The No. 4 California Golden Bears swept the Santa Clara Broncos in a mid-week doubleheader, 8-1 and 2-0. The Bears used 12 hits in game one and another six in the nightcap to help improve their record to 47-8 overall. The Broncos fall to 14-33 on the year. -more-
The morning coffee rush at a popular Elmwood cafe turned frantic Thursday when a woman ran in screaming that her car had been stolen with her 8-month-old daughter in the back seat. -more-
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Pac-10 Championship didn’t have the storybook ending the California women’s golf team seemed headed for after the first round, but the Golden Bears still managed to put their mark on school history. -more-
According to a recent progress report, The Berkeley Housing Authority’s efforts to become financially stable have fallen short of its goals raising questions about the agency’s future. -more-
Berkeley Lite is an occasional column on fighting back against those who’d like to shine us on. -more-
‘Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: Suite for Pops’ -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Although it hasn’t yet been requested, District Attorney Terence Hallinan said Wednesday that he won’t oppose any attempt to move the trial of Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel in the dog mauling death of Diane Whipple. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Last week, 73-year-old Zhenfu Ge lost her daughter to cancer. And because of the death, Ge also lost her legal right to stay in America. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge entered innocent pleas Thursday for 13 Nuestra Familia gang members and associates facing a litany of federal charges including murder, robbery, conspiracy and drug-related crimes. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A fight over an artificial reef project has led a Sacramento Superior Court judge to declare unconstitutional a state agency empowered to rule on coastal development. -more-
Consumers should avoid a lollipop imported from Mexico and found to contain a high level of lead in its wrapper, the Food and Drug Administration said. -more-
SANTA MONICA — The Navy’s new low-frequency sonar creates an “acoustic traffic jam” that threatens the way whales and dolphins communicate, environmentalists claimed Thursday in a stepped-up campaign against the system. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis’ plan to keep middle-school students in class longer each year suffered a setback Thursday in the Senate Education Committee. -more-
SACRAMENTO — State lawmakers decided Thursday to put California in the business of building power plants and place gasoline refineries at the bottom of the blackout list. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Frustrated by soaring energy prices and tightening supplies, lawmakers lashed out at power generators Thursday, and implied some should go to jail. -more-
SANTA CRUZ — Adragon De Mello, no longer the boy wonder who graduated college at age 11, is about to face a challenge that life as a child prodigy could not have prepared him for. -more-
WASHINGTON — Members of Congress called for a federal ban on human cloning Thursday. -more-
WASHINGTON — The global economy is facing its biggest threats since the worldwide financial crisis of 1997-98, the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday as it sharply cut its economic forecasts for this year. -more-
WASHINGTON — What Americans saw in the presidential campaign, they’re pretty much getting in the president. -more-
Spring is an important time of year for home dwellers. It’s when we get a chance to shake the winter dust out of our pillows and mattresses and begin the process of cleaning our home inside and out. If you have a regular routine, the process can be easier and even fun. We have a pressure washer that makes cleaning everything outside a breeze. We use it to clean spider webs from beneath the eaves, dirt from the walls – especially at the trim over doors and windows, windows, screens, doors, patios and walks, patio furniture, the barbecue, statuary and more. The trick is to start high and work down. Begin at the roofline and work your way to the ground. Start at one corner of the house and work your way around. Don’t use too much pressure. You won’t want that powerful spray to take any paint off. Be sure to use detergent with the pressure washer. Most have a feature that mixes cleaners and other concoctions into the pressurized spray. -more-
Prop for floppy plants -more-
Fifty women, forced to marry when they don’t want to, turn the tables and murder their grooms during a bloody wedding ceremony in Charles Mee’s bizarre comedy “Big Love,” which opened Wednesday in a strong production at Berkeley Repertory Theater. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO— Struggling online grocer Webvan Group Inc. continued a crash financial diet Thursday by shedding its Atlanta delivery system and laying off 885 employees – about 25 percent of its work force. -more-
The business school of the University of California at Berkeley honored the investment banker whose firm helped launch Apple Computer with a lifetime achievement award. -more-
Over the objections of representatives of the Police and Health and Human Services departments, a divided City Council passed a proposal Tuesday night that would make dislodging homeless people sleeping in public a low priority. -more-
Thirty-two of more than 100 demonstrators calling for the University of California to divest from Israel were arrested Tuesday afternoon when they occupied Wheeler Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. -more-
