UCPD officer allegedly shoots, kills armed robber in San Pablo

Ariel Hayat/File

The off-duty UCPD sergeant who allegedly shot and killed an armed robber was placed on administrative leave.

An off-duty UCPD sergeant allegedly shot and killed an armed robber Sunday morning at Nation’s Giant Hamburgers in San Pablo, as first reported by NBC Bay Area.

After the sergeant had fired one shot, the suspect was taken to a hospital where they were later pronounced dead, according to NBC.

The sergeant has since been placed on administrative leave per UCPD policy, according to UCPD spokesperson Sabrina Reich.

“The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation, and UCPD, as well as the campus administration are fully cooperating with the investigative process,” Reich said in an email.

Check back for updates. 

Christopher Ying is the city news editor. Contact him at cying@dailycal.org, and follow him on Twitter at @ChrisYingg.

The Daily Californian

From annual baking endeavors to watching a series of cheesy Hallmark movies, holiday traditions run far and wide. Consider switching yours up with A&E’s holiday-centric recommendations for the week.

Eric Kim’s M&M Cookies: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my favorite recipe developer and cooking columnist in at least one of my picks of the week. Every recipe Eric Kim develops contains intentional steps, thoughtful directions and instructions that are simultaneously easy to follow and simple to achieve — not to mention a thought provoking narrative behind every delicious dish he creates. For the New York Times’ holiday cookie extravaganza, he developed this Chewy M&M Cookie recipe. With a fairly simple ingredient list and minimal kitchen tools required, a chewy, just-sweet-enough cookie with a smattering of chopped M&M’s comes to life in your oven. It’s a treat even Santa would be giddy to eat. -Nina Raemont

Tangerine, dir. Sean Baker: This 2015 movie, shot entirely on three iPhone 5S cameras, centers two sex workers seeking revenge on one’s cheating boyfriend/pimp. Since the plot takes place entirely on Christmas Eve, it therefore counts as my favorite holiday season movie. Following different Los Angeles subcultures, mainly an Armenian family and the main pair of Black transgender best friends, “Tangerine” goes on a wild and raunchy spin through the hazy city, culminating emotionally in friendship rather than family or romance. With Sean Baker’s newest film, “Red Rocket,” hitting theatres this month and Christmas music crowding the airwaves, now’s the perfect time to throw your holiday media diet a little off kilter with “Tangerine.” -James Schaak

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” Soundtrack: It may not be a Mariah Carey chart-topper, but the soundtrack to this classic Christmas special is high in the rankings of my favorite holiday music. The smooth jazz of the Vince Guaraldi Trio is perfect to put on in the background while you cook, bake cookies, do homework or visit with loved ones at a holiday gathering. Each track wraps the listener in a warm blanket of nostalgia, embodying the feeling of sitting in front of a cozy fireplace and watching the snowfall. “Christmas Time Is Here – Instrumental” is my personal favorite, a peaceful and familiar ode to the holiday season and all of the joy it encompasses. If you’re already growing tired of the overplayed Christmas pop hits, give this soundtrack a spin. -Macy Harder

“Last Christmas” by Wham!: If you’re a routine participant in Whamageddon, keep scrolling. “Last Christmas” is my favorite holiday song and I have absolutely no shame in admitting that during the month of December, you’d be hard pressed to find me listening to anything else on loop. It’s a song that’s stood the test of time as the best-selling single in the UK not to hit the top for 36 years — something that changed only in the first week of 2021, when it finally topped the charts. Countless covers of the crooning melody exist, with everyone from Taylor Swift to Arlo Parks putting their own spin on it. It’s more than an ode to Christmas past — it’s a soaring break-up ballad that’ll leave you pining after a foregone relationship and reaching for an extra cup of mulled wine. -Sophia Zimmerman

“Die Hard”: This 1988 classic action/thriller film is an unconventional Christmas movie and offers a ton of fun action sequences, earnest profanity and 1980s cinematic violence. The violence in this film and chiseled, lead white male action hero archetype mimics other 1980s films such as “Predator,” “The Terminator,” “Rambo,” “RoboCop” and “Bloodsport,” which regardless of their good or bad plot devices, are entertaining to say the least. This film is always a fun watch for the family because it takes place during the holidays and, despite all of its profanity and death scenes, at its core it’s about family. This 30-year old classic should be on everyone’s Christmas list because it’s ageless. -Jarrett George-Ballard

UH women’s basketball improved to 5-5 with its win over Louisiana on Sunday afternoon at Fertitta Center. | DeAundre Billingsley/The Cougar

After an up and down battle between both teams, the Houston women’s basketball team defeated Louisiana 63-51 to improve to 5-5 overall on the season.

