellah joins the heady company of novelists Toni Morrison and Barbara Kingsolver, along with musician and composer Quincy Jones, in this year'’ list of 12 honorees, according to a UC Berkeley spokeswoman. -more-
U.S. Rep Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, has announced that more than $1 million in federal funding has been earmarked for three East Bay community projects. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Tsunamis generated by underwater landslides pose a serious threat to coastal communities in California and elsewhere, say researchers who are trying to determine where submarine slips are most likely occur. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Randolph Apperson Hearst, the last surviving son of newspaper billionaire William Randolph Hearst, died Monday at a New York hospital following a massive stroke. He was 85. -more-
California could keep about $350 million in federal funds to subsidize low-cost health insurance for children, under a bill approved by Congress. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Sara Jane Olson’s lead attorney was ordered Monday to appear in court and explain why he should not be taken off the Symbionese Liberation Army attempted-bombing case for failing to prepare for trial. -more-
LOS ANGELES — An arsonist torched a car during a hot, dry Southern California windstorm, sparking a fire perilously close to dozens of homes, and a 480-acre wildfire in a condor refuge burned untamed Monday, although the birds weren’t in danger. -more-
DANA POINT — Sworn to serve and protect, Sheriff’s Deputy Russ Chilton never figured that pledge would extend to mussels, crabs and starfish. -more-
Happy holidays. Just not for everyone. -more-
NEW YORK — Optimism that interest rates might soon be lowered sent blue chip stocks soaring Monday, while earnings worries again dogged the tech sector. -more-
With unwavering support Monday from the electors who had pledged to vote for him, George W. Bush secured the Electoral College majority needed to become the 43rd president. -more-
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine military said Monday it won’t revive negotiations for the release of an Oakland man being held hostage and instead plans to fight his captors until they “surrender or are wiped out.” -more-
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Scientists at Texas A&M University unveiled a disease-resistant black Angus bull Monday, a feat they said could lead to safer beef and more efficient ranching worldwide. -more-
I heard local schools were looking for substitute teachers, so I registered to take the California Basic Educational Skills Test. -more-
Concerns about electromagnetic radiation prompted directors of the Jewish Community Center on Walnut Street to temporarily withdraw its application for rooftop wireless communications antennae. -more-
The University of California baseball team has signed seven athletes to national letters of intent, including four players who are listed on TeamOneBaseball.com Top-100 High School Prospects List -more-
Every school day at 11:24 a.m., a line of students streams out of Berkeley High School toward downtown Berkeley food vendors. -more-
Alameda County Supervisors are today interviewing five people who want to fill the District 3 seat left vacant by Wilma Chan's election to the California Assembly. -more-
Gasoline prices during the past two weeks fell more than 51/2 cents on average, according to an industry survey released Sunday. -more-
BERKELEY — University of California officials played down a report that they have developed preliminary proposals for major changes in admissions, including eliminating the SAT requirement. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The rock and dust kicked up by an asteroid impact 65 million years ago was not enough to kill the dinosaurs, according to researchers – but the debris may have sparked a deadly global chemical reaction in the atmosphere. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Bell should not be allowed to sell long distance service in California until it sorts through a tangle of service issues, a report to the state’s Public Utilities Commission concludes. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The six companies that bought power plants in California when the state deregulated its utilities have seen profits rise dramatically this year, according to the companies’ third-quarter statements. -more-
A government hearing into an Alaska Airlines crash that killed all 88 people aboard ended Saturday night with investigators questioning the safety of a critical part used in the popular MD-80 and DC-9 series of jetliners. -more-
SANTEE — Council members in Santee and Oceanside are the only city officials in San Diego County who receive free home Internet access – a perk that has some people concerned. -more-
LOS ANGELES — When she was arrested a year and a half ago, Sara Jane Olson was still legally known as Kathleen Soliah, a fugitive who had eluded authorities for 25 years. Much has changed since then, including her name. -more-
At 32, Brendon Mills was already a millionaire veteran of two start-up technology companies when he left Silicon Valley and holed up last year in a rented office in Austin, Texas, equipped with a computer and a supply of caffeinated soda. -more-
Students serve up annual meal -more-
By Jared Green -more-
The Zoning Adjustments Board approved on Thursday the controversial Final Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Beth El synagogue and school at 1301 Oxford St. -more-
When businesses on University Avenue have a problem, they turn to Dave Fogarty. -more-
There was Election 2000 fall out Berkeley style at the Thursday night Zoning Adjustments Board meeting, when a new ZAB commissioner tried to claim his seat. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The Arctic ozone layer will not bounce back as quickly as expected from damage caused by ozone-depleting chemicals despite recent cutbacks in their use, scientists said Friday. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The $5.5 billion Iridium global telephone system couldn’t attract enough customers to keep the company out of bankruptcy court, but its network of 66-plus satellites is paying off for scientists. -more-
