Ian Sherr

General Mills sees better earnings; stock up

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:10:43 CDT

General Mills said it expected fiscal 2009 earnings to exceed its prior outlook by several cents due to lower operating costs and a lower quarterly tax rate, sending its shares up 3.6 percent.

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U.S. hotel occupancy rates down for 19th month

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:51:00 CDT

U.S. hotel occupancy rates likely fell for a 19th straight month in May, industry data suggests, a sign that hotels are struggling amid the economic recession.

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The war over an instant

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:49:51 CDT

There?s a point in every Star Wars film when the good guy inevitably turns to his buddies and says, ?I?ve got a bad feeling about this,? right before all the big explosions begin.

One can only imagine that is what Nescafe was thinking when they saw Starbucks? VIA instant coffee mix arrive in Chicago, Seattle and London. After all, Nescafe is nearly synonymous with instant coffee.

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Check Out Line: The hurt is spreading

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:48:16 CDT

Check out the latest sales reports, which show that consumers are still cutting back on discretionary spending as they shift to discounters for the basics. Granted, that?s not exactly news anymore, but some of this morning?s sales tell us that even the discounters are starting to feel the heat.

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U.S. judge approves motion for Hartmarx sale

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:47:15 CDT

U.S. bankruptcy judge has granted approval on Tuesday for Hartmarx Corp to sell itself to private equity firm Emerisque and SKNL North America, paving the way for the sale of the apparel retailer.

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Dad(null)

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:46:24 CDT

A new survey by the National Retail Federation found that consumers are planning to spend significantly less on Father?s Day than they did last year.brbra href=http://www.iansherr.com/writing/blogfathersday09.phpread more.../a

CalTrans and the Stimulus

Sat, 09 May 2009 17:45:01 CDT

brA look at the state approval process as cities prepare to work on shovel ready projects.brbrbra href=http://www.iansherr.com/writing/caltransstimiulus.phpread more.../a

It's Divorce, Recession Style

Sun, 03 May 2009 17:44:32 CDT

As the number of swine flu cases increases and public fear heightens, Internet thieves are taking advantage of the hype by sending out e-mail spam with ads for antiviral drugs and more.brbra href=http://www.iansherr.com/writing/recessiondivorce.phpread more.../a

Internet thieves take advantage of swine flu fear

Sat, 02 May 2009 17:41:54 CDT

Financial crisis a boon to money management websites

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:27:30 EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Balancing checkbooks and relying on paper bank statements is so last century.brbrOver the past two years, websites such as Mint, Buxfer, Geezeo and Wesabe are wooing users with powerful online money management tools and the promise of access to their financial information from anywhere in the world.brbrAnd it's working.brbra href=http://www.iansherr.com/writing/webmoneymanagement.phpread more.../a

NASA lands cosmic first with tweets from Mars

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:26:08 EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ? If the Phoenix Lander comes back to life on Mars, Twitter users could be among the first to know.brbrNASA gave the historic Space Age mission an Internet Age spin by adding a Twitter page, enabling the robotic interplanetary explorer to answer the hot micro-blogging website's trademark query: What are you doing?brbra href=http://www.iansherr.com/writing/nasatwitter.phpread more.../a

Site Redesign

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:23:39 EDT

Well, it's been quite a while since I've touched the website. In the last few months, I've been working very hard on my thesis and getting prepared to exit from Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.brbrIn the mean time, I've decided to revamp the organization of my website. You may notice that the sections have been changed, and I am no longer relying on Blogger to maintain my clip repository. I've also begun integrating perma-links at the bottom of every page.brbrIt's all about making the site as usable as humanly possible. So, please, let me know what you think.

More Updates!

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:10:28 -0800

p For those of you who didn't know, I was in Beijing, China for a month, producing a short video documentary for the Washington Post. The team was awesome, the culture was amazing and I loved the food. Overall, a great way to spend a month. brbr a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/interactives/beijingbeat/index.htmlimg src=http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2008/08/07/PH2008080703106.jpg/a brbr My two pieces were called Linking Up and Nesting. Enjoy! brbr ...and feel free to a href=http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6082629696716300331postID=4240808305623256876leave a comment/a! /p

Summer Updates!