A hot start by the Cougars saw them jump out on an 8-2 run before the Ragin’ Cajuns closed the deficit to 8-6 shortly after.

Another 5-0 run by UH pulled some distance nearing the midway point in the quarter, as the Cougars led 18-14 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, UH struggled to get their offense going as all momentum swung to the Ragin’ Cajuns’ defense, limiting the Cougars to eight points.

Despite the slow second quarter, the Cougars found themselves only down by three at halftime 29-26.

Heading into the third, UH flipped the script defensively and fought its way back into the game on both sides of the ball.

The Cougar’s defense translated on the offense with a 12-2 run to lead 38-31 led by seven points from sophomore guard Laila Blair.

The Cougars regained a firm 42-37 lead as they held the Ragin’ Cajuns to eight points in the third quarter.

Both teams exchanged scores early in the fourth quarter before the Cougars managed to pull away briefly with a 50-42 lead with 5:23 left in the fourth quarter.

A small comeback bid late in the game by the Ragin’ Cajuns fell short as the Cougars closed out the game at 63-51.

Junior guard Britney Onyeje led the way for the Cougars on the scoresheet with 16 points, three rebounds, and one assist, while seven players reached five or more points on the day for UH.

Senior forward Tatyana Hill finished the game with a team-leading 10 rebounds along with five points and three assists.

UH shot 66.7 percent from the field in an encouraging display to bring it back to .500 on the season.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“Cougars hold off Ragin’ Cajuns 63-51” was originally posted on The Cougar

Berkeley Lab research demonstrates increase in global photosynthesis due to increased carbon dioxide levels

Jackie Samsell/Staff

Research indicates that certain ecosystems are mitigating the process of climate change through carbon dioxide uptake, emphasizing the importance of protecting them.

Research from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published online Dec. 8 showed that an increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has led plants to photosynthesize more, though it will not be enough to stop climate change.

According to the Berkeley Lab news release, photosynthesis is the process through which plants make their own food. The study states that photosynthesis results in the single largest transfer of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the biosphere.

One part of the process includes plants opening up tiny pores on their leaves to take in carbon dioxide from the air. According to lead author Trevor Keenan, the study measures how photosynthesis has been increasing and how that might affect climate change.

“The results report that global photosynthesis has been increasing over the past few decades due to the effects of elevated CO2 in the atmosphere,” Keenan said in an email. “This increase is leading to enhanced carbon uptake by ecosystems, which serves to slow the growth rate of CO2 in the atmosphere and thus climate change.”

Traditionally, scientists from across the world have built and used more than 500 micrometeorological towers in ecosystems to measure the transfer of gases from the atmosphere to and from the vegetation and soil, according to the Berkeley Lab news release.

The release also states that these towers are expensive and limited in how much land they cover, forcing scientists to rely on satellite imagery to see how much of the Earth is covered by plants. With these towers, scientists could make inferences on photosynthesis around the world.

Keenan’s team took a new approach, according to the news release. The team examined models of the terrestrial biosphere and combined them with global carbon cycle estimates to predict the change in photosynthesis over time, according to Keenan.

“The research will lead to further development of the models used to predict the future of the Earth system, including climate change projections,” Keenan said in the email. “We focused on the historic changes in the land sink in this study, but next we need to figure out how likely these historic increases in photosynthesis are going to continue into the future.”

Keenan added that the team expects that at some point the photosynthesis rates will no longer increase as more and more carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere. This would lead to climate change happening much faster.

According to the Berkeley Lab news release, the study highlights the significance of protecting ecosystems that are slowing the rate of climate change.

Contact Diego Lapayese-Calderón at dlapayesecalderon@dailycal.org, and follow him on Twitter at @diego_lapayese.

The Daily Californian

“I just feel like the residence halls that [seem] less nice, people feel more okay damaging [them],” said first-year student Calvin Cox, who lives in Territorial Hall.

Vandalism and destruction in University of Minnesota residence halls have been increasing in recent years, but this year vandals have moved beyond taking down lights, according to Susan Stubblefield, the interim director of Housing & Residential Life (HRL).

Residents in Territorial Hall have seen stolen exit signs, broken windows, stolen shower faucets, ceiling lights smashed on the ground and broken emergency exit doors in the first few months of living in the community complex.

The newest residence hall on campus, 17th Avenue Hall, has seen students punching holes in the wall, and further damaging the complex by tearing away around the edges of the holes days afterwards.

Cox said peers would send daily photos to show the increase in damage.

