Lu Lu's House says it collected 500+ toys in Los Angeles and will distribute them in a holiday giveaway with city partners. The Oakland nonprofit runs shelters and job programs for people re-entering society.

Oakland fire crews and Santa rolled into Kaiser Oakland this week, posing by Engine 15 and Truck 4 and handing out holiday cheer to young patients. The visit was part of the department’s Random Acts outreach.

A state panel found California law lets prosecutors use gendered evidence to undercut women’s self‑defense claims and urged judges to screen that material before juries.

Aurora School will absorb students and staff from Mills College Children’s School after Northeastern plans to close the campus program in June 2026.

Antioch Police credited neighbors and local businesses after a holiday drive fed and gifted 106 families and more than 300 children.

At Sather Gate, Berkeley’s Chabad lit the first Hanukkah candle and honored victims of the Bondi Beach attack as students and administrators stood together.

EBMUD has raised rates to fund a decade-long capital plan and a major ultraviolet overhaul at Orinda, leading to modest monthly increases for many East Bay households.

Livermore police, students and local partners wrapped gifts and distributed Walmart and Safeway gift cards to dozens of local students in the annual Shop With A Cop event.

UCSF Benioff has added an Oakland‑based neonatal transport team to shorten emergency transfers for critically ill newborns across the Bay Area and Northern California.

UC Berkeley researchers find birthplace shapes long‑term risk of violent death for migrants across the U.S. The team points to a persistent "culture of honor" and urges trust‑building.

UC Berkeley suspended lecturer Peyrin Kao for a semester without pay for classroom remarks perceived as pro-Palestinian political advocacy, which Kao and supporters, including CAIR-SFBA and UC-AFT, dispute citing academic freedom.

Two Bay Area residents who matched five numbers in the Aug. 30 Powerball have claimed seven‑figure prizes; the tickets were sold in Milpitas and Pleasant Hill.

Alameda Health System says federal Medicaid changes could cost roughly $100M in 2027 and force the public hospital system to consider hundreds of layoffs across Highland and other East Bay sites.