When a pro-Palestine protester snatched an Israeli flag from a counter-protester on the steps of UC Berkeley’s Sproul Hall this week, it seemed as if it could go the way of violent clashes in universities in Southern California. But the ensuing scuffle quickly de-escalated, and a relative calm returned to campus Thursday. At Stanford, when students turned up waving U.S. and Israeli flags, pro-Palestine protesters encamped at White Plaza kept the commitment they had pledged to each other: They will not be provoked. They are “trying to get a response and a reaction out of us, but we don’t want t ..read more

SANTA CRUZ — Hundreds of UC Santa Cruz students gathered at Quarry Plaza on the university’s campus around noon Tuesday and swiftly set up a Palestine solidarity encampment similar to those that have formed on college campuses across the state and the country. Related Articles Education | UCLA hoped to avoid police crackdown on protesters. What went wrong? Education | Today’s campus protests not as big or violent as last century Education | Report: NYPD officer fired gun while clearing Columbia building Education | Three injured in confrontation between UC Berkeley protest groups Educati ..read more

By Stefanie Dazio | Associated Press LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a scuba dive boat captain to four years in custody and three years supervised release for criminal negligence after 34 people died in a fire aboard the vessel. The Sept. 2, 2019, blaze was the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history, and prompted changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and several ongoing lawsuits. Captain Jerry Boylan was found guilty of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer last year. The charge is a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as seaman ..read more

WATSONVILLE — A 41-year-old delivery truck driver reportedly kidnapped at knifepoint purposely crashed his vehicle into a downtown light pole to escape, according to police. The driver had stopped at a gas station when a man, identified by police as Joshua Barcelo, 33, allegedly approached him before 5 a.m. Saturday and demanded a ride, according to a Watsonville Police Department social media post and the department’s crime log. The driver traveled for about a mile before intentionally crashing into a pole near Ford and Main streets because, he told police, “he feared for his life because Bar ..read more

Spend any time thinking or talking about insurance in California these days and you’re bound to hear the word “mitigation.” Fire officials, lawmakers, insurance agents and others are asking homeowners  to help lower the risk of devastating wildfires by making improvements to their properties — in some cases at great expense — and often in the context of trying to hang on to their insurance policies. The state has spent about $3.7 billion on forest management in the past seven years. Communities, fire districts and others are doing their part, too. RELATED: The CZU fire burned 91 ..read more

Student homelessness has risen to pre-pandemic levels, after years of decline. Now, a San Jose legislator has introduced a California bill to provide unhoused high school seniors with a guaranteed income to help them enroll in college or enter the workforce. A recent data analysis from the Public Policy Institute of California found that after three years of declines, the number of K-12 students experiencing homelessness in the state increased for the 2022-23 school year, with at least 246,000 students having experienced homelessness at some point. To combat the impact on those students, State ..read more

Alexis Catalan, a high school senior in San Jose, was one of the lucky ones. She submitted her Free Application for Federal Student Aid a few weeks after the application launched in December and only experienced a handful of glitches with the online form. Catalan applied to 16 schools, and her preferred option is the University of San Francisco to pursue a degree in medicine. But three months later, she’s still waiting to find out how much financial aid she’ll receive. And as the college decision deadline rapidly approaches, Catalan might have to decide which school she’ll attend in the fall ..read more

MARINA – Joby Aviation is expanding in the city of Marina, more than doubling its working space, adding hundreds of more jobs, and making the spot “one of the most important sites in the world as it relates to development and manufacturing of high-tech electric airplanes,” according to a president of the company. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday for a new 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, expected to begin operations in 2025. “The expansion will be more than twice all the total footprint Joby Aviation now has at Marina Airport,” said Didier Papadopoulos, president of aircraf ..read more

DAVENPORT — A 39-year-old Santa Cruz man remained jailed in lieu of $75,000 bail this week after allegedly hijacking a citizen’s pickup and leading police on a chase into San Mateo County. Omar Raud Looney was booked Saturday by the California Highway Patrol on suspicion of felony vehicle theft and misdemeanor evading police, stolen vehicle possession, criminal threats, resisting arrest and DUI, according to Santa Cruz County Jail records. The CHP Santa Cruz unit posted on Saturday the description of the same or a similar arrest that took place on Highway 1 near Davenport. According to the pos ..read more

From snickerdoodles and shortbread to oatmeal and peanut butter, the world of cookies is vast. But none sets the heart racing quite like the chocolate chip. It’s a classic for a reason. Of course, everyone has their own niche preference. Some crave crunchy, while others lean chewy. And sweetness is a continuum unto itself. The one sure thing: We know a great chocolate chip cookie when we taste it. Here’s a guide to some of the best in the Bay Area. (Did we miss your favorite? Tell us about it via the submission form at the end.) East Bay Bakery, Danville and farmers markets in Danville, Walnut ..read more