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:00:18 -0800

p It's been a long summer, and I haven't even remembered to update this feed! brbr So, here it goes: brbr Just yesterday, the AFP sent me out on assignment for what was probably one of the best worst press conferences I'd ever seen:br a href=http://iansherr.blogspot.com/2008/08/skepticism-as-us-hunters-claim-bigfoot.htmlSkepticism as Hunters claim Bigfoot./a... brbr br Before that, I profiled the new phenomenon of online-speed-dating for the AFP. I even tried it out, just to see what it was all about. Though I did tell all my dates I was in a happy long-term relationship.br a href=http://iansherr.blogspot.com/2008/08/300-dates-in-24-hours.html300 dates in 24 hours? No Sweat /a... brbr br I also profiled how colleges and universities are beginning to use virtual reality simulations in their curriculum:br a href=http://iansherr.blogspot.com/2008/06/schools-eyeing-virtual-campuses.htmlSchools eyeing virtual campuses/a... brbr br And when the Olympic Torch came to San Francisco, I was part of team video coverage for the Washington Post:br a href=http://iansherr.blogspot.com/2008/04/road-to-beijing.htmlThe Road to Beijing/a... brbr brbr Finally, I also profiled some new competitors to the popular messaging service, Twitter:br a href=http://iansherr.blogspot.com/2008/04/mobile-devices-stoke-micro-blogging.htmlMobile devices stoke 'micro-blogging' fervor/a... brbr br And I was lucky enough to have another opinion piece printed in the San Francisco Chronicle:br a href=http://iansherr.blogspot.com/2008/03/raised-to-respect-constitution.htmlRaised to respect the Constitution/a.../p

Chronicle: Voting

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:05:00 -0800

Published an article with the SF Chronicle, now in the reporter's section:brbrI was raised to cherish and respect the Constitution. My parents would sit me down to listen as they debated the issues and they filled out their sample ballots. On election day, they would each pull me into their voting booth (the old kind) and let me pull the lever when they were done flicking switches on the machine. I even got to wear the I Voted sticker.brbrIn years since, sure, I've wondered, Does my vote count? Am I really making a difference? My cynical peers certainly amplified those doubts, but basically, I'm a believer. I'm always going to vote.brbrAnd that's the point.brbr a href=http://iansherr.blogspot.com/2008/03/raised-to-respect-constitution.htmlRead more.../a

National Cathedral Photos

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:25:23 -0800

I've added a new photo essay from a recent trip to the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

New Updates!

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:09:28 -0800

pI've spent some time to code in some gallery options. Now, when you hover over the right or left side of an image, you can move within a gallery./p pLet me know what you think!/p

New Updates!

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:09:28 -0800

pI've spent some time to code in some gallery options. Now, when you hover over the right or left side of an image, you can move within a gallery./p pLet me know what you think!/p

Updates!

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:44:22 -0800

pI've spent a massive amount of time reworking and reorienting the site. I've changed the color scheme, added a much larger photo archive, and fixed a lot of code./p pEnjoy!/p

Updates!

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:44:22 -0800

pI've spent a massive amount of time reworking and reorienting the site. I've changed the color scheme, added a much larger photo archive, and fixed a lot of code./p pEnjoy!/p

