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The City Council adopted a Medical Marijuana Ordinance Tuesday that advocates called conservative and a disservice to the chronically ill, while city officials described it as responsible and mindful of public safety. -more-

I am guilty of a homicide. -more-

On a perfect day for baseball, it was almost a perfect game for the Yellowjackets. Almost. -more-

In a game that featured more plot twists and suspense than an Academy Award-winning drama, the Bears were unable to come up with the requisite happy ending. Pacific’s Jason Walker smacked an opposite-field homerun to give the Tigers (16-15) a 9-8 victory over Cal in 13 innings at Evans Diamond. -more-

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Reviewer shouldn’t have trashed play -more-

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Residential neighborhoods may soon begin to feel some relief from the influx of illegal parkers. -more-

By Ben Lumpkin -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court threw out a $107 million verdict against anti-abortion activists Wednesday, ruling that a Web site and wanted posters branding abortion doctors “baby butchers” are protected by the First Amendment. -more-

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“Heck fahn” literally means “Eat rice” in Chinese, and the connotation is that it’s time to eat, time for something important and nutritious. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — The dot-com meltdown is flooding the San Francisco office market with vacant space and lowering average rents in the city’s main business district for the first time in more than two years, according to a new real estate study. -more-

NEW YORK — Wall Street made an expected retreat Wednesday, sending technology and blue chip stocks sliding on a mix of earnings worries and profit-taking from the Dow Jones industrials’ big three-day rally. -more-

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IRVINE — The slowing economy will force HomeBase Inc. to fire more than 2,600 workers and close 25 home improvement centers originally listed for conversion to home furnishings centers. -more-

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Wed., March 28

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A recent pedestrian fatality has highlighted the problem of pedestrian safety in Berkeley. -more-

ZAB studied Beth El project and gave approval -more-

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A man armed with semi-automatic pistol robbed a couple just after midnight Friday morning, police said. -more-

The preservation and expansion of California's desperately-needed affordable housing supply will require substantial, stable and consolidated funding, enforcement of existing laws requiring affordable housing, and giving nonprofit developers with proven track records an edge when issuing funds. -more-

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EL CAJON — Spare ammunition was found in the home of an 18-year-old student accused of shooting five people at his high school last week, officials said. -more-

SAN QUENTIN — Robert Lee Massie welcomed death, pumping his fist to expose a vein for his long-awaited execution. After 13 minutes, the lethal injection ended his stint as California’s longest-serving condemned inmate. -more-

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SAN FRANCISCO — In another sign of the technology industry’s jarring about-face, the amount of money flowing into Silicon Valley companies from the public markets is quickly evaporating, according to new data provided to The Associated Press. -more-

NEW YORK — A better-than-expected consumer confidence report sent stocks climbing Tuesday on hopes that Americans’ spending could revive company profits earlier than anticipated. The Dow Jones industrials picked up 260 points, their third straight triple-digit gain. -more-

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CHICAGO — The “crack baby” phenomenon is overblown, according to a study that suggests poverty and the use of cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs while pregnant are just as likely as cocaine to cause developmental problems in children. -more-

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Protests that began in Berkeley two years ago against the Pacifica Foundation governing board – which holds the license to five listener-sponsored radio stations – have spread across the country, with demonstrations at New York’s WBAI against the firings and bannings of staff and volunteers, pickets at Houston’s KPFT and a mass meeting of supporters of Los Angeles’ KPFK. -more-

Tuesday, March 27

Gaia higher -more-

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The Berkeley School Board may have violated a state law governing public meetings when it voted March 21, to approve a new “small learning community” program at Berkeley High School, according to one expert. -more-

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By John Geluardi -more-

SAN QUENTIN — The “Dean of California’s Death Row” spent what he hoped would be his last day alive Monday as a small group of lawyers tried against his wishes to block his looming execution. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Republican Secretary of State Bill Jones announced Monday he will challenge Democratic incumbent Gray Davis for governor in 2002. -more-

LOS ANGELES — White supremacist Buford O. Furrow apologized for wounding five people at a Jewish center and murdering a postal worker, and was sentenced Monday to life in prison without possibility of parole. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Assembly Republicans voted unanimously Tuesday to oust their leader, Orange County Assemblyman Bill Campbell, and replace him with Sacramento area Assemblyman Dave Cox. -more-

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Microsoft Corp. increased its Silicon Valley presence Monday by launching a new technology center that the software titan hopes will help its expansive new strategy for Internet-based services. -more-

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NEW YORK — The Dow Jones industrials scored their second straight triple-digit gain Monday, as investors grew more optimistic that Wall Street might be recovering after two weeks of heavy losses. -more-

CLAREMONT — Six students protesting development of open space chained themselves to cement-filled trash cans and blocked college administrators from their offices Monday. -more-

Cal hitters chase three Cougar pitchers in first inning -more-

Nearly 50 people attended a rally at Civic Center Park Saturday afternoon to call for public ownership of the utilities. -more-

