By Michelle Hopey -more-

I called Radio Mindanao today at 3 pm PST to make the following appeal: -more-

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Wednesday, Jan. 31

By Erika Fricke -more-

Labs should test staff blood -more-

As the energy crisis continues across the state, the city is trying to find an effective way to apply a utility tax break for gas and electricity users. -more-

Speaking first in English, then Spanish, Principal Kevin Woodbridge welcomed the hundreds of parents and community members who turned out to the formal opening of the newly rebuilt Thousand Oaks School. -more-

BERKELEY — A record number of underrepresented minorities applied to the University of California in the first year of a new program guaranteeing a spot to top-performing high school students. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — California could do much more to improve health care for women and girls, according to a report issued Tuesday by a women’s group. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — The attorneys whose dogs killed a 33-year-old woman at her front door have adopted the prison inmate who ran a scheme in which vicious canines, including those two dogs, were bred and trained to guard methamphetamine labs. -more-

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Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s cash flow is nearly exhausted and its credit ruined, and the beleaguered utility should consider staff cuts, a state-ordered audit disclosed Tuesday. -more-

WASHINGTON — Papers that had been stashed in Siberia since America’s Red Scare detail Communist Party efforts to recruit blacks in Harlem, steal State Department secrets and organize sharecroppers. -more-

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NEW YORK — Growing fears of a recession sent consumer confidence plunging in January to its lowest level in four years. -more-

NEW YORK — Investors flocked to the safety of blue chips and shied away from the tech sector Tuesday while awaiting the Federal Reserve’s anticipated interest rate cut. -more-

A proposal to inspect vacant rental units for safety hazards and code compliance, has left at least one property owner grumbling. -more-

Tuesday, Jan. 30

Attack not by pitbulls, but Bull Mastiffs -more-

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Yvon Bryant of Oakland takes advantage of spectacular winter weather Monday and tests her luck fishing at the Berkeley Marina pier. She says she generally catches crabs and perch. Darryl Perry, fishing nearby, says he sometimes catches bass. Neither Perry nor Bryant eat more than one fish a month caught at the Marina, aware that eating more may be dangerous to their health. The state health department has warned against contaminants in the water. -more-

The city is trying to find funds to assist a popular proposal from a group of parents who are determined to help failing high school freshman get back on track. -more-

The City Council will consider extending a 45-day moratorium on new telecommunications antennae to give city staff time to revise zoning regulations to deal with the increasing numbers of applications for them. -more-

SACRAMENTO — California’s state government is scoring higher marks on a national report card, particularly in fiscal policy, but still ranks behind most other states, a new study shows. -more-

The California energy mess has created two vastly different reactions, a popular impression that deregulation has failed and a determined opposition that views it as the only solution. -more-

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. —DaimlerChrysler AG's slashing of 26,000 jobs at its ailing Chrysler division stands as the most dramatic sign yet that the 1998 merger of German and American automakers has not lived up to its promise. -more-

Investors sent stocks moderately higher Monday but kept their purchases to a minimum while they awaited the outcome of this week's Federal Reserve meeting. -more-

Just days after a major 7.9 earthquake shook India causing massive damage and loss of life, the Claremont-Elmwood Neighborhood Association held a meeting to organize community preparation for the earthquake residents know will eventually hit the Bay Area. -more-

Monday, Jan. 29

Instabilty is crippling Berkeley’s schools -more-

Cal’s Lampley scores 21 in Seattle -more-

In response to the California’s power crisis, Berkeley City Councilmember Linda Maio is asking for a special meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 24 to discuss various ways that the city can cut back on energy use and rid the city of the shackles of Pacific Gas And Electric. -more-

A second half surge and a five point lead with 7:51 remaining in the game were not enough to beat the Huskies Saturday night as Washington regained the lead with 1:18 to play, defeating California 69-68 inside Haas Pavilion. -more-

A group of 22 professors and economic experts say that a state utility takeover will only worsen California’s power crisis while raising power rates will help stakeholders, “share the pain.” -more-

With 20 minutes gone in the first half on Saturday, the Chico State rugby team had to be pretty happy. They had conceded just one try to the 10-time defending national champion Cal squad to just one score, and had made two forays deep into Bear territory on Witter Field. Then the roof caved in. -more-

Residents are UCB students -more-

Judge asked to throw out Raider lawsuit -more-

LOS ANGELES – As Southern Californians gathered around their televisions to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, many consumers in the market for a big-screen TV seemed blissfully unaware a power crisis was at hand. -more-