No Child Left Behind: The Tutors

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:34:00 +0000

Published Feb. 13, 2008 in the iEast Bay Express/i.brbrblockquotebrbspan style=font-size:+2;The Price of Success: After Parker Elementary succeeded, it lost all its tutors/span/bbrbrby Ian SherrbrbrSchool is out and across the street police are patting down a teenager in a red sweatshirt. A nearby woman yells, He ain't got no gun!brbrFurther down the block, Principal Deborah Davis of Parker Elementary school is greeting parents and saying goodbye to some of the school's 247 students. Just another day at Parker, she sighs, looking toward the run-down apartment complex where the event took place.brbrParker Elementary School, situated in the rough hills of East Oakland, lacks for many amenities. Yet it has been able to beat the odds and last year raised its Annual Yearly Progress test scores into the green, meaning that the school was no longer labeled as needing improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind act.brbrYet having shaken loose the stigma that a low-income school in a crime-ridden neighborhood can't succeed, Parker has a different problem. Its tutors have gone missing.brbrbrspan class=fullpostbrWhen we were told we weren't eligible ... I nearly had a heart attack, Davis said.brbrA short, middle-aged woman with the energy of a prize fighter, Davis was one of the few principals to enthusiastically embrace free tutoring. She credits it with raising her students' test scores.brbrThen Parker ran head-on into a Catch-22 of No Child Left Behind. Parker's students improved enough to take the school off the watch list, but still need help. Once the school meets their proficiency targets the state doesn't have to provide that extra aid anymore, said Jack Jennings, president of the Center On Education Policy, a Washington-based educational advocacy group. The problem is that many schools could still use the help.brbrFor example, only 35.2 percent of Parker's students scored proficient or above in English and 43 percent in math. While this was far better than its score of 29.8 percent in English and 38.9 percent in math the year before, the scores still indicate that many students need extra help.brbrIt's a yo-yo effect, in which they help schools go up, and once they go up, they lose aid and go down, he said. This is a serious problem.brbrWhile Parker Elementary students have not yet been tested since losing their funding for the supplemental tutors, many parents are worried.brbrWe still have kids below that testing level who need help, said Eric Johnson, a former president of the Parker Parent Teacher Association and a long-time parent volunteer. You'll always have kids who need help, and you can't put a price on their education.brbrJohnson's 17-year-old son went to school at Parker. Now, his daughter is just about to graduate.brbrShe was in tutoring last year and thought it was a waste of time, but it helped her ? especially with her reading, Johnson said.brbrWithout her school's federally funded tutoring, Davis has managed to secure both private donations and additional funding through the After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002, also known as California Proposition 49.brbrThe after-school facilitator, Dominique Millette, organized after-school activities from Girls Inc. for the past two years, and she expects Parker's test scores to remain stable.brbrStill, that's no consolation to Lula El, whose child benefited from tutoring in fourth grade. El would like it to continue. Just because a school meets their required standards is no reason to cut funding, she said. That's no excuse to leave my child behind.brbrbr(a href=http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/the_price_of_success/Content?oid=643750link to the original article/a)br/span/blockquote

Delegates, Delegates Everywhere!

