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Local News and Opinion from The Berkeley Daily Planetlocal news Berkeley California Politics Land-Use Progressive editorial berkeley albany oakland emeryville el cerrito richmondThe East Bay's Non-commercial VoiceLocal News and Opinion from The Berkeley Daily Planet Current Issue Previous Issue Search The Planet Contact Us Wednesday January 01, 2025 Front Page Columnists Arts & Events The Week Full Text Extra THE BERKELEY ACTIVIST'S CALENDAR Jan. 19-26 Kelly Hammargreng Saturday January 18, 2025 - 01:13:00 PM Worth Noting: Winter recess ends Monday with the first council meeting of the new year on Tuesday, we can expect Council to pass January 21. The agenda is available for comment at the bottom of this email with middle housing (26), Berkeley as a sanctuary city (27) and upgrades to high risk intersections and AB 413 (28). Tuesday, January 21, 2025: A t 11 am the Solano Business Improvement District meets in person. At 6 pm the City Council meets in the hybrid format. Wednesday, January 22, 2025: At 6 pm the Civic Arts Commission meets in person. At 6 pm the Environment and Climate Commission meets in person. At 6 pm is the Recreation Scholarship Workshop, At 6:30 pm the Police Accountability Board meets in the hybrid format. At 7 pm the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets in person. Thursday, January 23, 2025: At 6:30 pm the Community Health Commission meets in person. At 7 pm the Mental Health Commission meets in person. At 7 pm the Zoning Adjustment Board meets in the hybrid format. Saturday, January 25, 2025: At 9 am is the CERT Unit 2 Disaster Preparedness. From 10 am – 2 pm is the pop-up on updating the Berkeley Bike Plan at the Downtown Farmer’s Market. At 10 am is Nature Journaling for children. At 12:30 pm is Swim Lesson Assessment Day Check City website for meetings posted on short notice, webinars and City of Berkeley Recreation Calendar. https://berkeleyca.gov If you are unable to attend a meeting in person due to a disability and/or it is not offered in the hybrid or an accessible format, TO REQUEST A DISABILITY RELATED ACCOMMODATION(S) TO PARTICIPATE IN A CITY MEETING, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact the Disability Services specialist at 510-981-6418 (V) or 510-981-6347 at least 3 days before the meeting (the sooner the better). Thomas Gregory is the ADA Program Coordinator. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more- Future of Gaza remains uncertain. Jagjit Singh Thursday January 16, 2025 - 07:02:00 PM The long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, announced Wednesday, offers a glimmer of hope after over a year of relentless attacks on Gaza. The deal, which is expected to go into effect on Sunday, will bring a six-week pause to the violence, with the promise of humanitarian relief and the release of hostages. However, the situation on the ground remains tense as Israeli forces continue airstrikes, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed a Cabinet vote on the ceasefire, citing last-minute demands from Hamas. -more- Public Comment Trump’s Alternate Reality Bob Burnett Friday January 10, 2025 - 01:58:00 PM Donald Trump posted a grim New Year’s message for the United States: “Our Country is a disaster, a laughing stock all over the World! This is what happens when you have OPEN BORDERS, with weak, ineffective, and virtually nonexistent leadership…The USA is breaking down - A violent erosion of Safety, National Security, and Democracy is taking place all across our Nation. Only strength and powerful leadership will stop it.” -more- American Historical Association (AHA), speaks out Jagjit Singh Tuesday January 07, 2025 - 11:23:00 AM The American Historical Association (AHA), the oldest scholarly organization in the U.S., recently passed the “Resolution to Oppose Scholasticide in Gaza,” condemning the destruction of the Palestinian education system. The vote, supported by over 400 members, represents a pivotal moment for the profession. Sherene Seikaly, a professor at UC Santa Barbara, expressed that this victory, in the face of ongoing violence in Gaza, offers hope for the future. Barbara Weinstein, a historian at New York University, emphasized the growing recognition of historians' broader societal roles, advocating for a more expansive approach to history. -more- Democracy decays into oligarchy when a few individuals