California Dreamin'

Silicon Valley Deletes Middle-Income Jobs

New York Times  |  Feb 19, 08 4:23 PM CST

(Newser) - Silicon Valley is bleeding middle-income jobs, the New York Times reports. Clerks, secretaries, service reps and others earning $30,000 to $80,000 a year fell from 52% to 46% of workers from 2002 to 2006, according to a new report. The trend threatens the region's upward-mobility track, one author of the 2008 Index of Silicon Valley report said: “If you lose the middle, it’s harder to support the top." More »

Man Busted for 27,000 911 Calls

San Francisco Chronicle  |  Feb 16, 08 7:06 AM CST

(Newser) - Police in a San Francisco suburb finally got their man—but only after he made 27,000 prank 911 calls, often treating the operators to grunts and his impressions of bodily noises. John Triplette "completely overwhelmed our system," police tell the San Francisco Chronicle. Why did this criminal mastermind do it? "Because it's free," Triplette told police. More »

Berkeley Retreats on Marines

CNN  |  Feb 13, 08 8:49 AM CST

(Newser) - Early this morning, the city council of Berkeley, Calif., rescinded a controversial declaration that Marine recruiters are not welcome in the city, CNN reports. The council, however, stands by its opposition to the Iraq war. The decision came after three hours of raucous citizen input and a day of clashes between pro- and anti-military protesters, with many obscenities exchanged and four arrests reported. More »

SF Voters Nix Plan to Tear Down Alcatraz

New York Times  |  Feb 7, 08 5:16 PM CST

(Newser) - Alcatraz Island shouldn't be transformed into a global peace center, San Franciscan voters decided in rejecting a measure on Tuesday's ballot. Only 28% backed the non-binding proposal to convert the one-time penitentiary and tourist hotspot into a peace dome, the New York Times reports. But DaVid, the measure's main sponsor, says he's about to throw in the towel. More »

Hollywood, Tech, Latino Titans Won Calif. for Clinton

Washington Post  |  Feb 7, 08 1:59 PM CST

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton won the California primary on the strength of deep relationships with the state’s entertainment, Silicon Valley, and Hispanic communities, reports the Washington Post. Four figures that fought to tip the scales her way: Filmmaker Rob Reiner worked full-time for Hillary, holding a $500,000 fundraiser for her and making a video for her that was viewed a million times. More »

LA Museum's Extension Has Split Personality

Los Angeles Times  |  Feb 7, 08 1:00 PM CST

(Newser) - Critics are assessing Los Angeles's newest art institution, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, housed in a building by Renzo Piano on the campus of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It's a strange mix of public and private: The new building—to open Feb. 16—was funded by billionaire benefactor Eli Broad and integrated with LACMA before Broad announced that his collection won't be permanently housed there, after all. More »

Paper Ballots, High Turnout May Delay Calif. Returns </