A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in Bay Area and national news.

U.S. Missile May Have Killed 27 in Two Pakistani Villages

An alleged U.S. missile strike in Pakistan has killed at least 27 people, including an Al Qaeda operative, according to The Associated Press.

Food Safety Investigations Underway in China

Reports of contamination in certain food products from China have prompted action by Chinese officials to investigate the contamination, according to The New York Times.

Eggs from China that were found to contain high levels of melamine, a toxic industrial chemical, have been recalled. Warnings to consumers have also been issued, according to the Times.

However,

Hong Kong food safety officials said a child would have to eat about two dozen of the eggs in a single day to become ill.

Asian food safety officials say the levels are are not as significant as they were in the baby formula that was found to be contaminated a few months ago, the Times reports.

BART Stations Shut Down After Students Jumped Fares

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that a group of students and youths on their way to a rally in San Francisco this morning caused BART officials to close three BART stations, after the students attempted to jump fare.

Police had to shut down the Fruitvale and Coliseum stations in Oakland, as well as the Richmond station, when the mass of youth jumped fare on their way to participate in a rally against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in San Francisco. Some students also caused delays by holding train doors open to keep them from closing.

According to the Chronicle, no one was injured, but three were detained at the Richmond station. BART officials speculate the fare evasion was coordinated.

Oakland Mayor Seeks State Help in Bailey Killing Investigation

The Oakland Tribune reports that Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums issued a formal request Thursday asking the state to help investigate the 2007 killing of journalist Chauncey Bailey.

Dellums made the request after the Chauncey Baily Project reported this weekend that the Oakland detective investigating the case may have ignored evidence linking the killing to Yusuf Bey IV, the leader of Your Black Muslim Bakery in Oakland.

A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in Bay Area and national news.

Treasury Department Develops Mortgage Plan

In the works at the Treasury Department is a $40 billion program that is slated to aid delinquent homeowners, according to The New York Times. However some speculate that the plan may also appeal to non-delinquent homeowners, who may soon ask for a bailout for themselves.

The mortgage plan is being developed after it was passed as part of Congress’ overall bailout bill.

State May Cut Water Allocations

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the water allocation estimate by the state Department of Water Resources could be as high as 85 percent for 2009.

While the allocation would not affect the East Bay Municipal Utility District that provides water to the East Bay, five agencies throughout the state may potentially face the cut if the estimates are carried through.

At last week’s meeting, senators indicated that they planned to make a final decision on SB 70: A Bill in Support of Maintaining Student Safety and Student Experience at California Memorial Stadium, which was first proposed nearly a month ago.

Many speakers have addressed the senate both in support of and opposed to the stadium project in the past weeks, including mayoral candidate Shirley Dean, Save the Oaks supporter Doug Buckwald and representatives from the campus. The bill was called to question and passed.

The Bill in Support of the Halloween Meeting failed in committee, so the senators did not wear Halloween costumes to tonight’s meeting. However, Senator Eddie Nahabet did bring candy for the senators and guests. The Bill in Opposition to Midterms on Election Day also failed.

Given the length of recent meetings, senators have discussed ways to reduce meeting time. This week, they agreed to stop using laptops during the immediate consideration portion of the meeting, when new bills are debated, in hopes that it would help senators devote more attention to the proceedings. Last night’s meeting adjourned at about 1:45 a.m., clocking in at nearly seven hours, which is relatively short given the lengths of past meetings.

Some Bills in Committee

A Bill in Support of Replenishing the Contingency Fund, which would add $6,000 to the Senate’s Contingency Fund from the Carry Forward Fund, will be seen in Financial Committee on Monday.

Several bills in support of specific professors, including David Freedman and Robert Tjian.

In Limbo

SB 57A: A Bill in Opposition to Plans to Bring Panda Express to the UC Berkeley Campus has been in old business for several weeks.

Google settled a longstanding battle with the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers on Tuesday, with the parties agreeing that Google would pay $125 million in exchange for the rights to establish a Book Rights Registry, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The class-action lawsuit was first filed in 2005 by the Authors Guild, when publishers and authors from the guild argued that Google’s book-scanning search program violated copyright laws, the Chronicle reports.

If a judge approves Tuesday’s settlement, users of Google Book Search would be allowed to read not just partial but complete texts on their computer free of charge.  The University of California issued a joint statement with Stanford University and the University of Michigan expressing strong support for the agreement, saying it “will make it possible for libraries to preserve millions of books and assure numerous other public and academic benefits.”

If passed, this agreement would potentially increase access to books, and could possibly have a negative impact on independent and smaller bookstores.  With the last branch of Cody’s Books closing this year because of financial difficulties, it is debatable as to whether Google’s decision could have similar effects on other Berkeley bookstores.

A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in Bay Area and national news.

Pakistan Quake Kills More Than 170

An earthquake hit southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, reportedly killing more than 170 people and doing a great deal more of damage, The Washington Post reports.