EMERYVILLE – On a drab afternoon, the rich, warm smell of vegetarian chili curls around the couch where 9-year-old Jessie flips through her math homework. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – Neale McFarland never expected to get rich by owning stock in California’s two largest utilities, but he knew he could always count on a decent-sized dividend check to cushion his retirement income. -more-

The Community Health Commission on Thursday sent a medical marijuana ordinance, which has been bouncing around city offices for the last 18 months, to the City Council. -more-

Saturday, Jan. 27

City must treat antenna concerns more seriously -more-

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The St. Mary’s soccer team went into Friday’s match against Kennedy undefeated in league play and looking for a first-place finish. They headed home with their first BSAL loss and hoping to salvage a first-round playoff bye. -more-

Washington board member calls fears ‘paranoia’ -more-

It took the first quarter for Berkeley High to find its rhythm, but as soon as the whistle blew to start the second period, the Yellowjackets dominated Encinal en route to a 58-32 win Friday. -more-

Perhaps it was a twist of fate or maybe Lady Luck stepped in. -more-

Nearly everything that could have gone wrong for the Berkeley girls’ basketball team did just that on Friday. Their star player was late for the game and sat for most of the first half. They shot poorly, and were called for 19 fouls in the first half. Their coach called it their worst effort of the year. Yet the Lady ’Jackets still beat the Encinal Jets by 15 points. -more-

Berkeley police report that a train struck a semi-truck at about 12:34 p.m. today but there are no reports of any injuries. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – A man has been accused of taking $200,000 from his nephew after selling part of the Golden State Warriors that he didn’t own. -more-

SAN QUENTIN – At least 50 inmates broke into a race riot at San Quentin State Prison that saw nine men injured, two by makeshift knives fashioned from bed springs. -more-

SACRAMENTO – No one trying to solve California’s power crisis wants to utter the b-word to describe the multibillion-dollar plan that would keep the lights on while rescuing the state’s two largest utilities. -more-

SACRAMENTO – California’s power managers working on the state’s fragile electricity grid Friday ordered service cut to voluntary customers in Southern California as they lost power imports from Arizona and the Northwest. -more-

Belgian endives are those torpedo-shaped, pale green leafy heads that sell for high prices in the market. The hefty price tag comes about because Belgian endive is a specialty vegetable and much of it is flown here from Europe. But this pricey item is easy to grow indoors in winter -- the plants need no light and little soil. -more-

HERMOSA BEACH – In a significant victory for opponents of coastal oil drilling, an appeals court has ruled the city may ban ocean-tapping wells within city limits. -more-

OXNARD – Rose Burgess played red-light, green-light with the California Department of Motor Vehicles after she was told she incorrectly answered one of the questions on her renewal test. -more-

SAN JOSE – When a rolling blackout hit the neighborhood of Equinix Inc.’s data center, the hundreds of computers inside hummed along unperturbed, the lights didn’t blink and the temperature remained a steady 68 degrees. -more-

After a devastating 5-1 loss to league rival Richmond on Tuesday, the Berkeley High boys’ soccer team could have done two things: come back and play harder than ever, or go into the toilet against a weak opponent. They chose the former. -more-

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Friday, Jan. 26

President George W. Bush's decision to rescind current policy toward foreign family planning agencies will result, tragically, in more abortions. -more-

A sociology class in Wheeler Hall on the UC Berkeley campus reviews texts without the help of electric lighting -more-

It had all the ingredients of a tough Pac-10 loss for the Cal Bears. They went ahead of Washington State early, only to struggle early in the second half, just like in losses to Arizona and Arizona State earlier this year. But the Bears, jump-started by an injury substitute, came right back and took control of the game with a 20-4 run that gave them their second conference win of the year. -more-

The City Council held a public hearing Tuesday in the latest of a long list of skirmishes that go back 20 years with a landlord who is notorious for substandard housing. -more-

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A San Francisco police officer on trial in Oakland Superior Court has been found innocent of charges he battered his girlfriend in her Berkeley home and then tied her hands together with a device the pair used during sex. -more-

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“ ...we have to ask ourselves whether medicine is to remain a humanitarian and respected profession or a new but depersonalized science in the service of prolonging life rather than diminishing human suffering...” Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D. On death and dying. 1969 -more-

Albany resident Joanna Selby was no stranger to the issues of the elderly when she was appointed by Gov. Gray Davis to the Commission on Aging Dec. 4. -more-

More than half of Californians believe Congress is doing a good job, according to a poll released Thursday. -more-

Fluorescent light fixtures are more efficient and cheaper to run than incandescents. -more-

