Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How a routine Berkeley traffic stop uncovered an illegal “ghost gun”

You won't want to miss Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA! on the Berkeley Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Friday December 26th Patch AM
Friday December 26th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Good morning Berkeley! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a routine Berkeley traffic stop uncovered an illegal “ghost gun”
  • How two new Berkeley projects are reshaping local affordable housing
  • How Berkeley quietly figures into the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack story

Also on today's calendar: Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA! and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the clock say when it ran out of batteries? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Cloudy, showers around; windy, with a high of 56 and low of 43 degrees.
  • Saturday: Times of clouds and sun, temps: high: 54, low: 39.
  • Sunday: Sunny to partly cloudy, with a high of 54 and low of 41 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Berkeley Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest of Suisun City Man for Possession of "Ghost Gun" (hoodline.com) — A recent traffic stop at Jefferson Avenue and Allston Way in Berkeley led police to arrest a Suisun City man after finding a loaded, unserialized “ghost gun” and ammunition in his towed vehicle. Berkeley officers also discovered he was driving on a suspended license, and prosecutors have since filed firearm and licensing charges, underscoring ongoing local concerns about untraceable weapons.
   

2. SFYIMBY Year in Review: June 2025 (sfyimby.com) — Berkeley readers get a big housing milestone this month, with a new 87-unit affordable apartment building now open at 2001 Ashby Avenue and construction underway on Berkeley Unified’s 1701 San Pablo Avenue workforce housing for educators. The regional roundup also notes other Bay Area housing projects, but Berkeley’s two developments directly expand local affordable options and teacher housing.
   

3. Who Knew? Epic Soundtrack to ‘Charlie Brown Christmas' Was Performed by SF Musician, Choir Was From San Rafael (sfist.com) — Berkeley gets a fun shout-out in the backstory of the beloved “Charlie Brown Christmas” soundtrack, since Fantasy Records later moved here after helping record Vince Guaraldi’s classic album. The piece dives into Guaraldi’s San Francisco roots, the San Rafael children’s choir, and how skeptical TV executives were won over by the now-iconic jazz score.
   

4. South Bay Lawmaker Slams Trump Admin's $1.6 Million Hepatitis B Study in West Africa (kqed.org) — A former UC Berkeley epidemiology professor is criticizing a Trump administration–backed hepatitis B vaccine study in Guinea-Bissau, saying it bypassed normal scientific review and may be a waste of money. Bay Area Rep. Zoe Lofgren and local infectious disease experts argue the trial could delay lifesaving vaccines for newborns and appears aimed at supporting an anti-vaccine policy shift at the CDC.
   

5. Comedians who took on the US culture in 2025 (washingtonexaminer.com) — One of the year’s many political comedy moments landed in Berkeley, where Rob Schneider spoke at UC Berkeley during a Turning Point USA tour and urged kindness over cancel culture. The wider piece surveys how big-name comedians weighed in on 2025’s most polarizing political stories, from Charlie Kirk’s assassination to debates over Biden’s fitness and Trump’s media battles.
   

📸 Around Berkeley

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Berkeley

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Berkeley Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Berkeley PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • UPDATE 12/25: The owner of the dog has contacted me and is taking responsibility for the attack, and we are working through things.
    Meanwhile, my dog is at home and while he is in a lot of pain and will have a long recovery, he is doing okay. Thank you so much for all the… (Nextdoor Thousand Oaks-Berkeley)
  • Anyone know what's going on with the air quality in Berkeley this Christmas morning?
    Everywhere else (SF, Oakland) is totally fine, the AQI map has it quite localized around the marina. (Nextdoor North Shattuck)
  • Sweetgreen posted a job opening for Berkeley - Kitchen Lead in Berkeley. Apply here.
  • University of California Berkeley posted a job opening for Executive Director (Academic Coordinator) - UC Berkeley Center for the Study of Child Care Employment in Berkeley. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Berkeley here.

Ok Berkeley! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I guess I’m out of time.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Berkeley