“There are a ton of my friends at 17th that would every day take a picture next to the holes in the walls, and they would get bigger and bigger every day,” he said.

The Territorial Hall Residence Director, Hansen Karyakose, sent an email on Sep. 23 telling residents that this destruction amounted to “felony-level offense[s] for any involved parties” and that investigations were underway.

A follow-up email sent on Nov. 28 encouraged students to continue reporting vandalism they witnessed. Stubblefield said the University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD) is currently investigating and no charges have been made yet.

The damages section of the housing contract residents sign stipulates students must pay in full for any damages or destruction incurred in their time living in campus housing. Stubblefield clarified the Office of Community Standards has a standard process that looks at “a variety of sanctions available if students are found responsible.”

Students that live in the dorms are split on what HRL could or should do to prevent vandalism in their halls.

“I think that the residence halls in general should have a more strict code of conduct to begin with when it comes to the behavior of the residents, and they should find ways so that the individuals who are committing the acts are punished,” first-year student Atley Schreiner said. But the punishment should be general “to everyone living in the hall,” she said.

Cox disagreed. “You can’t put cameras in the bathroom,” he said. “I mean, there’s not much that I feel like [HRL] can do, [that] they aren’t already trying to do.”

He went on to say he has not felt any daily inconveniences from the damage.

Some students are still skeptical, however, whether any enforcement would change behavior because of preconceived ideas of Territorial, which is colloquially referred to as the party dorm or “trashy,” according to Schreiner.

“I just feel like our dorm [Territorial], compared to other dorms that I’ve been in is a lot more dingy and just kind of has a worn feeling, whereas other dorms seemed newer and nicer,” Cox said. “They have noticeably less damage.”

UH guard Marcus Sasser led the Cougars with 25 points in their loss to No. 9 Alabama on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. | Steven Paultanis/The Cougar

In a battle of two top-15 teams, No. 14 UH fell to No. 9 Alabama 83-82 on a controversial ending Saturday night at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Down one as the final seconds ticked off the clock, UH senior guard Kyler Edwards put up a 3-pointer that bounced off the back of the rim.

Senior forward Fabian White Jr. flew in from under the basket and tipped the ball back towards the rim before Alabama’s JD Davison came out of nowhere and swatted the ball away as the clock hit triple zeros.

Kelvin Sampson was furious, imploring to the referees that Davison took the ball off the rim while it was still above the cylinder.

UH junior guard Marcus Sasser tried following the referees into the tunnel, pleading the same case as his coach.

But there would be no review and Sampson said that he was given no explanation from the officials on why goaltending was not called as they were walking off the court.

“It was goaltending,” Sampson told the media after the game.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats said he would have reacted similarly if he had been on the other side of the call.

“If I was in (Houston’s) shoes, I would’ve wanted a review too,” Oats said.

There weren’t many periods of play that lasted longer than 30 seconds without a whistle in the first half, as 25 fouls, 17 on UH and eight on Alabama, were called in the game’s opening 20 minutes.

As a result, the Crimson Tide took trip after trip to the free throw line and cashed in 17 free points, going 17-20 from the line in the first half.

Despite the foul trouble, UH stayed within one or two possessions of Alabama nearly the entire half by controlling the offensive glass and creating turnovers.

The Cougars pulled down nine offensive boards resulting in nine second chance points. Additionally, UH turned nine Crimson Tide turnovers into 13 points to go into the half trailing 44-41.

Alabama’s Juwan Gary led all scorer’s in the first half with 16 points followed closely behind by Sasser’s 14 points.

Fouls continue to be an issue for the Cougars early in the second half. 

Edwards committed his fourth foul of the night just 56 seconds into the second half and was forced to go to the bench. A few minutes later, senior forward Reggie Chaney was called for his fourth foul of the game.

Even with two starters forced to go to the bench early in the second half, UH did not back down and took the lead at the 14-minute mark after Sasser drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the arc.

Sophomore forward J’Wan Roberts haunted Alabama on the offensive glass, pulling down seven second half offensive rebounds to create plenty of second chance opportunities for the Cougars. 

While the Cougars took advantage of extra opportunities, Alabama’s Jahvon Quinerly came up with big bucket after big bucket to keep the game tight.

Senior center Josh Carlton came up with big buckets down the stretch for the Cougars to give them a narrow lead with three minutes remaining.

Jaden Shackleford responded up for the Crimson Tide, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to put Alabama up two with just over two minutes remaining.

Down two, Sasser pulled up and hit a cold-blooded 3-pointer with 52 seconds left to give the Cougars a one-point lead.