Remember the time you painted the bathroom and about a month after it was finished, the mildew started to show up again on your freshly painted ceiling? -more-

In an era of speed gardening, when shortcuts vie for attention, some vegetable gardeners still cherish the old, slow ways. Instead of saving time, they save seeds. -more-

Swing dancing – and then sex between a 14-year-old girl and a man 10 years older – are a lot of what Bridget Carpenter’s flashy and provocative, but ultimately insubstantial new play “Fall” is about. -more-

President Bush’s plan to scrap the federal estate tax would mean lower revenue for states too, in a ripple effect that would cut tens of millions of tax dollars from every state’s budget. -more-

The City Council heard arguments from corporate representatives Tuesday who want to place 12 telecommunications antennae on the roof of the Oaks Theater and from neighbors who say the installations are unattractive and pose a health threat. -more-

Thursday, Jan. 25

Disabled with service dogs don’t have to reveal disability -more-

The prevailing wisdom in the BSAL boys’ soccer league is that there are three top teams, and everyone else scraps for wins at the bottom. But that perception is changing with every game St. Joseph’s plays. -more-

Both the School Board and City Council embraced a proposal by parents Wednesday night to intervene on behalf of ninth-grade students failing classes their first semester at Berkeley High School. -more-

BHS girls now 6-2 in ACCAL -more-

One month after what KPFA activists are calling the “Christmas Coup” – the firing of several staff members and banning certain volunteers from a sister station in New York City – a group of local activists was arrested Tuesday at the San Francisco law offices of Epstein, Becker & Green. -more-

Project Impact presents an educational series on earthquake and fire hazards prevention through March on Berkeley Community Media's Cable Television Station Channel 25. These are educational, pre-produced videos that come in a variety of formats reaching people of all income brackets, nationalities, and physical abilities. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Paul Torello is upfront about his life. He sells sex on the streets for drug money, and he’s HIV positive. It’s a story he tells all of his male clients before he lets them chose whether to proceed with or without a condom. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The plea bargain that will imprison white supremacist Buford Furrow Jr. but keep him off death row outraged some who knew the victims of his 1999 shooting rampage but brought satisfaction or relief to others Wednesday. -more-

SACRAMENTO — California wrapped up a desperate power auction Wednesday, hoping to find electricity supplies on a long-term basis at a price that won’t break the state. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Farmers, conservationists, water districts and some legislators fear a state proposal to take over hydroelectric plants could endanger California’s water supply. -more-

WASHINGTON — A trade group filed a federal suit Wednesday seeking to block a California ban on the fuel additive MTBE, which reduces air pollution but is blamed for fouling groundwater across the state. -more-

WASHINGTON — Hispanic girls have a higher high school dropout rate than girls in any other racial or ethnic group and are the least likely to earn a college degree, according to the American Association of University Women. -more-

NEW YORK — Less than a week after a major revamp at CNN, newly formed media giant AOL Time Warner is making sweeping job cuts that will result in an additional 2,000 positions being lost. -more-

NEW YORK — The New Economy, not even a teenager yet, is beginning to look frayed and strained, and the most dour of the calamity crowd are claiming it is seriously ill and in need of intensive care. -more-

NEW YORK — Investors refrained from making any big commitments on Wall Street Wednesday, leaving stocks little changed as the market tried to discern a trend in earnings and the economy. -more-

When Margot Smith went shopping for medicine for a visiting relative, she was startled to find that different pharmacies charge greatly varying prices for drugs. Not content to simply purchase the cheapest drug for the relative, Smith, an active member of the Berkeley Gray Panthers, decided to take her discovery to a new level. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Two white supremacists serving time at Pelican Bay State Prison are now part of the investigation into the bloody, fatal mauling of a 33-year-old San Francisco woman by dogs, state prison officials and local authorities confirmed Monday. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – The lawyer who owned the two dogs that attacked and killed a 33-year-old woman says the animals were generally gentle and showed no previous signs of aggression. But neighbors who say they called Bane, a Canary mastiff, “Killer Dog” or “Dog of Death,” often avoided the dogs and regret not reporting them. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – Infants in California are less likely to be counted than in any other state when the U.S. Census Bureau conducts its surveys, according to a new analysis released Wednesday. -more-

California’s clean air board debated Thursday whether to scale back regulations that would require automakers to market thousands of electric vehicles in the state, starting in 2003. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Employers are increasingly hiring welfare recipients into positions paying above minimum wage and providing health benefits, apparently because of the current tight labor market, a new study reports. -more-