Extra

Berkeley City Council Will Vote on Soda Tax Ballot Measure Tonight

Drew Himmelstein (BCN)
Tuesday July 01, 2014 - 01:40:00 PM

The Berkeley City Council will vote tonight on whether to place a one-cent-per-ounce soda tax measure on the November ballot. -more-



Page One

Press Release: Berkeley Suspect Turns Himself In

From Ofc. Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police
Friday June 27, 2014 - 03:21:00 PM

On Friday, June 26, 2014, at approx. 3:15 AM, Anthony Durant, wanted in connection with the June 11 shooting on the 1600 block of Russell, turned himself in at the Berkeley Police Department. Durant is currently in custody at the Berkeley jail, on a warrant charging him with 245(a)(2), assault with a deadly weapon. The investigation into the shooting continues; no further information is available at this time. -more-



Updated: Second Suspect Arrested in Berkeley Shooting

Dennis Culver (BCN)
Friday June 27, 2014 - 11:35:00 PM

Police arrested a second suspect this morning in connection with a shooting in Berkeley that sent two people to the hospital earlier this month, police said. -more-



New: Juvenile Arrested in North Berkeley BART Robberies

Dennis Culver (BCN)
Friday June 27, 2014 - 11:33:00 PM

Police today arrested a juvenile believed to be involved in a series of armed robberies targeting BART passengers, BART police said.

The juvenile, who has not been identified, was arrested near the North Berkeley BART Station.

Police said the suspect is responsible for three robberies over the course of an eight-day period. -more-



Man Shot Last Night in Berkeley--Suspect Flees

Jamey Padojino (BCN)
Friday June 27, 2014 - 08:41:00 AM

A man was injured in a shooting in Berkeley on Thursday night, a police spokeswoman said. -more-



Oakland Man Arrested in Berkeley Shooting

Dennis Culver (BCN)
Thursday June 26, 2014 - 09:35:00 PM

An Oakland man was arrested this morning in connection with a shooting in Berkeley that sent two people to the hospital earlier this month, but a second suspect remains at large, police said today. -more-



Public Comment

Minimum Wage, Maximum Challenge

Harry Brill
Friday June 27, 2014 - 01:59:00 PM

WE FINALLY WON! For the first time in Berkeley history, the vast majority of low wage workers, who are disproportionately women, racial and ethnic minorities, are now guaranteed a minimum wage. Although this achievement was an uphill struggle -- the climb seemed perpendicular at times -- a minimum wage proposal was just unanimously enacted by the Berkeley City Council. Unlike San Francisco's minimum wage ordinance, which was adopted in 2003, Berkeley has not until now entered modern times by agreeing that the City of Berkeley has a legal obligation to improve the standard of living for very low wage workers. Beginning on October 1 of this year the minimum wage will be $10 an hour. Next year wages will increase to $11.00 an hour. In 2016, wages will peak at $!2.53. Although it is certainly not a living wage, it will be among the highest in the nation!

Many activists have been disappointed, however, that the Berkeley City Council scuttled a more generous proposal submitted by its Labor Commission whose nine members were all appointed by members of the City Council! But being disappointed is not the same as being discouraged. An attempt will be made to persuade the City Council and to also craft a ballot initiative that will improve the current ordinance. Working people deserve a wage hike to at least $15 an hour, an annual cost of living adjustment, paid vacation and paid sick leave. And they deserve it soon. Seattle workers won a $15 an hour minimum wage, but for most workers it will not be achieved for seven years. -more-


July Pepper Spray Times

By Grace Underpressure
Friday June 27, 2014 - 03:42:00 PM

Editor's Note: The latest issue of the Pepper Spray Times is now available.

You can view it absolutely free of charge by clicking here . You can print it out to give to your friends.

Grace Underpressure has been producing it for many years now, even before the Berkeley Daily Planet started distributing it, most of the time without being paid, and now we'd like you to show your appreciation by using the button below to send her money. -more-


Again?

Romila Khanna
Friday June 27, 2014 - 03:26:00 PM

When we will think twice about curbing our desire to intervene in other country’s domestic affairs? We have experienced the results of past invasions which have weakened economy and introduced war culture to the minds of young and old Americans. -more-


Editorial

The Berkeley City Council Passes--On Almost Everything

Becky O'Malley
Friday June 27, 2014 - 08:43:00 AM

Okay. This week we deserve the heroine medal for slogging through the better part of the video of Tuesday’s Berkeley City Council meeting so you didn’t have to do it.

