Local News and Opinion from The Berkeley Daily Planet

News Updates

Oakland Police Announce Arrests of 'Principals' in Takeover Robberies

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Wednesday September 03, 2008

Oakland police said today (Wednesday) that they have made what they consider a major breakthrough in the city’s restaurant takeover robberies, announcing the arrest of three suspects following a Tuesday night takeover at K&T Nail Salon at 108th Avenue and Bancroft in East Oakland. -more-

East Bay Police Collaborating to Identify Takeover Bandits

by Kristin McFarland

Wednesday September 03, 2008

The East Bay has been plagued by takeover-style restaurant robberies this summer, with 11 robberies in Oakland, one in El Cerrito, one in Hayward, one in unincorporated Castro Valley, and two in Vallejo. -more-

CONVENTION SPECIAL: Republicans React to Bristol Palin's Pregnancy

by Chris Krohn

Wednesday September 03, 2008

ST. PAUL—Alaska Governor and current Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant, but the family says she will bear the child and marry the father. -more-

Shooting at Sacramento Street Barbershop Leaves Man Wounded

By Kristin McFarland

Tuesday September 02, 2008

One person was injured today (Tuesday) in a shooting at Johnson’s House of Style at 2914 Sacramento St. -more-

Citizen’s Group Calls Public Meeting to Discuss Draft Sunshine Ordinance

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Tuesday September 02, 2008

The citizens’ group working on an alternate version of the Berkeley city attorney’s draft sunshine ordinance—which promises greater access to open government—will hold a public meeting at the Lutheran Church of the Cross on Sept. 9 to get community input on their recently released document. -more-

Long Haul Activists Plan Rally at Sproul Plaza

By Richard Brenneman

Tuesday September 02, 2008

Supporters of Berkeley’s venerable Long Haul angered by last Wednesday’s raid will rally at Sproul Plaza Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. -more-

Morning Fires Leave Seven Homeless

By Richard Brenneman

Tuesday September 02, 2008

Back-to-back fires -more-

CONVENTION SPECIAL: Obama’s Night—‘Change We Can Believe in’, or FDR, JFK, and LBJ Redux

By Christopher Krohn

Tuesday September 02, 2008

Many in the media will be asking for a long time if Democratic nominee Barack Obama hit a political home run last Thursday night. However, if he didn’t completely leave Denver’s Mile High Stadium soaring majestically, then he hit an inside the park home-run. Either way he made it home. -more-

Judge Orders ‘False Or Misleading’ Statements Stricken From AC Transit Challenger’s Ballot Statement

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Tuesday September 02, 2008

An Alameda County Superior Court Judge has taken the first vote in the 2008 local general election, ruling that certain portions of AC Transit At Large Board challenger Joyce Roy’s submitted ballot statement were either false or misleading, and ordering them removed. -more-

CONVENTION SPECIAL: News Analysis:Preemptive Strikes Against Protest at RNC

By Marjorie Cohn, Special to the Planet By Marjorie Cohn

Tuesday September 02, 2008

In the months leading up to the Republican National Convention, the FBI-led Minneapolis Joint Terrorist Task Force actively recruited people to infiltrate vegan groups and other leftist organizations and report back about their activities. On May 21, the Minneapolis City Pages ran a recruiting story called "Moles Wanted." Law enforcement sought to preempt lawful protest against the policies of the Bush administration during the convention. -more-

CONVENTION SPECIAL: Protesters Do Come in Droves to St. Paul Most Come with an Anti-War Message

by Christopher Krohn, Special to the Planet

Tuesday September 02, 2008

ST. PAUL—Schennile Hytower was waiting for her number 67 bus to go to work. It would carry her out to the airport where she manages one of the restaurants. A Michigan transplant, she has been in St. Paul for over a year now, “It’s a nice place,” she says as she boards the bus towards downtown. “I also have mixed feelings, but there’s more work here,” says Hytower on, Labor Day. She’ll have to change buses there to get to her airport job. -more-

Berkeley School Board Race is Underway

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Sunday August 31, 2008

With two months left to go for the November municipal elections, candidates for the Berkeley Board of Education are pushing for endorsements and mobilizing supporters through fundraisers, campaign kick-offs and websites. -more-