accumulate most of the political power. Bob Burnett Monday January 06, 2025 - 06:10:00 PM The re-election of Donald Trump has accelerated the decline of the United States into oligarchy. Trump has had billionaire donors for each of his presidential campaigns, but in 2024 the role of these wealthy donors expanded. Donors such as Elon Musk made gigantic contributions to Trump’s campaign; in return for this they are taking an active role in the Trump White House. Perhaps, this time around, Trump turned the oval office into a time share. -more- “A Complete Unknown”James Mangold, director 2h 21m Bob Burnett Sunday January 05, 2025 - 03:19:00 PM This intense Bob Dylan biopic begins in1961 and ends in 1965. During these five years, Dylan conquered the world of folk music and then left it to become a rock star. -more- Israeli and US Crimes and the Toll on Gaza's Rescuers Jagjit Singh Sunday January 05, 2025 - 02:59:00 PM The horrors of the Israeli bombardment in Gaza are unfathomable, and the toll on the people there, particularly those trying to save lives, is immeasurable. For over a year, rescuers have been under relentless pressure, digging through rubble with their bare hands, racing against time to save survivors of the ongoing Israeli airstrikes. The carnage has left many unable to save those whose voices they can still hear beneath the wreckage. Nooh al-Shaghnobi, a rescue worker in Gaza, described the haunting experience of leaving people behind because of the lack of proper tools and equipment. These workers face extreme physical and emotional strain, with some suffering from unspeakable levels of stress, anxiety, and guilt. At least 118 rescue workers have died in the line of duty, a tragic testament to the immense risks they face. -more- Gaza’s forgotten children Jagjit Singh Sunday January 05, 2025 - 02:56:00 PM The devastating consequences of Israel's relentless bombing campaign, aided by U.S. complicity, are painfully evident in the lives of the children who have borne the brunt of this violence. One such child, Shaymaa Shady, lost her leg in an explosion in Gaza. Along with 15 other children who were evacuated to Italy for medical treatment, Shaymaa faces a long and uncertain road to recovery, compounded by the trauma of losing family members and living in a foreign land.h These children, all under the age of 15, are the survivors of an ongoing tragedy. Some lost limbs to save their lives, while others face permanent disabilities from the bombings. Their young minds carry scars beyond the physical—witnessing horrors that most could never imagine. Many of them, like Ahmad al-Saafen, struggle with prosthetics, and others, such as Baian Azoum, must endure years of treatment after being pulled from the rubble in Gaza. -more- Editorial Updated: Whither? Becky O'Malley Thursday January 02, 2025 - 01:32:00 PM UPDATE: Further technical glitches make new postings impossible at this time. For City of Berkeley information: link for calendar https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html link for Activist's Diary https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/what-happened.html \ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A happy new year to all and sundry in 2025. This change of year puts me in mind of the way I felt at the beginning of 1969: No new year could be any worse after 1968’s assassinations and other outrages. But of course many things in later new years have gotten worse: The upcoming national administration Russia’s war on Ukraine Israel’s war on Palestine Big Development’s lust to consume family-friendly neighborhoods Climate Media consolidation The ableist attack on cars. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera Whew! Too much to handle on a holiday. As I come to the end of my 85th year on this planet and close to 25 years working on The Berkeley Daily Planet it’s time for us to take a pause to reflect. This particular information delivery mechanism is breaking. The software I’ve used for posting is painfully out of date, designed for the kind of small local print paper that no longer exists, except perhaps as the Hearst outlet now sullying the good name of the San Francisco Chronicle. Are there still credible national papers? Bezos has captured the WaPo. Paul Krugman has deserted the NYT, which is becoming devoted to food and fashion. Maybe, as Krugman seems to think, the future of informing Very Serious People is