SAN JOSE — Lifescan Inc., a leading maker of diabetes monitors, pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges and was ordered to pay $60 million in fines, ending a three-year government investigation of a defective blood-glucose meter. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Scientists are planning an ambitious mission to a new and barely explored world that isn’t far from the old one: the oceans. -more-
SAN DIEGO — A major earthquake would cause only minor damage to the massive concrete and steel columns that will support a portion of the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, a seismic test showed Friday. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Most Californians favor paying higher taxes to help everyone have affordable health care, according to a poll released Thursday. -more-
Federal regulators ordered an overhaul of California’s electricity market Friday to try to control skyrocketing prices that have pushed the state to the brink of blackouts this month. -more-
SANTA ANA — A 40-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for murdering two children and injuring four others and a teacher’s aide by intentionally driving his car onto a preschool playground last year. -more-
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — When an extortionist’s bomb ripped through Harveys Resort & Casino in 1980, the company found opportunity in the tragedy and rebuilt Tahoe’s first high-rise to match the glitter of its newer neighbors on the south shore. -more-
CORTE MADERA — A pair of mischievous middle-aged men has been stalking through shopping mall parking lots - the habitat of the mighty sports utility vehicle – doing a little civil disobedience in hopes that their prey will become extinct. -more-
WASHINGTON — Nearly 500 current and retired FBI agents marched to the White House Friday in an unprecedented protest, opposing any presidential clemency for an American Indian activist convicted of killing two FBI men. -more-
BRADENTON, Fla.— A Palestinian was ordered released from jail Friday after being locked up for three years on secret government evidence without ever being charged with a crime. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Online toy retailer eToys says it will cut its workforce and may run out of operating cash by the end of March because of weak holiday sales. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Shockwave.com says it will acquire Internet short film distributor AtomFilms to form a new company in an attempt to dominate the struggling Internet entertainment field. -more-
NEW YORK — Investors who thought the resolution of the presidential election would set off a rally on Wall Street found themselves instead in the midst of a huge selloff. -more-
After an 12-day break for finals, California (3-5) visits San Diego State (3-5), Friday, Dec. 22, for a 7 p.m. contest. The Aztecs lead the series, 3-1, including a win in the last meeting in 1995-96 (82-70). The SDSU game marks the return home of Cal's Becky Staubes and Janet Franey. -more-
A toxicologist has determined that groundwater contaminated with chromium 6, which caused the city to halt construction work on the Harrison Street skate park, poses a minimal health risk. -more-
The lawyer for a Berkeley teenager who was charged with battery on a police officer and resisting arrest in connection with a June 2 traffic stop that allegedly escalated into violence said after a court hearing Wednesday he had worked out a deal with prosecutors to have the charges dismissed if his client maintains a clean record for the next year. -more-
Susan Brooks smiles when she talks about her move to Berkeley nearly 30 years ago from her native New York. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Despite hefty increases in child-care funding as part of welfare reform, a new study says the supply of centers and preschools is faltering – particularly in poor, Hispanic neighborhoods. -more-
WASHINGTON — Victory secured, President-elect Bush invited a Democratic senator to Texas for a job interview and tinkered Thursday with the final components of his White House and national security teams. -more-
ENCINITAS — Every year around the holidays, there’s one question Paul Ecke III gets a lot: How exactly do you pronounce “poinsettia”? -more-
Q: I recently replaced the old galvanized storage tank from my well pumping system with one that has an air bag to separate the water from the air. Since then, whenever I turn on the water faucet, air spurts out of the spout along with the water. Do you know what’s wrong? -more-
BERKELEY— Deann Borshay Liem lived an all-American life. Family trips to Disneyland. Class president. Cheerleader. Homecoming queen. -more-
NEW YORK — Twenty years after the broadcast of “Cosmos,” Carl Sagan’s love letter to the universe, Ann Druyan remembers it all. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Customer service employees at etown.com have become the first dot-com workers to file for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Computer software giant Oracle Corp. reported Thursday a 62 percent surge in its quarterly profit, defying a recent trend of earnings letdowns that have ravaged technology stocks. -more-
A two-alarm blaze gutted an unoccupied three-story home on Thousand Oaks Boulevard early Wednesday morning. -more-
SAN JOSE — Hoping to hit high-tech companies where it hurts, an environmental organization is encouraging consumers to buy from businesses that do the best job of warning the public about the toxic chemicals they use. -more-
In response to recent published reports, a University of California provost has denied that California's flagship system for higher education is considering scrapping the Scholastic Aptitude Test. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Two ancient Egyptian cities that mysteriously sank into the Mediterranean about 1,500 years ago could have fallen victim to floods or a major earthquake — or a combination of both, researchers said Sunday. -more-
SAN JOSE — A bizarre mystery unfolded Friday out of a usually routine corporate flight: Why did a Hewlett-Packard employee jump or fall from a small company plane at 2,000 feet, despite an attempt by another passenger to restrain her? -more-
LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors in the case of former Symbionese Liberation Army fugitive Sara Jane Olson accused her and her attorneys Thursday of stalling to avoid trial and said the lawyers should be removed for failing to adequately prepare. -more-