Not only that, we’ve surfed the Internet to find for your amusement the best of (well maybe all of) the media accounts of the dreadful doings. What’s interesting is that the various reporters, at least as of this writing, enacted the Blind Men Describing the Elephant parable—that is to say they described just the small part of the whole that they were able to get ahold of. But all in all, it adds up to a sorry story. What the council didn't do far outweighs anything they accomplished. -more-


The Editor's Back Fence

Wellstone Endorses Thurmond

Friday June 27, 2014 - 02:20:00 PM

The Tony Thurmond for Assembly campaign reports that their candidate (previously endorsed by the Berkeley Daily Planet) was endorsed last night in a 106-60 landslide vote by the Wellstone Democratic Club--details to follow. -more-


Columns

THE PUBLIC EYE:Campaign 2014: Hate Politics

Bob Burnett
Friday June 27, 2014 - 01:50:00 PM

Four months before the midterm election, it’s become apparent the Republican strategy is based upon firing up their base with a barrage of anti-Obama messages. This has driven down the President’s approval ratings. And it’s made Republican partisans angry and likely to vote. It’s reminiscent of the hate campaign that caused California Proposition 8 to pass in 2008. -more-


ON MENTAL ILLNESS: Mentally Ill People Dealing With "Sane" People's Violence

Jack Bragen
Friday June 27, 2014 - 02:19:00 PM

Persons with mental illness are more affected by news reports of war, compared to a non-afflicted person. -more-


Odd Bodkins: Supply and Demand (Cartoon)

By Dan O'Neill
Friday June 27, 2014 - 03:16:00 PM

Odd Bodkins: Puppy Love (Cartoon)

By Dan O'Neill
Friday June 27, 2014 - 03:00:00 PM

Arts & Events

Madama Butterfly: Two Views + One Comment

Reviews by James Roy MacBean and John A McMullen II
Friday June 27, 2014 - 12:55:00 PM

EDITOR'S NOTE: This week we are fortunate that two critics with different perspectives submitted reviews of the same production, and we're pleased to offer both. For the record, we also saw Butterfly. Let's just say that the sets and costumes were gorgeous but distracting and even confusing, the music was gorgeous as anticipated, and if you sit in the nosebleed seats and don't watch the awful video screens the visual age of the singers matters not a whit. The plot? I always swear I'll never go to Butterfly again unless they change the ending, but I always relent. -more-


Back Stories

Opinion

Editorials

The Berkeley City Council Passes--On Almost Everything 06-27-2014

The Editor's Back Fence

Wellstone Endorses Thurmond 06-27-2014

Cartoons

Odd Bodkins: Supply and Demand (Cartoon) By Dan O'Neill 06-27-2014

Odd Bodkins: Puppy Love (Cartoon) By Dan O'Neill 06-27-2014

Public Comment

Minimum Wage, Maximum Challenge Harry Brill 06-27-2014

July Pepper Spray Times By Grace Underpressure 06-27-2014

Again? Romila Khanna 06-27-2014

News

Berkeley City Council Will Vote on Soda Tax Ballot Measure Tonight Drew Himmelstein (BCN) 07-01-2014

Press Release: Berkeley Suspect Turns Himself In From Ofc. Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police 06-27-2014

Updated: Second Suspect Arrested in Berkeley Shooting Dennis Culver (BCN) 06-27-2014

New: Juvenile Arrested in North Berkeley BART Robberies Dennis Culver (BCN) 06-27-2014

Man Shot Last Night in Berkeley--Suspect Flees Jamey Padojino (BCN) 06-27-2014

Oakland Man Arrested in Berkeley Shooting Dennis Culver (BCN) 06-26-2014

Columns

THE PUBLIC EYE:Campaign 2014: Hate Politics Bob Burnett 06-27-2014

ON MENTAL ILLNESS: Mentally Ill People Dealing With "Sane" People's Violence Jack Bragen 06-27-2014

Arts & Events

Madama Butterfly: Two Views + One Comment Reviews by James Roy MacBean and John A McMullen II 06-27-2014