Free Republic

The East Bay Municipal Water District captures water from the Sierra snowpack in reservoirs on the Mokelumne River and sends it via sealed pipeline 90 miles to customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, saying it "assures that all customers get high-quality drinking water ..." One wonders, however, whether the East Bay's water is contaminated by a germ that compels its politicians to misbehave. While there's a long history of aberrant behavior in the region, it's been particularly evident recently. Within a few months, East Bay politicians were arrested on a shoplifting charge (Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi), resigned after becoming involved...

Bracing for an influx of newly released prisoners, East Bay leaders are working with social services groups to prevent the former inmates from returning to lives of crime. The concern has reached a critical point because state legislation has relaxed restrictions on parolees and led to the early release of prisoners considered low risk. The state sought the changes to save money and to ease prison overcrowding and health care problems. The state aims to decrease the prison population by tens of thousands over the next two to three years. Though there is no way to know exactly how many...

In the strange world of politics, where up is down and down is up, Republicans tout as a victory David Harmer's 10-point loss to Democrat John Garamendi in Tuesday's special congressional race. With an 18-point party registration advantage, off-the-charts name identification and double the cash of his opponent, Republicans say Garamendi should have won with a far bigger margin. "Harmer winning 43 percent of the vote in an overwhelmingly Democratic district in the Bay Area does not speak well for the Democrats," California GOP Chairman Ron Nehring said the morning after Tuesday's election. Yes, this is largely spin. Harmer outperformed...

San Jose's ACORN has closed its first-time homeowner program in the wake of the scandal that has also cost the national group its federal funding. Allison Chadwick, a national spokeswoman for ACORN Housing, said all of its offices, including San Jose and the East Bay chapters, would suspend classes for first-time home buyers. However, foreclosure advice would continue. ACORN, a nonprofit anti-poverty organization, is reeling from a sting operation by undercover conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp. The pair videotaped ACORN housing workers in Baltimore and other locations offering them advice about cheating on taxes and operating...

A 17-year-old girl had to be airlifted to a local hospital Tuesday evening after she was run over by her own car while trying to "ghost ride," a car stunt popularized in the East Bay, police said. "Ghost riding" typically entails a car owner walking or dancing alongside or on top of a vehicle that is idling forward without a driver. The stunt has local origins, particularly in the Bay Area rap scene radiating from Oakland and Vallejo. The injured girl was "performing a horseplay maneuver" as her 1980s-model Chevrolet Blazer idled along about 6 p.m. near San Jose Avenue...

Still pursuing a lawsuit against one of California's top Democrats, an East Bay Republican leader seeks to advance his "rising star" reputation by becoming the state GOP's second-in-command. Looking at his extensive, slick Web site, thomasdelbeccaro.com, one might think Contra Costa County Republican Central Committee chairman Tom Del Beccaro seeks a publicly elected office. Instead, Del Beccaro — who sued to kick Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown off the November ballot for attorney general — is rallying support from hundreds of delegates to the party's convention this February in Sacramento. Del Beccaro, 44, who lives in Lafayette and practices law in...

There's something about Thanksgiving that truly brings out the hate in America's most miserable extremists. Some of the most notorious fresh examples: From Bill Schechner at San Francisco's KPIX: Arab-Owned Liquor Stores Attacked In Oakland OAKLAND Security tapes from the San Pablo Liquor Market on 23rd and San Pablo Ave. in Oakland show 11 men dressed in the manner of members of the Nation of Islam walking into the market at about 11:30 Wednesday night. After confronting the clerk behind the counter they push him aside, topple some groceries, open the wine, soda and alcohol coolers and throw the goods...

<p>A motorist was injured Friday when a window of her car exploded as she drove on a stretch of Interstate 580 in the East Bay where a sniper is suspected of firing shots at five other vehicles this week, the California Highway Patrol said.</p>

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In an open letter written today to members of Congress, the parents of Holly Patterson, the California teenager who died after taking the RU 486 abortion drug, endorsed legislation that would suspend the FDA's approval of the drug pending a Congressional review. "We will actively support 'Holly's Law' in Congress by Reps. DeMint, Bartlett and Senator Brownback to suspend and review the abortion drug RU 486," Monty and Helen Patterson say in their letter. "Holly depended on the safety of the FDA approved pill administered by Planned Parenthood," the Pattersons continued. "The FDA has failed to...

Scott Peterson's defense team Tuesday briefed two forensic experts on a statanic cult theory, including paintings and artwork near San Francisco Bay and an experiment showing that the pregnant Laci Peterson's body could have been placed in the water at the art site. Attorney Matt Dalton, using a laptop computer, showed artwork that he said depicted ritualistic killings and occult practices, and said the artwork could be found near the end of a peninsula in the bay. Dalton also said that the defense team placed weighted flotation devices in the water at the end of the peninsula, and they ended...

<p>ON A SUNNY Saturday afternoon amid the slouching pines and old headstones in Evergreen Cemetery in East Oakland, uniformed soldiers -- Confederate and Union both -- stood straight-backed at attention, saluting an approaching dignitary. It was not some president or general, boldly rolling up in a military jeep. Nay, it was the woman of the hour -- Oakland's 106-year-old Alma Grigsby, meekly bumping along on a cemetery lawn mower.</p>

Breaking news says everyone get inside and cover cracks in doors and windows with wet towels due to refinery incident?? Anyone have any info. Is this SF?