Here's what's happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW news:
Librarians furious as Berkeley tosses thousands of books // SF Gate
“Librarians, normally a sedate bunch, were more steamed than a romance novel in Berkeley on Wednesday over efforts to cull the city collection without consulting them first.
“‘We’re here to stop the irresponsible weeding going on at the Berkeley library,’ said librarian Diane Davenport, standing in front of a cart full of 100 books. She said the number of books culled so far this year, estimated to be from 36,000 to 39,000, would fill 360 such carts. People in the crowd, some of them carrying signs that read, ‘Don’t pulp our fiction,’ gasped."
----
Protesters block Highway 980 near Oakland scene of officer-involved shooting // SF Gate
“Protesters established a blockade on westbound Interstate Highway 980 in Oakland Wednesday night, according to the CHP. The demonstration was a response to a nearby officer-involved shooting that left a 24-year-old Oakland man dead Wednesday afternoon.
“The 27th Street off-ramp was blocked off and the protesters briefly disrupted traffic on the highway. Images posted to Twitter around 10:15 p.m. showed cinder blocks and other debris in the roadway.”
----
State ends secret hearings in police killings of civilians // SF Chronicle
“California will no longer allow secret grand jury hearings to determine whether an officer should be charged with a crime following the death of a suspect under a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday.
“Widespread mistrust of the grand jury process — particularly after a pair of grand juries declined to indict police officers in the deaths of two unarmed men last year — ignited a national outcry for transparent oversight in how police shootings are investigated and how criminal charges are decided. California’s law takes effect in January.”
----
FBI Steps In To Help Overworked Oakland Homicide Investigators // CBS
“Just 10 Oakland police detectives work the streets every day. Now, the FBI is stepping in to help. The partnership between police and the feds has one mother hoping to finally get answers in her son’s murder. ‘Twenty-five, he would be a quarter of a century old,’ said Maria Climaco, whose son Aya Nakano was killed two years ago.”
“Right now, there are only 10 homicide investigators and one cold case detective working in a small office. Oakland still has 326 unsolved homicides between 2010 and 2014 alone. That’s about 32 cases per investigator.”
----
College dreams on hold after state cancels Exit Exam // SF Chronicle
“A last-minute decision by California education leaders cost scores of students around the state — including at least a dozen in San Francisco — a final chance to graduate from high school and go to a four-year college this fall. The students haven’t passed a test that they can’t take anymore. They were accepted to four-year colleges earlier this year, but first needed to pass the California High School Exit Exam to get a diploma. The problem? The state no longer offers the Exit Exam.
“The test’s cancelation came amid larger questions about the Exit Exam, which state officials acknowledge isn’t aligned with what’s being taught in schools. It doesn’t match up with the new Common Core standards, which emphasize critical thinking rather than rote learning.”
---