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:09:00 +0000

Published Feb. 12, 2008 in the iSan Francisco Chronicle/i.brbrblockquotebrbspan style=font-size:+2;Count the delegates, if you can/span/bbrby Ian SherrbrbrJust when I thought I had figured out why the Democratic Party has superdelegates, Nancy Pelosi comes along and says I have got it all backward.brbrThe superdelegates were established to give many more people at the grassroots level the opportunity to go to the convention and be really the overwhelming majority of who will decide this convention, the House Speaker told CNN's Wolf Blitzer last Thursday.brbrWith a straight face.brbrspan class=fullpostbrThat was after Super Tuesday, which was supposed to decide the next Democratic nominee. Instead, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have battled themselves to a delegate draw that party elders may have to settle.brbrI don't know what's worse - Pelosi pretending that rank-and-file Democrats will get to decide anything this year, or the convoluted system created to ensure they would not. It was adopted in 1976, to reformulate the reforms of 1972, which came in response to the chaos of 1968, when the Democrats tore themselves apart in the streets of Chicago after convention delegates chose Hubert Humphrey, who had never won a primary that year.brbrBut I get ahead of myself.brbrThe simple way to explain it is that there are 4,049 delegates available in the national Democratic primaries and caucuses, and that a candidate needs 2,026 to get nominated. The delegates are divvied up among the 50 states and various U.S. territories by a formula based on voting trends over the past three elections.brbrEasy, right?brbrOK, now, as an example, California's share is 370. Well, actually 441, but that depends on how you're counting.brbrEach of the 53 congressional districts in California gets three delegates - except for those that get four, or five or six. The number is determined by how loyal voters in the district have been to the party. What does that mean? I'm sure someone knows.brbrNevertheless, that works out to six delegates each for Pelosi's and U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee's Bay Area districts, while Democrats from, say, U.S. Rep. Jim Costa's district in the Central Valley only have three.brbrOf the 370, or 441, California delegates, 241 were awarded to the presidential contenders based on how voters within each congressional district cast their ballots on Super Tuesday.brbrNow, included in the 370, or 441, delegates are also Party Leaders and Elected Officials, or PLEOs for short. These are essentially big-city mayors, legislators and other state or local elected officials.brbrBut not all Party Leaders and Elected Officials can be PLEOs in the California delegation to the convention. They must first fill out Form C on the California Democratic Party's Web site, and pledge to vote for a candidate who received at least 15 percent of the statewide vote during the primary. Only 48 PLEOs get to vote at the national convention, and they must be confirmed in a vote by 241 district-level delegates. Got it? Good.brbrNow for the tricky part - the 71 so-called superdelegates, generally members of Congress and Democratic National Committee officials, who get to vote however they want to at the convention.brbrAnd while there are technically 71 of them, it turns out there are actually only 66, because four of the members of Congress are also members of the national committee. That leaves one poor soul who's been lost in the arithmetic. Party leaders are hoping he or she (Democratic Party rules are very strict about gender-equalization) can be found before the convention.brbrSo, according to the California Democratic Party, there are 71, or 66, superdelegates, 241 district delegates, 81 at-large delegates, 48 PLEOs, 5 uncommitted add-ons (not to be confused with the superdelegates), 22 alternates, 62 other alternates, and a partridge in a pear tree.brbrDoes that all make sense? Yeah, me neither.brbrThe grassroots organizers who Pelosi said have greater power in this year's convention may soon learn exactly how much when the party leadership stands up and makes the ultimate decision to show either Barack or Hillary the door.brbrbr(a href=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/12/EDCPV0C7G.DTLlink to the original article/a)br/span/blockquote

A treat of sorts...

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 07:52:00 +0000

One day, I was asked to write personal essays about Thanksgiving...brbrbrblockquotebrBfont size=+2Scottish Sweet Stuffing/font/bbrby Ian SherrbrbrMy father can cook. Or so he says.brbrI grew up hearing stories of how my father wooed my mother by cooking her fabulous dinners and serving them to her over his grand piano in his tiny New York apartment. brbrThe story, as my father tells it, was that his apartment was too small to hold a table and his piano, and being a world class concert pianist, he chose the piano. So, he bought a cover for the piano and fed his dates. I imagine he probably serenaded them too, but the details have been lost both to time and trailing mumbled memories. brbrStill, what I?ve been brought up to believe is that my father can cook. And my mother?she grew up in Atlanta in the 50s. Of course she can cook.brbrSo, what shocked my girlfriend, Laura, was that Thanksgiving this year was going to be catered by Marie Calendars.brbrI said my parents could cook. I didn?t say they did.brbrspan class=fullpostAround the time I turned seven years old, my mother began working the night shift for American Airlines and it became too much trouble to cook breakfast, lunch or dinner. Instead, my parents began taking my brother and I out to diners and fast food in lieu of the grocery store. Prepared food?instead of preparing food?became the bulk of my family?s diet for the next 10 years. brbrSo, with such a diet, what does a family with too little time to cook, but just enough time to drive to Taco Bell, do about Thanksgiving?brbrFor years, we traveled to my godmother?s house, where our first?and likely the only?home-cooked meal of the year would be served.brbrKnowing this, my parents were usually shamed into cooking something. The food of choice was my mother?s family recipe of ?Scottish Sweet Stuffing.? Being the only food my parents ever cooked, with the exception of the occasional scrambled egg, my mother?s dish quickly became my favorite part of the holiday. brbrEssentially, it?s chopped bread, apples, raisins, and spices mixed with red wine and touch of bourbon. It?s a good recipe, but not terribly special.brbrStill, I came to enjoy it as one of those things that marked the holidays.brbrBut when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer?s eight years ago, the last thing on my mind was what would happen to her sweet stuffing. Just a few quick years later, we had our first Thanksgiving without the traditional recipe. And when my godmother moved away, my parents searched for an easy answer?enter Marie Calendar?s prepared Thanksgiving dinners.brbr?I?m flying out to see you and your family, and the least you all can do is have a real Thanksgiving dinner,? Laura said.brbrI called my godmother, who now lives in Santa Rosa, and in minutes, we had an invitation. brbrThen, Laura suggested that we bring something, and the first thing that came to mind was my mother?s sweet stuffing.brbrIn the car, its spices filled the air, and at dinner, the dish moved around like a hot potato. Along with the hot mashed potatoes.brbrIt was exciting to bring that tradition back to life. And although my mother could not remember that she was eating her signature family recipe, she enjoyed it anyway.brbrAnd my father?well, he was just glad that someone else in the family could cook.brbrbr br/span/blockquote