The city’s sewer repair project is on schedule, according to a Department of Public Works status report on the 30-year plan to repair the city’s damaged and aging sewer lines. -more-
A University of California professor who gave two football players credit for course work they didn’t do is stepping down from a prestigious position overseeing outreach for the nine-campus system. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Each May for the last four years, California lawmakers received a pleasant surprise as higher-than-expected income tax returns let them spend some extra money and cut taxes. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Some rural areas in California have such a shortage of medical specialists that some children must wait two years or more for routine surgeries, such as tonsillectomies, two lawmakers said Tuesday. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A fire that damaged a Tosco refinery in Southern California is not expected to affect gasoline supplies or prices, analysts said Tuesday. -more-
NEW YORK — Consumer confidence dropped sharply in April, underscoring increasing fears among Americans about their jobs and the economy. -more-
NEW YORK — Lucent Technologies Inc. lost a bigger than expected $3.69 billion in the just-ended quarter as the communications equipment maker was hit hard by the financial meltdown of a customer, wireless network operator Winstar Communications Inc. -more-
A program to boost test scores at Washington Primary School does not resort to workbooks or rote instruction. It calls on Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Langston Hughes, paints and fancy footwork to stimulate learning. -more-
For people living around LeConte Elementary School, the school’s ample playground is one of the few pieces of green space around. -more-
SAN JOSE — A school bus driver opened fire on her co-workers at their bus yard early Monday, killing a man and wounding three women, police said. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A flight attendant filed federal discrimination charges against American Airlines on Monday, saying her employee health plan does not cover reproductive care for women but provides Viagra for men. -more-
A vote that would have made San Francisco the only city in the nation to pay for employees’ sex changes was postponed Monday after one supervisor disapproved of adding such health coverage. -more-
CARSON — A fire that erupted at an oil refinery sent plumes of black smoke billowing over the Los Angeles area Monday afternoon. -more-
A classic opera can withstand all manner of temporal transposition and psychological interpretation. Cal Opera’s production once more proves “The Magic Flute” a classic. -more-
NEW YORK — It is an investment category containing some of the most promising stocks in the entire market, some of them possible giants of the future, but which has been almost ignored for several years. -more-
SAN JOSE — Struggling high-speed Internet access provider ExciteAtHome Corp. picked a telecommunications industry veteran as its new chairman and chief executive Monday, ending a seven-month search. -more-
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — USS Greeneville Cmdr. Scott Waddle was given a letter of reprimand Monday as punishment for the submarine collision that killed nine people aboard a Japanese fishing vessel, his attorney said. -more-
WASHINGTON — President Bush rejected Taiwan’s request to buy high-tech U.S. destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat radar system, but left open the possibility of future sales if China continues to pose a military threat to the island. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The Assembly’s redistricting committee Monday approved its rules for drawing new legislative and congressional districts, but no one at the hearing was very happy about the time allotted for public scrutiny of the new district lines. -more-
On Earth Day, people are encouraged to think about living in a manner healthy both for the body and the earth. Traditionally, it is a day for thinking about both ones place within a larger ecology and methods for environmentally sound living. -more-
SANTA CLARA – Four years after they narrowly missed each other in Berkeley, Andre Carter will get to play for Steve Mariucci on the other side of the San Francisco Bay. -more-
At first blush, Berkeley Alternative High School seems more like place of business than a school. -more-
By converting the power source in public buildings from fossil fuel based electricity to renewable solar systems, the City Council wants to set an example for small businesses and homeowners. -more-
The students from Communications Arts and Sciences academy at Berkeley High School have returned from their two-week adventure in Cuba. The Daily Planet ran the first two parts of the log written by history teacher and chaperone Tom Kordick. Following is the third and last part of the log. -more-
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is seeking volunteers for the Tele-Care program. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – An eight-month-old boy was seriously injured late Saturday afternoon in a fall from the observation deck at the top of Mount Diablo State Park in Contra Costa County. -more-
Participants fight pollution, traffic congestion -more-
Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm”An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins, and become little “dump” workers. $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 647-1111 or www.habitot.org -more-
