Berkeley
GOVERNMENT
Berkeley’s heyday as a movie town
Since March 2020, three of Berkeley’s downtown commercial movie theaters have closed — first the California Theatre, then Shattuck Cinemas and finally the Regal UA in February 2023 — due to dwindling ticket sales, the whammy of the pandemic and the rise in online streaming services. Berkeley...
Kamala Harris' Bay Area roots in focus after receiving Biden's endorsement
On Sunday, the news broke that President Joe Biden was ending his campaign and also endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee. The news is once again putting Harris' story and her roots in the Bay Area in focus. As national attention is drawn toward Harris'...
Global web outage hasn’t impacted Berkeley 911, city says
A planned update to the widely used cybersecurity app Crowdstrike went haywire last night, causing a global wave of computer system outages affecting airports, hospitals, cities and counties, and even some emergency first responder systems. The problem has also hit city of Berkeley computers. However, Berkeley Fire spokesperson Dafina Dailey...
"Very Aggressive" Homeless Crackdown to Begin Next Month in San Francisco, Following Landmark Supreme Court Decision
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced plans to initiate a "very aggressive" crackdown on homeless encampments starting in August, following a Supreme Court ruling that broadens the authority of cities across the country to enforce encampment regulations. During an election debate hosted by the firefighter's union, Breed stated that the enforcement could include "criminal penalties," a shift from the city's previous compassionate stance, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Berkeley, 1st City to Sanctify Single-Family Zoning, Considers Historic Reversal: Allowing Small Apartments
More than a century after becoming the first city in America to enshrine single-family neighborhoods as sacrosanct, Berkeley will consider charting a new course: legalizing small apartment buildings in many neighborhoods throughout the city. The proposed changes might have been unthinkable only a half decade ago — when it wasn’t...
Berkeley to host pair of disaster readiness workshops
The city has hosted one workshop, and is scheduled to host a second Saturday, on natural hazards and disasters that pose danger to Berkeley, part of a regular update to the city’s emergency protocols. The July 20 meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Community Room of the...
San Francisco to begin clearing homeless encampments in August, mayor says
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is preparing to clear the city of most homeless encampments. Breed, who was at a mayoral debate Thursday, said despite the city’s efforts to provide more housing options and catered services, it’s not enough,. “The problem is not going to be solved by...
Wood Street closure signals big changes to Oakland homeless policies
“All persons must immediately vacate the work zone,” a police officer announced through a loudspeaker Monday morning. “Any person who refuses to comply for any reason will be subject to arrest.”. The zone in question was on Wood Street, between 26th Street and West Grand Avenue, in West...
Lululemon ‘booster' sentenced for SF Centre Mall snatch-and-grabs: DA
(KRON) — A San Francisco judge sentenced Bernard Appel, 32, to two years in prison on Friday. The District Attorney’s office said Appel was sentenced for committing a series of snatch-and-grabs from two Lululemon stores in the city. Prosecutors allege that from July 10, 2023, through November 19, 2023, Appel “consistently used either a large […]
Can chess games and toilet paper change prison culture? Inside San Quentin’s big experiment
SAN QUENTIN, Calif. — To someone living outside these dank walls, the changes might seem small. A sergeant greets a prisoner with “good morning” rather than barking an order. Guards start calling the prisoners “residents.” They shake hands, exchange jokes. The toilet paper locker gets...
Seven-story building on the Great Highway to house homeless people. Neighbors are pissed
On a clear day, future residents of 1234 Great Highway will see Golden Gate Park’s canopy to the right and the Pacific Ocean in front. While plans to build a seven-story apartment building at the site, currently occupied by Motel 6, are in the early stages, the affordable housing project is drawing the ire of neighbors who take issue with everything from its proposed height to the inclusion of formerly homeless residents.
Holding court for media, Willie Brown calls on Biden to resign, Harris to pick Whitmer VP
Outside John’s Grill on Ellis Street, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown feigned shock to find reporters from several local outlets with cameras. “Who are you people? What are you doing here?” Brown joked. When a reporter told him that it was because he was popular, Brown said,...
An executive from the A’s informs Las Vegas officials that the club intends to forgo $30 million in public funds
Sandy Dean, an executive with the Oakland Athletics, informed the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Thursday that the team does not anticipate using all of the $380 million in public funds allocated for their new stadium in Las Vegas. Dean mentioned that the A’s plan to allocate $350 million of...
Las Vegas A's have no one to pay for their new ballpark. Literally
The Oakland A's are expected to move to Las Vegas to begin the 2028 season. When that time comes, they'll need to have a new stadium. About that... While this will hopefully bring some exciting new changes to the franchise, the organization had a presentation earlier this week for the new stadium that didn't go so well. At the presentation, the A’s confirmed there are currently no financing plans for a proposed $1.5 billion ballpark in Las Vegas, per Scott Roeben from Vital Vegas. This should raise some concern for the franchise and its fans.
Matt Dorsey: 'Recovery Housing First' offers urgent alternative
When the California State Legislature first enacted our statewide “Housing First” policy in 2016 to address homelessness, it defied federal guidance from the Obama Administration that strongly encouraged state and local governments to adopt a Housing First strategy that “addresses the housing needs of people at all stages of recovery” from addiction and alcoholism. Instead, California effectively prohibited state funding for recovery-oriented housing. In fact, the legislature’s absolutist approach —...
Harris and Newsom thrust Bay Area politics into national spotlight
OAKLAND, Calif. - President Joe Biden has ended his reelection bid, positioning Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom as two perceived front-runners for the Democratic Party nomination. The vice president and governor, who have established political careers, are well-acquainted from their time working closely together when Harris...
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