Issues

Agenda for Upcoming UC Regents Meeting Released
The UC system's $800 million deficit will dominate the upcoming UC Board of Regents meeting this month as the board will consider whether to extend the president's power in cutting salaries and enforcing unpaid furlough days.

Discussion Over BART Contracts Continues
State lawmakers expressed concern over contract negotiations between BART and its labor unions in a letter postmarked Monday.

Bill Calls for New Oil Tax to Fund Higher Education
The UC system and other institutions of higher education may gain funding from the taxation of oil production in the state under a new piece of proposed legislation.

Committee Searches For New Lawrence Berkeley Lab Director
UC officials have announced the launch of the search committee to find a permanent replacement for Steven Chu, who left his position as director for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to join the Obama administration.

Discussion Over BART Contracts Continues
State lawmakers expressed concern over contract negotiations between BART and its labor unions in a letter postmarked Monday.

Bill Calls for New Oil Tax to Fund Higher Education
The UC system and other institutions of higher education may gain funding from the taxation of oil production in the state under a new piece of proposed legislation.

Committee Searches For New Lawrence Berkeley Lab Director
UC officials have announced the launch of the search committee to find a permanent replacement for Steven Chu, who left his position as director for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to join the Obama administration.

East Bay Corridor Boosts Green Job Market
From installing water-saving faucet aerators to energy-efficient showerheads, youth are joining the green job market through the help of programs such as the Berkeley-based Rising Sun Energy Center.

Yudof Releases Memo Following Feedback on Budget Proposals
After two weeks of feedback from UC employees about his furlough and salary cut proposals, UC President Mark Yudof said university officials will try to keep retirement benefits intact while considering deeper cuts to top-paid employees' salaries.

Bidding Process Under Way for Retrofit of Memorial Stadium
The bidding process for the seismic retrofit of Memorial Stadium began Wednesday as campus officials said fundraising efforts for the project have exceeded expectations.

New Director Appointed For Disabled Students' Program
A nationally renowned disability advocate took the role of the director for the Disabled Students' Program Wednesday, saying he would promote career accessibility amid campus budget cuts.

Panelists Weigh in On Supreme Court Nominee
Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama's nominee for U.S. Supreme Court justice, could balance a court that has historically ruled against environmental organizations, UC Berkeley law professors said in a panel Tuesday.

New Study Shows Clothes Don't Make The Professor
It's not uncommon for UC Berkeley professor Randy Katz to come to class carrying a sword or fake grenades.

Fiscal Emergency Declared Alongside More Furloughs
Fiscal Emergency Declared Alongside More Furloughs

AC Transit Seeks to Create Bus-Only Lane Down Telegraph Avenue
AC Transit is moving forward in a partnership with East Bay cities to implement a bus-only lane on Telegraph Avenue.

Durant Hall Renovations Begin Anew
Renovations to Durant Hall resumed this week after construction was stalled earlier in the year due to frozen state funds.

Agenda for Upcoming UC Regents Meeting Released
The UC system's $800 million deficit will dominate the upcoming UC Board of Regents meeting this month as the board will consider whether to extend the president's power in cutting salaries and enforcing unpaid furlough days.

Wilco (The Transition)
As roadies frantically ran about the stage of the Greek Theatre setting up an intricate web of amps, mics, guitars and keyboards for the six-piece behemoth Wilco, the sun's rays slowly climbed the concrete stadium seats, signaling the approach of night. It's all too fitting that Wilco, a band that so often balances sunny sounds with dark lyrics, should take the stage at sunset, right on the fulcrum between a bright, washed-out summer day and muted, sullen summer night.

SF Playhouse's 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' Is a Worthy Adaptation
Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is not unlike Shakespeare's canon. Of course, Kesey is no Bard, but Tupac was no Beethoven, either. The modern guys need to endure a few more centuries to claim that status and, besides, modern styles are different from classics anyway. It's an unfair comparison, stylistically.

David Byrne Brings Revolution to Berkeley
In 1978, experimental musician Brian Eno entered a studio with David Byrne and his band the Talking Heads to produce an album that would eventually become known as More Songs About Buildings and Food. More than 30 years later, at Berkeley's Greek Theatre last Friday, a white-haired Byrne played that album's cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River" to an enthusiastic crowd. Time has passed and the band was dissolved almost two decades ago, but their classics-most of which were created with Eno at the producer's helm-have not dulled.

Pop Theory
Eighty-five percent of American television owners would rather take on Tony Soprano than Oprah Winfrey in a knife fight. OK, I just made that statistic up. But you know it's true. Winfrey is a gilded deity among humans. She's Queen Midas. Well, hear ye hear ye, as I risk a chance with the guillotine when saying Her Majesty Oprah, according to well-established theories on successful leadership, is a mediocre leader. Off with my head!

Depp Shines in Action Film 'Public Enemies'
John Herbert Dillinger was a household name in the 1930s. He robbed over 24 banks, escaped from jail twice and was pursued by a special FBI "Dillinger task force" until he died in a shootout with police. Although Dillinger has since faded into relative obscurity, for an ephemeral moment this summer, the public will hear about him, but only because of the actor who portrays him in this month's film, "Public Enemies." That man is Johnny Depp. With effortless aplomb, he often portrays intense, brooding men who are delightfully rough around the edges. A proverbial bad boy, he speaks to the audience, saying in the film, "I like whiskey, fast cars and you. What else do you need to know? Let's go."

A Half-Year in Review: Film
Imaginative and titillatingly gothic, "Coraline" is a triumph of stop-motion animation. Director Henry Selick elevates Neil Gaiman's fantasy novella into a rare phenomenon: a homage to Lewis Carroll that's creepy, charming and heartfelt enough to dazzle audiences of all ages.

A Half-Year In Review: Music
The vibrant, warped guitar sounds in the first 24 seconds of Bitte Orca are one of the best introductions to an album this year, and the rest of the album does not disappoint either. Sure, it's certainly easy to classify it as "hipster" music that no one else would really enjoy, but this album is diverse and bold enough to interest almost anyone.

French Film 'The Girl From Monaco' Is Entertaining But Not Truly Memorable
Monaco, a small city on the coast of France, is known for its blue skies and sparkling waters, which makes it the ideal backdrop for a romantic comedy such as "The Girl from Monaco". Directed by Anne Fontaine, this French film describes the complications that occur when a lawyer becomes entangled in a whirlwind fling with an extremely flirtatious weather girl.

Moby: WAIT FOR ME
Moby should have thought of a better release date for his newest album, Wait For Me, since summer isn't the best time to come out with an album with a tranquil ambiance more suited for a cloudy day.

The Fiery Furnaces: I'M GOING AWAY
The Fiery Furnaces have been confidently experimenting with psychedelic and indie rock formulas since their assertive debut Gallowsbird's Bark in 2003. The siblings' latest release, I'm Going Away, is Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger's return to classic rock fundamentals, with songs structured around nostalgic pianos, blues riffs and barroom sing-a-longs.

Rob Thomas: CRADLESONG
If you haven't heard Rob Thomas' name since the year 2000, you're likely not alone. The Matchbox Twenty frontman will forever be best known (and loved) for his work with that particular band, even though he's continued to produce massively popular earworms into the new millennium. Matchbox Twenty are a '90s pop-rock classic. The inescapable association with previous success comes with the territory.

The Party of Sinners
Recently I found myself agreeing often with Meghan McCain, so I quickly checked into Tang to make sure it wasn't a tumor or something. No tumor, but I was three weeks pregnant. Ah Tang, always on the ball.