Monday, March 26

An open letter to the Board of Education -more-

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Cal deals St. Joe’s their first loss -more-

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Librarians, school administrators and book-lovers from across the city happily perused hundreds of donated books at the reopening of the Berkeley High School Library Thursday. -more-

Murder trial coincides with drug center opening -more-

OAKLAND — A few years ago, an author writing about death asked ailing AIDS patient Michael Alcalay how he was accepting dying. -more-

SAN JOSE – Much of cyberspace today is still two-dimensional: click on a Web site or chat room and you get text or pictures. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – In Houston, it’s simply known as “the power corner.” Separated by just a few city blocks, four major power wholesalers run Byzantine trading systems that sway energy prices across the nation with minimal oversight from the government. -more-

The Berkeley swim team has a rough history, losing most of its league matches in the past few years. Going up against some of the best teams in the country, this year’s seniors have known very little victory. -more-

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The UC Theatre – the beloved repertory cinema on University Avenue – will shut its doors Thursday fter 83 years, according to its management. -more-

Sunday, March 25

KPFA provides -more-

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By Ben Lumpkin -more-

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By Susan Cerny -more-

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SAN FRANCISCO — In the wake of soaring HIV statistics surrounding the nation’s gay black men, a panel of educators came together Thursday to admit their failures and discuss strategies to help curb the rate of contraction. -more-

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SAN DIEGO — With the nation’s schools facing a shortage of teachers, first lady Laura Bush urged retiring military personnel Friday to consider a new career in teaching. -more-

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EL CAJON — A student accused of opening fire at his high school and wounding five people this week simulated guns with his hands and made a reference to “Columbine” in class earlier this year, another student said Friday. -more-

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WASHINGTON — Getting immediate tax relief to Americans might not be as easy as it sounds, even if Congress and President Bush can bridge political differences and agree on $60 billion in tax cuts this year. -more-

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The financial report card of American households is not good as they deal with the first substantial economic slowdown in nearly a decade. Already deep in debt, many may be forced to borrow even more. -more-

LOS ANGELES — So far, rolling blackouts have been more of an annoyance for California business owners than a serious economic problem. -more-

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Friday, March 23

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The primary’s not until March 2002, but a gaggle of State Assembly wannabes are already crowding ‘round the starting gate, elbows set to jab, coffers ready to fill – term limits loom that will eject Dion Aroner from the 14th District Assembly seat next year. -more-

Willard needs a librarian now -more-

Sophomore center Nick Vander Laan has been granted his release to transfer from Cal, head coach Ben Braun announced Wednesday. -more-

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A program to address the high failure rate among Berkeley High School freshman – particularly students of color – has failed to yield significant gains after a year and a half, Berkeley High School teachers and administrators reported to the school board Wednesday. -more-

When Jayne Ash would get off from her job as a tuberculosis controller with the State Department of Health, she’d often head for the Jazz School, not far from Hearst and Shattuck avenues, where she worked. -more-

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SAN FRANCISCO — The Navy has decided to do a full environmental review of its proposal to expand its practice runs at a target in Fort Hunter Liggett, about 40 miles south of Big Sur. -more-

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POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — The weather may still feel wintry, with snow barely gone, but gardeners gladly ignore the wind chill factor to celebrate a first rite of spring – planting peas. -more-

Sunflowers have changed. It’s as if they’ve been to charm school and been taught manners, thank you! -more-

Very quietly, history is coming alive in the yards of thousands of Americans and it is a tree, not a historian, that is doing the telling – telling of patriots and battles, of musicians and industrialists, of space exploration and slavery. -more-

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Berkeley Repertory Theatre opened parts two and three of its strong, epic staging of Greek playwright Aeschylus’ 458 B.C. tragic trilogy “The Oresteia” on Wednesday in its new Roda Theater, adjacent to the company’s old space on Addison Street in downtown Berkeley. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Concluding that the stock market’s technology craze was a fad, leading online brokerage Charles Schwab Corp. Thursday said it will jettison as many as 3,400 jobs – about 13 percent of its work force. -more-

SEATTLE — Microsoft warned users Thursday that an unauthorized party had obtained digital certificates that would enable someone to falsely represent themselves as the software giant and deliver a computer virus to an unsuspecting recipient. -more-

NEW YORK — Despondent investors intensified their selloff of blue chip stocks Thursday, accelerating the decline in the Dow Jones industrial average and narrowly avoiding bear market territory. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal review of an explosion that killed four workers at the Tosco refinery in 1999 has concluded better management could have prevented the fire. -more-

The Associated Press -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s top power regulator proposed immediate electricity rate hikes of up to 46 percent Monday, saying this should encourage customers to cut back on usage and conserve enough power to avoid blackouts this summer. -more-

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The University of California at Berkeley is turning 133 years old, and the campus is taking the occasion to celebrate its history, particularly its “Nobel” past. -more-