When Kyle Boller takes the first snap of Cal’s spring football game on Saturday, he won’t be facing UCLA or Stanford; his teammates will be on the other side of the ball. But Boller will be taking his first shot at mastering Cal’s new offense, implemented by new offensive coordinator Al Borges. -more-
Energy alternatives presented to Council -more-
The long winter of weights, sprints, and tests is over. After months of being paraded around like show ponies, the National Football League is ready to select a group of fortunate football players into their select club. Among the hundreds of college hopefuls stand a handful of players from Cal, hoping to continue their careers on the pro gridiron. -more-
Students from the Communications Arts and Sciences academy at Berkeley High School have returned from their two-week adventure in Cuba. -more-
Berkeley High will be the site of the Seventh Annual Academic & Athletic Showcase on Saturday night, featuring the best senior basketball players from around the Bay Area. -more-
Berkeley Observed -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — At a time when many activists fear the environment is threatened by the Bush administration, the Sierra Club – the nation’s oldest nonprofit environmental group – is rejecting criticism that it is slow and ineffective. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Five works by Mexican muralist Miguel Covarrubias are destined for storage on Treasure Island, in the middle of San Francisco Bay, over the protest of the Mexican government. -more-
Several factors coming together to create a -more-
EL CAJON – A state law allowing prosecutors to charge a teen-ager as an adult for allegedly killing two students at his high school is cruel and unusual punishment and violates the state Constitution, defense attorneys argued Friday. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Mail-bomb charges were filed in the case of a San Jose student killed when a robotic toy dog exploded. -more-
LOS ANGELES — When UCLA senior Mark Leverette’s job search began last October, he had dreams of using his business economics degree to land a job complete with a signing bonus and a padded benefits package. -more-
DIAMOND BAR — Southern California air quality officials voted Friday to require school bus operators to buy alternative-fuel vehicles rather than diesel buses, a move that some school district officials said will force them to take money from students. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A judge ruled Friday against Sacramento teachers who challenged the rules for Gov. Gray Davis’ most lucrative rewards program for test-score improvements. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Blacks and Latinos are more likely than whites to be charged with felonies when they are caught with concealed or loaded weapons, according to a state report. -more-
ROHNERT PARK — Aletha Willis was a typical 3-year-old. She loved the television show “Blue’s Clues” and being the center of attention. She played the tambourine and sang in church. She rarely got sick, other than two ear infections. -more-
WASHINGTON — Companies owned by women are receiving just 2.5 percent of the government’s nearly $200 billion a year in contracts, and Congress says that’s not nearly enough. In fact, lawmakers declared five years ago the percentage must be doubled. -more-
At the rate of a campus a day, the president of the National Organization for Women has been touring colleges for weeks, spreading the message that abortion rights are under siege. -more-
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration rejects the Kyoto global warming treaty “under any circumstances” and sees little chance that new talks this summer will produce a suitable substitute, a State Department memo says. -more-
QUEBEC — Police in riot gear clashed with protesters in a haze of tear gas Friday as leaders of the Western Hemisphere’s 34 democracies sought to advance plans to create the world’s largest free-trade zone. -more-
GENEVA — The top U.N. human rights watchdog censured Russia on Friday for alleged abuses in Chechnya after last-minute attempts to reach a compromise failed. -more-
Group hopes to join instant messaging game -more-
NEW YORK — It’s no longer just a place where prices jump around like corn in a popper, an indulgence of the rich but of no particular concern for most families. -more-
NEW YORK — Wall Street ended its best two weeks of the year Friday with profit-taking from a spectacular rally that included triple-digit gains in the Dow Jones industrials and Nasdaq composite index. -more-
SAN JOSE — A small digital rights management company filed a lawsuit Thursday against Microsoft Corp., claiming patent infringement. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Chief federal energy regulator Curtis Hebert has made it his refrain: Price caps on wholesale electricity will hinder, not help, California’s energy crisis. Price caps will discourage the construction of desperately needed new power plants. -more-
DANA POINT — Women who get regular mammograms may reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer by more than 60 percent — about twice the amount seen in large formal studies, according to a new analysis by the American Cancer Society. -more-
Every coveted your neighbor’s lamp or coffee table? -more-
The afternoon sun bears down on Solectron’s manufacturing facility. But 30 minutes after stepping onto the roof’s new light-colored surface, there’s no noticeable rise in temperature. -more-
