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3 weeks ago | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
This story aired in the April 23, 2025 episode of Crosscurrents. It’s Climate Week. And the Bay Area is full of animal lovers. So much so that some develop followings of human fans. Over the past few years, Peregrine Falcons nesting on top of the campanile, the big clock tower, at UC Berkeley have become local celebrities. People have been able to watch them nest thanks to a webcam tracking their progress.
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1 month ago | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
A crowd of over one hundred employees and community members gathered on the picket line outside of Urban Ore on Saturday. Workers there have gone on strike due to stalled contract negotiations with the company’s ownership. "We just saw an Amazon truck driver smiling and honking at our picket, so that was pretty good. I’m sure she gets it.”As passing cars honked their support, Sarah Mossler -- who works in the salvage yard’s receiving department -- addressed approaching customers.
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Nov 27, 2024 | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
This story aired in the November 27, 2024 episode of Crosscurrents. Every fall, tens of thousands of birds fly south along the Pacific coast in search of more hospitable winter climates. Most bird species prefer to fly over land, not water. So that narrow bit of water at the Golden Gate is a natural bottleneck, the shortest distance between Marin and San Francisco as they fly south.
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Jun 26, 2024 | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
For East Bay residents, the store Paper Plus has been the go-to shop for party supplies for decades. But now its owner is ready to retire and like a lot of small businesses, there’s no one to take over the operation. Click the play button above to listen to the story "I want a banner that says Congratulations. I’m looking but I don’t see…"Kendra James is pulling a shopping basket through the maze of aisles at Paper Plus. Today she’s planning a surprise party for her coworker.
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Jun 5, 2024 | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
Just six months after their arrival, the Oakland Ballers – the city’s new minor league team – played their first home game. Tuesday night, Oakland’s newest professional team made its home debut in front of a sold out crowd. The B’s are playing their inaugural season in the independent Pioneer League at Raimondi Park, in West Oakland. Players from the team greeted attendees at the gates ahead of the first pitch.
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May 30, 2024 | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
Last week, Alcatraz ferry workers authorized a strike amid labor negotiations with management. This past Saturday, over Memorial Day weekend, workers walked off the job and took to the picket line. Employees of Alcatraz City Cruises have been in negotiations for over a year and a half to secure a new contract. The union’s primary concerns are increasing wages, securing benefits, and establishing more consistent scheduling.
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May 22, 2024 | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
Berkeley city council voted unanimously last week to allow accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, to be sold as condos, under a new state bill. By mid-2025, in-law units, converted garages, and other ADUs may be sold by their homeowners in the city of Berkeley. Berkeley has become the first city in California to opt into state Assembly Bill 1033, which was passed last October. The bill establishes that local governments can allow homeowners to sell ADUs on their property as independent condos.
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May 16, 2024 | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
In April, four peregrine falcon chicks hatched at the top of Campanile Tower on UC Berkeley’s campus. Wednesday morning, research scientists visited the nest to band the falcons. As the bell tower sounded at 8AM, a group of scientists and university employees stepped out onto a ledge, to approach the falcon nest. Gavin Emmons, a raptor biologist at Pinnacles National Park, sat with a fluffy falcon chick on his lap.
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May 1, 2024 | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
Hundreds gathered in the Mission this morning / Wednesday morning for a rally uniting May Day celebrations with a call for a ceasefire in Palestine. Berta Hernandez of the San Francisco May Day Coalition told KALW that May Day rallies in this location began in 2006. She explained the connection between workers movements and solidarity with the people of Palestine. “We are in solidarity with all workers of the world, with all struggles for justice.
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Apr 24, 2024 | 
kalw.org | Pat McMahon |Pat Mcmahon
A steady crowd of onlookers gathered at a large projector screen outside of BAMPFA in Berkeley on Wednesday. The screen was livestreaming video of the peregrine falcon nest at the top of Campanile Tower. Annie, the adult female falcon, laid four eggs earlier this week. And by Wednesday morning, all but one had hatched. Annie has nested on Cal’s campus since 2016. Her 20-plus offspring includes one falcon, who now makes their home on Alcatraz Island.