Hungry...

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:34:00 +0000

Published Nov. 28, 2007 in the iNorth Gate News Online/i.brbrblockquotebrBfont size=+2Food Banks Experiencing Food Shortage/font/bbrby Ian SherrbrbrOAKLAND ? Nearly 250 families showed up at Volunteers for America?s doorsteps on Thanksgiving day, in search of food distributed by the Alameda County Food Bank. But this year, the organization didn?t have enough ? it only had 50 chickens, and enough cans for 100 people.brbrAt the last minute the Food Bank delivered emergency supplies for the rest, but the Thanksgiving demand is part of a sharp increase in need.brbr?It seems like more and more people are coming to the center,? Volunteers for America founder and director, Emilia Otero said. ?People are losing their homes and having to choose between paying their bills or feeding their children.?brbrWhat Otero stressed, however, was that she is worried of what is to come.brbr?There?s a tremendous need that we have for food right now,? she said.brbrspan class=fullpost It is unclear how closely the demand is linked to the mortgage crisis but to ensure supplies, the Food Bank has raised its donation goals by fifty percent, to 750,000 lbs of food. To date, the organization has received 260,000 lbs.brbr?We saw more of a demand leading up to Thanksgiving this year,? said communications director of the Alameda County Food Bank, Judyth Collin. ?We?re gathering as much food as we can to gear up for Christmas but we need more.?brbrThe Food Bank, which serves more than 180 agencies and member organizations in Oakland alone, is struggling to meet demand as it handles dramatic spikes in need. The organization?s emergency food helpline, which guides people to a quick meal and encourages them to enroll in food stamps, has seen a forty percent increase in calls ? mostly from single mothers.brbrAnd while it is unclear why this increase in need has happened, organizers have a few theories:brbr?The price of gas and milk have skyrocketed,? Collin said. ?And the mortgage crisis has also had a huge impact.?brbr?People are more and more afraid of losing their homes, but what?s worse is that they can?t feed their families,? said Otero. ?We have people coming from all over the city and every day there are more families coming for food.?brbrHousing counselors such as Taylor Erlbaum of the ACORN Corporation have also witnessed the stress of the mortgage crisis.brbr?We are meeting more and more people with desperate situations,? he said. ?We had one counselor go to Chicago to get training on foreclosures to help with the phone calls.?brbrHe added, ?We?re seeing a lot more people in trouble.?brbrWhile the ACORN Housing Corporation provides counseling to low and moderate-income homebuyers on purchases and refinances, Erlbaum says that more people have been calling him for help.brbr?The loans are going through the roof and they can?t support the payment, or if they do, they can?t pay for anyone else,? he said. ?If you have to choose between your home and having enough food to eat, I think more people are choosing their homes.?brbrAnd this is where the Alameda Food Bank is stepping in.brbrCollins said the Food Bank is extending its holiday food drive until the end of January.brbr?The demand is definitely up over this time last year,? she said. ?It?s great that people are aware of hunger during the holiday, but when the tinsel goes down, people are still going to be hungry.?brbrbr (a href=http://journalism.berkeley.edu/ngno/2007/11/28/food-banks-experiencing-food-shortage/link to the original article/a)br/span/blockquote