The reported 6.5 size quake hit several parts of the country from the epicenter, approximately 400 miles southwest of Islamabad, according to the Post.

Approximately 400 people have been injured by the quake, which has displaced about 15,000 total, according to the Post.

Nationwide Prostitution Sweep 

Approximately 20 percent of the arrests made in a nationwide prostitution sweep were made in the Bay Area, according to the Oakland Tribune.

In an FBI raid of beginning last Wednesday through Monday, approximately 136 people, including prostitutes, pimps and 13 juveniles, were arrested in Bay Area cities.

While no arrests were made in Berkeley in relation to the nationwide sweep, the Berkeley Police Department made six arrests in a prostitution sting on Thursday.

McCain Supporters at College Campuses

The New York Times published a piece today highlighting students on college campuses who support Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, “outnumbered, outspent and generally outgunned by the legions of young, liberal college students who came out for Senator Barack Obama in record numbers during the primary season.”

“We’re trying to get 20-year-old kids,” said Chris McMonagle, a tall, dark-haired senior from Lansdale, Pa., “to vote for a 72-year-old man.”

About 15 students attended a rally in support of McCain at UC Berkeley on Monday.

Education Funding Could Be Cut

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger projected a possible $10 billion state deficit after a closed-door meeting with education leaders on Tuesday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Chronicle reports that education funding may be cut by $2 billion to $4 billion to close the deficit, and education officials said they believe the governor called the meeting to encourage collaboration regarding how to close the budget gap.

The governor is scheduled to call a special legislative session to discuss the budget after Tuesday’s election, the Chronicle reports.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom visited UC Santa Cruz Tuesday to rally student support against Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban that will appear on next week’s ballot, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Newsom recently visited UC Berkeley to lead a No on Prop 8 rally, attracting approximately 500 students to the steps in front of Sproul Hall.

A local program is offering free late-night cab rides on Halloween night to Berkeley residents who “otherwise might attempt to drive home after drinking.”

The program, called Berg Injury Lawyers Safe and Sober Free Cab Ride Home, was launched three years ago and is sponsored by Berg Injury Lawyers in Alameda, Veterans Cab in Alameda and Luxor Cab Company in San Francisco.

To request a free cab ride home in the cities of Alameda, Oakland, or Berkeley, call Veterans Cab at (800) 281-4488 and tell them Berg Injury Lawyers is paying for their safe ride home.

However,

Rides are provided to an individual’s residence—not to other drinking locations.

A daily roundup of the biggest headlines in Bay Area and national news.

Fellow Republicans Call Out Stevens

The New York Times reported today that presidential nominee Sen. John McCain and running mate Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska have called on fellow Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska to resign from his position.

Stevens was convicted on charges that he failed to report receiving monetary gifts from friends, but said he will contend for his seat in next week’s election.

Microsoft Users in China

Microsoft users in China are complaining about a technology by Microsoft that blackens their computer screens intermittently when they watch pirated material on their computers, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The “Windows Genuine Advantage” initiative introduced by the Redmond, Wash.-based giant in China goes beyond earlier versions elsewhere by turning desktops black every 60 minutes if the software fails a validation test. “You may be the victim of pirated software,” it then warns repeatedly.

Home Prices in August Fall At Slower Rate

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, home prices nationwide continued to fall in August, though not as dramatically as before.

In Berkeley, falling home prices have contributed to rising rents.

Rwandans to Instruct in English, Not French

Rwandan officials announced that English will now be the language of instruction in schools, citing French is no longer as useful in the world as English, according to The Washington Post.

The local languages in Rwanda are Kinyarwanda and French, while currently less than 5 percent of the population speaks English, according to the Post.

The Post reports that while the Rwandan relationship with France is deteriorating, the decision to change the language of instruction was not based on this.

Today’s top news headlines from The Daily Californian.

State Cuts $5 Million From Campus Budget

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget revisions have left the campus with $5 million short of what was previously allocated, forcing cuts to cost-of-living salary increases for faculty and non-unionized staff. In total, $33 million was cut from the university’s overall budget.

Chancellor Speaks Out on Divisive Proposition

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau issued a statement last week in opposition to Propositioni 8, the gay marriage ban that will appear on the state’s November ballot.

Association Reports Drop in Medical School Applicants

According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, the number of medical school applicants this year dropped for the first time since 2003.

Data released by the association on Tuesday shows that the total number of applicants to U.S. medical schools are at 42,231, or approximately .2 percent less applicants than in 2007.

Campus Dining Halls Cater Gourmet

The San Francisco Chronicle published a feature today about chefs of Cal Dining. The piece was titled, “So Long Mystery meat: Top Chefs Come to Cal Cafeteria.”

If the improved food at Cal Dining makes students more inclined to spend time at the table with others, discussing and debating ideas, it is succeeding as a teaching tool.