SubStack.or Instagram, or TikTok. Or perhaps the journalism of the future will be created by podcasters who can reach the increasing number of non-readers amongst us. Planet readers seem to cluster around the 1000 mark, though we don’t have an exact count. What we have now is not primarily a news source but a journal of opinion, with intelligent essays written by literate adults, contributing writers whose opinions we greatly appreciate, plus a few reports from valiant citizen journalists No one is paid.. We would like to hear what readers think is worth doing, both regarding “the vision thing” and how we should do it. Please send us your comments on the future of the planet and the future of The Planet. . They should be addressed to editor@berkeleydailyplanet.com, with the subject line “Future”. -more- Arts & Events The Berkeley Activist's Calendar, January 12-19 Kelly Hammargren Sunday January 12, 2025 - 04:54:00 PM Worth Noting: Busy week ahead with City Board and Commission meetings. City Council is on winter recess until January 20, 2025. The first council meeting of the new year is January 21. The agenda is available for comment at the bottom of this email with middle housing (26), Berkeley as a sanctuary city (27) and upgrades to high risk intersections and AB 413 (28). Monday, January 13, 2025: At 6:30 pm the Youth Commission meets in person. At 7 pm the Peace and Justice Commission meets in person at 7 pm with Berkeley as a Sanctuary City on the agenda Wednesday, January 15, 2025: At 1:30 pm the Commission on Aging meets in person. At 4 pm the Civic Arts Commission provides a webinar on community festivals. At 7 pm the Commission on Labor meets in person. At 7 pm the Commission on the Status of Women meets in person. The Planning Commission meeting is cancelled. Thursday, January 16, 2025: At 5:30 pm the Zero Waste Commission meets in person. At 6:15 pm the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission meets in person with Daylighting CA AB 413 on the agenda. At 6:30 pm the Fair Campaign Practices Commission / Open Government Commission (FCPC/OGC) meets in the Hybrid format with a very full agenda. At 6:30 pm the Design review Committee meets in person on one 26-story project. Friday, January 17, 2025: At 12 pm the Civic Arts Commission provides a webinar on general operating support. Saturday, January 18, 2025: At 9 am is unit 1 of the Community Response Team Response (CERT). From 9 – 11 am is 3rd Saturday Shoreline Cleanup. Check City website for meetings posted on short notice, webinars and City of Berkeley Recreation Calendar. https://berkeleyca.gov If you are unable to attend a meeting in person due to a disability and/or it is not offered in the hybrid or an accessible format, TO REQUEST A DISABILITY RELATED ACCOMMODATION(S) TO PARTICIPATE IN A CITY MEETING, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact the Disability Services specialist at 510-981-6418 (V) or 510-981-6347 at least 3 days before the meeting (the sooner the better). Thomas Gregory is the ADA Program Coordinator. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more- Back Stories Opinion Editorials Updated: Whither? 01-02-2025 Public Comment Trump’s Alternate Reality Bob Burnett 01-10-2025 American Historical Association (AHA), speaks out Jagjit Singh 01-07-2025 Democracy decays into oligarchy when a few individuals accumulate most of the political power. Bob Burnett 01-06-2025 “A Complete Unknown”James Mangold, director 2h 21m Bob Burnett 01-05-2025 Israeli and US Crimes and the Toll on Gaza's Rescuers Jagjit Singh 01-05-2025 Gaza’s forgotten children Jagjit Singh 01-05-2025 News THE BERKELEY ACTIVIST'S CALENDAR Jan. 19-26 Kelly Hammargreng 01-18-2025 Future of Gaza remains uncertain. Jagjit Singh 01-16-2025 Arts & Events The Berkeley Activist's Calendar, January 12-19 Kelly Hammargren 01-12-2025 Links we like: www.livablecalifornia.org/ Email to . subscribe at BerkeleyDailyPlanet.com and get free email updates. The Pepper Spray Times Read The New December Issue and Read The November Issue and Read The October Issue and Read The September Issue and Read The August Issue and Read The July Issue and The June Issue and The May Issue and The April Issue and The March Issue and The February Issue and The January Issue (and please support Grace Underpressure with a donation :-)enen1737247201https://berkeleydailyplanet.com

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