Municipal ID Passes Its Final Vote

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:44:00 +0000

Published Nov. 25, 2007 on the inside first page of the Metro section in the iOakland Tribune/i.brbrblockquotebrBfont size=+2San Francisco supervisors approve immigrant IDs/font/bbrBMayor Gavin Newsom says he will ratify program/Bbrby Ian SherrbrbrBERKELEY ? Maria is an engineering student at the University of California, Berkeley. She's smart, she's witty, and she's driven. But when her sister disappeared in early September, she feared doing anything.brbrI can't report things to the police, she said. I'm afraid to. I'm afraid they would deport me.brbrThe San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a plan Nov. 14 to provide identification cards to illegal immigrants, transgender people and other residents who may be unable or unwilling to get a state-issued driver's license. Mayor Gavin Newsom has said he intends to ratify the program.brbrFor clue on how such a program might work, Maria, who asked that her real name not be used, and an estimated 2.4 million other undocumented immigrants in California can look to New Haven, Conn.brbrThe New Haven municipal ID system went into effect at the end of July.brbrWe would have considered this program successful if we had sold 5,000 of these cards in the first year, and we've already sold 3,700 in the first two months, said Kica Matos, community services administrator for New Haven. This program is absolutely successful.brbrSan Francisco's proposal, approved by a 10-1 vote, puts the issue in the national spotlight and adds pressure on neighboring cities, including Oakland, to pass similar legislation.brbrspan class=fullpostThe new identification card, expected to roll out in August 2008, will offer immigrants an alternative to consulate-issued IDs known as matricula consular. The San Francisco program will charge adults $15 for each card and $5 for children to defray costs, which are expected to run between $423,000 and $1.1 million during the first year.brbrTo be eligible, residents would have to produce an existing photo ID, such as a passport or foreign driver's license, as well as a recent utility bill or bank statement. The recipients cannot use the IDs to drive; they would still need a state driver's license.brbrGovernment agencies and non-profit groups that receive city funds would be required to accept the cards as valid identification and proof of residency except for hiring or other areas where doing so conflicts with federal or state laws.brbrThe cards, available to the city's 750,000 residents, are intended for undocumented residents who are ineligible for driver's licenses, seniors who no longer drive and transgender people whose driver's licenses no longer reflect their appearances.brbrWe think it's important for everyone to have access to the ID, said Pilar Schiavo, legislative aide to San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano, who introduced the ID card concept. It's especially important for undocumented immigrants ? folks who are targeted for crime and who are unlikely to report the incident because they do not have ID.brbrCriminals are left free to terrorize the community, she added. This will finally allow immigrants to report these crimes.brMatos said New Haven's ID serves multiple purposes to attract different groups of users.brbrThe card has a debit chip that you can load up to $150, allowing you to pay for parking garages, parking meters, and even coffee, she said. It also has a strip on the back that acts as a library card.brbrThe proposed ID in San Francisco goes further, with news reports that many banks in the city are signaling their willingness to use the municipal ID to set up accounts.brbrJohn Lugo, an organizer for Unidad Latino, a grassroots group that pushes for immigrants' rights, said the IDs, with their access to city services, help immigrants feel like a part of the community.brbrYou would have to spend a lot of time in jail if you could not give the police identification, he said. People said they didn't feel safe with the police, or welcome in New Haven.brbrAnd since immigrants are unable to get a bank account without a valid ID, Lugo said this left them in serious danger.brPeople would also attack immigrants as walking ATM machines, he said.brbrNow, however, Lugo said people feel as though they can trust the police. The city ID has made a lot of difference, he added.brSan Francisco Supervisor Sean Elsbernd opposed the measure, criticizing its $1.07 million to $2.86 million price tag in the first three years.brbrAnd opposition groups to the municipal IDs have already attempted to gather information about participating residents, advocates said.brbrPeople who were against this did not want to acknowledge the existence of these people, said the Rev. James Manship, pastor of New Haven's St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.brbrBoth the proposed San Francisco and current New Haven municipal IDs are available to all city residents, keeping them from becoming a scarlet letter for undocumented residents.brbrOn the application for the ID, they ask for a name and they have a check-mark box for whether or not they showed a photo ID and proof of residence, Manship said. There's nothing that shows whether or not they're legal immigrants.brbrHe added, The general order, coupled with the municipal IDs, makes people feel as though they are residents of this community.brbrSan Francisco already has ordinances that prohibit police from being proactive about immigration status.brbrThe new ID, Schiavo said, allow police to see a legitimate identification.brbrRenee Saucedo of the La Rassa Center in San Francisco agreed.brbrIt's something that's basic for people to be able to function day to day, she said.brbrStill, Maria is more concerned about her missing sister, whom she may never find again, and certainly not without the help of the local police.brbrFighting tears, she raised her hands in the air.brbrIt's crazy, she said.brbr-------------------------------------------brbrThe Associated Press contributed to this report.brbrIan Sherr is a student at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.brbrbr (a href=http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_7555245link to the original article/a)br/span/blockquote