Davison responded on Alabama’s next possession with a put-back dunk off a Quinerly missed shot to put the Crimson Tide up one.

Davison’s dunk proved to be the game-winner.

Sasser finished with 25 points.

Roberts finished with nine points and 13 rebounds and Carlton scored 14 to go along with his six boards.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“UH falls to No. 9 Alabama after controversial ending in Tuscaloosa” was originally posted on The Cougar

Arson reported at Anthropology and Art Practice building

Karen Chow/File

UCPD officers responded to a report of arson that occurred Saturday afternoon at the UC Berkeley Anthropology and Art Practice Building.

At 2:51 p.m., UCPD received a report that an unidentified suspect was seen “maliciously” setting fire to a display case within the Northeast side of the building, according to a campus WarnMe email. The suspect, described as a white female with black hair wearing a purple jacket, was last seen fleeing the scene on a bicycle to the south campus area.

Anyone who has information about the crime or recent similar incidents is advised to contact UCPD at (510) 642-6760.

Check back for updates.

Iris Kwok is a deputy news editor. Contact her at ikwok@dailycal.org, and follow her on Twitter at @iriskkwok.

The Daily Californian

Utah’s history with the Church of Jesus Christ of  Latter-day Saints is where its nickname, the Beehive State, originates. Upon his arrival in what would someday become Salt Lake in July 1847, Brigham Young declared the beehive as a symbol and christened it “Deseret.” To this day, the beehive can be found on road signs, t-shirts and statues around the capital. 

In an article published on Oct. 11, 1881, The Deseret News said of the emblem, “the hive and honey bees form our communal coat of arms … It is a significant representation of the industry, harmony, order and frugality of the people, and of the sweet results of their toil, union and intelligent cooperation.”

Beyond the symbolism, Utah is home to over one thousand species of native bees. These pollinators thrive in the desert environment and the diversity of soils attracts a variety of insects. In fact, Utah boasts the title of being the most diverse in bee species, accounting for almost 25% of all bee species found in North America.

Approximately 75% to 95% of all flowering plants on Earth require assistance with pollination. This is where bees, butterflies, bats, birds and more come in. They spread pollen from plant to plant, ensuring that all organisms have the opportunity to reproduce.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, factors such as habitat destruction, pesticide use and the effects of climate change, among others, are decreasing the bee population at large.

On campus, the University of Utah’s Beekeepers Association is committed to educating the student body about bees and protecting these tiny creatures. John Stilley is a senior at the U and vice president of the club.

“We manage three separate sections of hives around campus,” Stilley said. “We’ve got one group of hives at the Marriott Library. We’ve got one group up by the health science building on the upper campus, and we also help manage the hives by the Marriott dorm. So all told, we’ve got about nine hives to manage.” 

Stilley said the main goal of the club is to provide a way for people to learn about beekeeping.

 “To participate without making the initial investment on all of the equipment and materials that are required,” he said.

Through Instagram, in-person and Zoom events, they reached out to the campus community, hosting events to get engaged and offering information to those with limited knowledge on the subject. While the winter months were slower, the rest of the year was filled with informing the public. 

Anika D’Souza, a second year at the U, said in an email interview that the most important thing this club does is educate.

“I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about bees and other pollinators, and the general public really needs to be informed of why these insects are so crucial for our lives and environment,” D’Souza said.   

To learn more about the U Beekeepers Association and their programming, visit them online or on Instagram.

h.utendorfer@dailyutahchronicle.com

@haleyutendorfer

The post The Buzz About the U Beekeepers Association appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Berkeley school district to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all eligible students

Aasha Turner/Staff

Berkeley Unified School District, or BUSD, will require all middle and high school students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 starting Jan. 3, 2022, according to a districtwide announcement by Brent Stephens, BUSD superintendent.

Currently, 80% of all students ages 12 and older and 92% of BUSD staff are fully vaccinated, according to BUSD spokesperson Trish McDermott. Stephens’ announcement also stated that students who are not fully vaccinated will be required to complete one on-site test a week.

“We know that the combination of the risk mitigation strategies recommended by our public health partners have helped to keep our schools safe and open,” McDermott said. “These strategies help to ensure there is very little transmission in our schools.”

As of right now, the district only tracks the vaccination status of students ages 12 and older because children ages 5 to 11 have had little opportunity to receive the vaccine, according to McDermott. She added that within days of vaccination eligibility being expanded to those as young as 5 years old, the district hosted vaccination clinics at BUSD elementary school sites.

McDermott said follow-up vaccination clinics will be located on elementary school sites in the district this month and there will also be clinics on the adult school campus in late December, allowing BUSD staff members to receive booster shots.