Democratic Convention in Photos

By Christopher Krohn

Friday August 29, 2008

It's all over but the clean-up. Here are all the convention pictures. -more-

New Appeal Filed In Stadium Lawsuit

By Richard Brenneman

Thursday August 28, 2008

The legal battle over UC Berkeley’s building plans at Memorial Stadium is back in the state Court of Appeals for the second time. -more-

Political Tidbits: Protesters Ousted from Civic Center Park, Large Demo Close to Pepsi Center

by Chris Krohn

Thursday August 28, 2008

Denver—Civic Center Park, the park which some protesters have been using to hold demonstrations since last Saturday, was discovered on Wednesday morning to have a new six and half foot high fence. It was not immediately known why this occurred. -more-

Flames Gut Popular Berkeley Gas Station

By Richard Brenneman

Thursday August 28, 2008

Flames gutted one of Berkeley’s busiest gas station early Thursday morning, causing more than $700,000 in damage to the independent station U.S. Smog & Gas at 3000 Shattuck Ave. -more-

News

UC Police Seize Computers In Raid

By Richard Brenneman

Thursday August 28, 2008

UC Berkeley police, guns drawn, raided an empty Long Haul Infoshop Wednesday morning, seizing 13 computers and other gear in a search for the source of threatening e-mails. -more-

Long Haul’s Radical History

By Al Winslow Special to the Planet

Thursday August 28, 2008

It’s an anarchist “free space.” -more-

Rep. Barbara Lee Takes Active Role At Democratic Convention

By Christopher Krohn Special to the Planet

Thursday August 28, 2008

DENVER—Congressmember Barbara Lee is tough to keep up with. In a relentless pace, she often outruns even her staff. That staff can be seen here in Denver, scurrying behind this determined Alameda County congressional representative. She can be fiery and fierce when she needs to be, and she always plays to win. -more-

Judge Gives Stadium Win to UC

By Richard Brenneman

Thursday August 28, 2008

The first round of the legal battle over the Memorial Stadium ended late Tuesday, and lawyers for the losing side are preparing their appeal. -more-

Arpeggio Brings Million-Dollar Condos to Downtown Berkeley

By Richard Brenneman

Thursday August 28, 2008

Walter Armer, left, and Don Peterson of SNK Development watched crews at work on the Berkeley Arpeggio, their nine-story-plus loft project.

Million-dollar condos? In Berkeley? Yes, says Don Peterson, president of SNK Development, the company now building the nine-story-plus Berkeley Arpeggio on Center Street. -more-

Daily Cal in Financial Trouble

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Thursday August 28, 2008

Budget Woes May Force Faculty Cuts, Says Chancellor

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Thursday August 28, 2008

Suspect Pleads Not Guilty In UC Stabbing Case

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Thursday August 28, 2008

Unions Score Victories Amidst Tough Economy

By Richard Brenneman

Thursday August 28, 2008

Kindergarten Enrollment Up on First Day of School

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Thursday August 28, 2008

School Board OKs Design For South of Bancroft Project

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Thursday August 28, 2008

King Middle School Gets New Cafeteria, BUSD Gets New Kitchen

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Thursday August 28, 2008

Grinage Talks About Oakland Public Safety

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Thursday August 28, 2008

Court’s Richmond Casino Decision Awaited

By Richard Brenneman

Thursday August 28, 2008

Funeral Held for Mayor Dellums’ Mother

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Thursday August 28, 2008

Fire Department Log

By Richard Brenneman

Thursday August 28, 2008

4 Oakland Restaurants Hit by Weekend Robberies

By Kristin McFarland

Thursday August 28, 2008

Police Blotter

By Kristin McFarland

Thursday August 28, 2008

Enviros Launch All-Out Campaign for Obama

By Randy Shaw BeyondChron.org

Thursday August 28, 2008

Albany-Berkeley Border Walking Tour Saturday

By Steven Finacom Special to the Planet

Thursday August 28, 2008

By Richard Brenneman

A law enforcement officer carries computer drives and discs seized during Wednesday morning’s raid at the Long Haul.

Editorials

Watching the Big Show on the Small Screen

By Becky O’Malley

Thursday August 28, 2008

We’ve taken to watching major news events on the Internet, on the biggish screen of my desktop computer. This has two advantages. The most obvious one is that we don’t currently have a working TV. I know, I deserve to have my official media membership card lifted on the spot for being dangerously out of touch. -more-