A Fox-y Journal

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:10:00 +0000

Published Nov. 14, 2007 in the iNorth Gate News Online/i.brbrblockquotebrBfont size=+2Wall Street Journal Plans to End brInternet Subscription Fee/font/bbrby Ian SherrbrbrSAN FRANCISCO ? Months after The Wall Street Journal announced takeover plans by Rupert Murdoch, surprise has once again rippled through the news industry as the enterprising media mogul announced that he plans to put an end to the Journal?s online subscription-based system.brbr?I?m surprised, because the Journal has been the only paper that?s charged for its Internet editibron from the start,? Director of Northwestern Medill?s Business Journalism program, Joe Mathewson said. ?They?ve always made money on the process and that system.?brbrNow, more than ever, print newspapers have been struggling to find new and innovative ways to make money off of their online newspapers and subscription fees. The Journal, however, has charged its online readers from the outset in 1996, and was one of the few to make money from the venture. News reports have put its online subscription revenue at $50 million a year.brbr?Almost all newspapers have dropped any charge to get access to their website, with the result that they are getting substantial and rapidly growing Internet advertising dollars,? said newspaper analyst and advisor John Morton. ?The Wall Street Journal began by charging for access, and it?s been very successful for them.?brbrHe added, ?They, almost alone, have gone to a pay-model.?brbrspan class=fullpostNevertheless, Murdoch said, he believes there is more money to be made in advertising to a wider audience.brbr?We are studying it and we expect to make that free, and instead of having one million, having at least 10 million-15 million in every corner of the earth,? Murdoch told the New York Times, referring to The Journal?s online readership.brbrAnd those corners of the Earth could include Murdoch?s well-known interest in the burgeoning Chinese market.brbr?He?s got a home in China, and he has a young Chinese wife, and he has enormous investments in China,? said Mathewson. ?The idea that the journal will be more in China, makes sense.?brbr?You never know what Murdoch has up his sleeve and he tends to view things different from other people,? Morton said.brbrHe added that he is skeptical, however, that Murdoch?s aspirations will be successful. ?What I fear is that this will hurt their print circulation, which has held up pretty well and hasn?t suffered like others,? Morton said. ?If you have the journal online for free, it will have a delirious affect on their print circulation.?brbr?This is going to put the Wall Street Journal in the same box as other newspapers ? hoping, with rapid growth of the Internet, that it will more than make-up for what they lose on the print side,? he added. ?And that hasn?t happened yet.?brbrbr (a href=http://journalism.berkeley.edu/ngno/2007/11/14/wall-street-journal-plans-to-end-internet-subscription-fee/link to the original article/a)br/span/blockquote

