.Monday’s Briefing: At Least Seven Dead in East Bay Freeway Crashes; Number of Starving UC Berkeley Students Soars

Plus, Alameda finalizes new cannabis rules.

Stories you shouldn’t miss for Nov. 27, 2017:

1. At least seven people died in East Bay freeway crashes over the holiday weekend, including four people who were killed by a drunken driver on I-80 in San Pablo. The driver in that deadly crash, Fred Lowe, was arrested on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run, and felony DUI, reports Rick Hurd of the East Bay Times$. In addition, a 10-year-old girl was killed in a crash on I-80 in Emeryville; a 68-year-old man died when he drove his minivan into the Oakland-Alameda estuary; and a big rig driver died on I-80 in Berkeley.

2. The number of low-income UC Berkeley students who rely on free food supplies from Cal’s Food Pantry and from the state’s food stamp program, known as CalFresh, is soaring, reports Nanette Asimov of the San Francisco Chronicle$. “More than 500 UC Berkeley students have applied for food stamps since January, up from 111 in all of 2016, and just 41 the year before.” And records show that UC Berkeley students made 1,549 unique visits in September alone to the Food Pantry.

3. The Alameda City Council last week finalized its new cannabis rules and will allow the first two medical pot dispensaries to open on the Island in 2018, reports Peter Hegarty of the East Bay Times$. In addition, the council approved permitting one medical marijuana nursery, four pot manufacturing businesses, and two weed testing labs. However, the city has banned the sale of cannabis for adult recreational use.

4. California Assemblymember Raul Bocanegra, D-Pacoima, announced this morning that he is resigning immediately following allegations from six women who accused him of unwanted sexual advances, reports Melanie Mason of the LA Times$.

5. And a media company backed by the conservative Koch brothers has purchased Time Inc., which publishes Time, Sports Illustrated, and People magazines.

$ = news stories that may require payment to read.

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