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🌱 Patch AM: Why did Berkeley police flood West Berkeley with flares and flashlights?

Be sure to catch Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA! on the Berkeley Patch calendar

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Hey hey Berkeley! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Why did Berkeley police flood West Berkeley with flares and flashlights?
  • How do UC Berkeley scholars say we can choose more wisely?
  • How is a Bay Area queer API group preparing for 2026?

Also on today's calendar: Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA! and 8 more events.

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

Today's riddle: I’m trying to think of a new cloud joke. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

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

  • Sunday: Fog in the a.m.; mostly sunny, with a high of 54 and low of 42 degrees.
  • Monday: Plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 54, low: 40.
  • Tuesday: Mostly sunny and cool, with a high of 53 and low of 42 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Robbery suspect escapes amid Berkeley police search (berkeleyscanner.com) — Berkeley police searched West Berkeley neighborhoods Saturday evening after a robbery suspect abandoned his car at the Valero station at University and Seventh and ran off. Officers set up a perimeter near Hearst, used flares and flashlights, and later recovered a replica firearm from the vehicle before calling off the search when they couldn’t find the man.
   

• Berkeley Talks: How do we make better decisions? (revisiting) (berkeley.edu) — UC Berkeley professors from philosophy, political science, physics, and neuroscience share how their research can help people make smarter, more informed decisions in everyday life. Recorded on campus in 2024 as part of the College of Letters and Science’s Salon Series, the conversation revisits big questions about voting, threat perception, adolescent choices, and scientific thinking that matter to Berkeley residents navigating complex civic and personal decisions.
   

• APEX Express – 12.25.25 -A Conversation with Lavender Phoenix: The Next Chapter (kpfa.org) — A new APEX Express episode on KPFB in Berkeley spotlights Lavender Phoenix, a Bay Area group building power among queer and trans Asian and Pacific Islander youth. Leaders discuss community safety beyond policing, healing justice, intergenerational organizing, and how local immigrants, workers, and young people are confronting rising violence, anti-trans politics, and authoritarianism while planning the organization’s next chapter in 2026.
   

📸 Around Berkeley

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Berkeley

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📣 Berkeley Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

    Sunday December 28
  • Kensington Farmers’ Market
    Kensington Farmers' Market , 379-389 Colusa Ave , Kensington
    10:00 am
    • Tuesday December 30
  • Beyond D&D: roleplaying game night
    Oakland Public Library , 125 14th Street , Oakland
    5:30 pm
  • Kensington Library Book Club
    Kensington Library , 61 Arlington Avenue , Kensington
    6:15 pm
  • Family Storytime
    Kensington Library , 61 Arlington Avenue , Kensington
    6:30 pm

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

 

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • URGRNT!
    BACS is at capacity and Captain Morgan is at risk of euthanasia tomorrow COB (Sat 12/27). This silky soft sweet shepherd mix is a volunteer and… (Nextdoor Spruce Hill)
  • I love California winter 💚 The illustrations are my own and I included my favorite seasonal flora and fauna.
    I added their names in Ohlone chochenyo if I could find them! Happy holidays! (Nextdoor North Berkeley)
  • Insight Housing posted a job opening for Cook (On Call) in Berkeley. Apply here.
  • University of California Berkeley posted a job opening for Lecturer Pool - Master of Computational Social Science - ISSP - College of Letters & Science in Berkeley. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Berkeley here.

🗞 Nearby News

Emeryville

  • Dec. 2025 Food & Drink Updates: Mamacita Opens; Tokyo Central Restaurant Unveiled; Benihana Update; Choc'Late Mama Temporary Closure; Jungdon Katsu Opens (evilleeye.com)
  • Rice Hall James & Associates LLC Boosts Stake in Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. $GO (marketbeat.com)
  • Dynavax Technologies (NASDAQ:DVAX) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen (marketbeat.com)

Oakland

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 haven’t the foggiest.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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