Will Jason

Boom at the port: Demand for the California almond means business

While the Port of Oakland’s activities may not be able to show whether the recession is over, or when it will end, it reveals a lot about the nature of the local and regional economies. Inside each shipping container lies a story about Northern California and its relationship with the rest of the world. Take the story of the almonds.

Yudof, students unite over lobbying

As president of the University of California, Mark Yudof has been the target of protests over budget cuts and rising student fees. But in Sacramento, Yudof is applying some pressure of his own. Together with university regents, chancellors, and students, he is asking legislators to direct more money toward higher education.

In Sacramento, Democrats support protesters

With more than a thousand students, faculty members and other education advocates rallying outside the state capitol, Democrats seized on the opportunity to voice their support for revenue-raising measures, including the proposed oil extraction tax.

Oakland: unequal parking policy over

Oakland says it has ended its policy of unequal parking enforcement, the Chronicle reported today. Yesterday, the Chronicle reported on a leaked memo instructing parking officers to issue courtesy notices, rather than tickets, in two upscale neighborhoods. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will appear in Oakland tonight for a White House Community Forum on Responsible Fatherhood and Economic Stability. The forum is from 6:30  to 7:45 p.m. at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 Ninth Street. Author and Nobel laureate Wole…

The loan modification mess

The federal government launched Making Home Affordable, a loan modification program, last year to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. But as one Glenview woman is finding out, getting lenders to participate isn’t easy.