“Berkeley Unified is very lucky because we have a local health department; most cities don’t,” McDermott said. “This local relationship has really benefited the district and our school community in making vaccines accessible very quickly.”

Though the omicron variant has recently arrived in the Bay Area, McDermott and school district officials believe their COVID-19 policies will remain unchanged.

In a letter addressed to BUSD families, Stephens expressed that he believes the district’s testing, tracing and vaccination efforts will be a strong enough defense against the new variant.

“If anything, omicron is just a reminder to all of us that COVID is not going away anytime soon, and we have to remain vigilant,” McDermott said. 

Anna Armstrong is a general assignment reporter. Contact her at aarmstrong@dailycal.org

The Daily Californian

Elected officials: they’re just like us! In all seriousness, as we delve into the depths of Spotify Wrapped season, Minneapolis’s incoming city council members are doing the same.

1. “Fountains” by Drake and Tems – Robin Wonsley Worlobah, Ward 2

“Afro beats are literally food to my soul. It uplifts me. It’s the only music that will instantly get me to the nearest dance floor. Most importantly, for many U.S. born Black people, like myself, the cultural connections that we had to our ancestral homes were severed when we were stolen and brought to settler lands as slaves,” Wonsley Worlobah said. “Afro beats is a global movement, which has enabled African-Indigenous artists and Afro-descendants from around the world to reclaim and re-establish a cultural bond with one another and with our ancestral home. It allowed us to begin to restore parts of what was stolen from us.”

2. “Jump Around” by House of Pain – Michael Rainville, Ward 3

After attending the Minnesota vs. Wisconsin football game, Rainville’s been all about this amped-up Wisconsin anthem. “Competition is all about the excitement,” he said. “When you’re the winner, you’re the winner — and you get to choose the song played on the field.”

3. “Love’s in Need of Love Today” by Stevie Wonder – LaTrisha Vetaw, Ward 4

“Listening to this song makes me so happy and it motivates me to do more in the world. It boosts my confidence while making me feel more connected to others,” LaTrisha Vetaw said. “I love singing every word when I play because I feel connected to the world.”

4. “Found/Tonight” by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt – Lisa Goodman, Ward 7

“I wouldn’t say this is my favorite song of all time but it’s what I have been humming the most as I walked my dog this summer to sing along and take my mind off of everything else going on in the world,” Lisa Goodman said. She said that both songs hold significant meaning for her.

5. “Pop Life” by Prince – Andrea Jenkins, Ward 8

Jenkins is an avid music fan, which made choosing just one song difficult. Some of her other favorites include hits by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G. and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

6. “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis feat. Mary Lambert – Jason Chavez, Ward 9

“It’s old, but I still listen to it all the time,” Chavez said. “I played it for like two hours before I came out to my mom and dad, and it’s still something I want to listen to.”

7. “Megalovania” by Toby Fox – Aisha Chughtai, Ward 10

“My relationship with listening to music has always been that I’ll listen to something on repeat, over and over again,” Chugthai said. While “Megalovania” has been on loop for her lately, two other songs have cemented their place on her regular rotation. First, “Hey Shona” by Ta Ra Rum Pum earned its spot because during the recent election, she “listened to it more than anything else.” She also said that Brother Ali’s “All the Beauty in This Whole Life” deserved an honorable mention.

8. “Moonshadow” by Cat Stevens – Emily Koski, Ward 11

Koski’s pick is a classic nod to living life in the present moment. “Although, my 8-year-old daughter, Iris Koski, usually takes over the Alexa speaker in our house, and when she does she almost always plays Olivia Rodrigo’s album SOUR, so that is what I am listening to most of the time these days,” Koski said.

9. “Sunday Best” by Surfaces – Andrew Johnson, Ward 12

“If you wanted to nail me down to a specific song, I feel a lot of joy whenever I hear “Sunday Best” by Surfaces. It’s energizing and hopelessly positive, which is something we need more of in this world,” Johnson said. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to local artist Caroline Smith (now Your Smith), who is among my all-time favorites.”

10. “Spirit Cold” by Tall Heights – Linea Palmisano, Ward 13

“I got to see them play at First Ave shortly before COVID last year, and I am hopeful that I will be able to see them when they come back to the Twin Cities in January of next year. They play at the Amsterdam Bar in St. Paul,” Palmisano said. “It is an eclectic duo from Boston, and they tour with other interesting singer songwriters. I find them relaxing and soulful, which is what I find rejuvenating in between all the other events of my day job.”

Incoming councilmembers Elliot Payne, Jeremiah Ellison and Jamal Osman could not be reached for commentary.