Aerial

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:23:00 +0000

Published Nov. 8, 2007 in the iNorth Gate News Online/i.brbrblockquotebrBfont size=+2Antenna Installation Causes Angst/font/bbrby Ian SherrbrbrBERKELEY ? A day after the Berkeley City Council voted to approve plans by Verizon to install 17 antennas atop UC Storage in South Berkeley, residents who were protesting or simply hoping to end the deal are disappointed and annoyed.brbr?The city council?s wrong,? said Gene Turitz, who has lived adjacent to the proposed antenna installation for 37 years. ?They?ve challenged many rulings by the federal government before. Why is this any different??brbrThroughout the discussion on Tuesday night, the council attempted to address concerns about the additional antenna?s radio and electromagnetic waves would have on the residents of the surrounding neighborhood.brbr?There?s an epidemic of cancer in this country,? Turitz added. ?I would like Verizon to prove that the antenna doesn?t harm anyone.?brbrspan class=fullpostThe government-funded National Research Council found in 1997 that electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by cell phone antennas, pose no hazard to human health, policy researchers have found South Berkeley resident Turitz?s reaction to be quite common.brbr?People?s experiences with industry and their flagrant violation of people?s trust contribute to all of this,? said Ann Keller, associate professor at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, who said that she supported the National Research Council?s findings.brbrDespite the health concerns, council members said they were bound by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which did not allow municipalities to consider health effects when considering technology zoning.brbr?To be told that you cannot under any circumstance, consider health concerns, flies in the face of everything we know about the history of technology,? Council-member Max Anderson told the enthusiastic crowd of protesters. ?When enough people are sick enough about this taking away their rights and exposing them to things they have no control over, someday, somehow we?re going to find a way to stop this madness before it kills us all.?brbrAnderson was the only council-member to vote against the proposal.brbrKeller, from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, said consumers who might not trust the government study should remember the Surgeon General?s 1960 report, finding that cigarettes could cause cancer.brbr?Everyone knew smoking was harmful even though tobacco companies weren?t telling the truth,? she said. ?Maybe you shouldn?t trust industry but if you trusted the federal government with their findings on tobacco, maybe you should trust them now, too.?brbrHowever, many residents, including Jon Balderston, who also lives adjacent to the planned antenna site, have not heard of the National Research Council?s studies.brbr?I don?t know if it?s proven that [the antennas] are harmful,? he said. ?If they are, though, I don?t want one near me.?brbrLiz Cromley, a resident of the area for 40 years, agreed.brbr?There are so many towers down here, in South Berkeley,? she said. ?Why don?t they put some of them up in the hills? Why do they have to be down here??brbrKeller added that this fear of adverse health effects further complicates how cities and companies choose antenna sites.brbr?When people want prisons, they don?t want them nearby. That makes sense,? she said. ?But people who want cell phones need to face the dangers of electromagnetic fields produced by the antennas ? whatever they are. They can?t have the tower put somewhere else.?brbrShe added, ?I wouldn?t judge anyone harshly if they don?t trust what Verizon says about electromagnetic fields, but I would say the National Research Council is much more trustworthy, and they say it?s safe.?brbrThe council?s decision also came on the heals of a lawsuit filed in August by Verizon in response to the city of Berkeley?s resistance to installing the additional antennas.brbr?We have been waiting for a decision on the Berkeley cell sites for years and under our license with the FCC we are obligated to provide a certain level of service to our customers wherever we operate our network,? said Heidi Flato, manager of public relations for Verizon Wireless.brbrStill, Donald Abcarian, doesn?t like the idea of the additional antennas.brbr?I have grandchildren to consider,? he said. ?It?s an imposition on my peace of mind.?brbrbr (a href=http://journalism.berkeley.edu/ngno/2007/11/08/antenna-installation-causes-angst/link to the original article/a)/span/blockquote