Latest news with #Berkeley-based
Los Angeles Times
08-08-2025
- Science
- Los Angeles Times
The start of California's fire season has moved up 6 weeks since 1990 thanks to climate change
You are not imagining it. Fire season in California is indeed starting earlier and lasting longer in virtually every region of California than it did two decades ago, researchers have found, thanks largely to human-caused climate change. In the Sierra Nevada, fire season starts about 24 days earlier than it did in the early 1990s. In the Northern Basin and Range region, which runs along the northernmost border with Nevada, it's 31 days earlier. And in the Cascade Range, which runs into Oregon, fire season now begins 46 days earlier than it once did, according to a study published this week in the journal Science Advances. 'Anecdotally, those of us living here have this sense that it's been happening sooner,' said Amanda Fencl, a Berkeley-based water specialist who directs climate science for the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists and was not directly involved with the research. 'This is really an important study to quantify just how soon and where it is shifting, and to what extent.' Although the number of people living in California has grown by roughly 27% since the early 1990s, human-ignited fires have dropped significantly during that time, enabling the researchers to rule out human-caused blazes as the source of the additional burn days. Rather, the most significant factors shoving fire season forward are climate-related, they found: an earlier snowmelt and increased drying of soils and flammable vegetation as average temperatures rise. 'The main driver is the climate and meteorological conditions,' said Gavin D. Madakumbura, a UCLA postdoctoral researcher and the study's lead author. The effect is particularly pronounced in Northern California, where, in some regions, fire has become a near-constant threat. 'It's often said we no longer [have] a wildfire season, but that wildfire season is all year, and that's tied to warming temperatures,' said James Thorne, a UC Davis landscape ecologist who was not involved with the research. Definitively linking longer fire seasons to anthropogenic climate change, as this paper does, is 'a study I've been hoping someone would do for a long time,' he said. California is already on pace to see more fires and significantly more burned acreage than it did last year. More than 220,000 acres have burned in the state as of mid-July, almost 100,000 acres more than California has seen on average at this point in the year over the last five years, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. That total does not include the 96,000 acres burned in the Gifford fire, which was 15% contained as of Thursday, nor three different fires that started Monday in Southern California that together have burned more than 2,800 acres and are not yet contained. It's also the worst year on record for fire-related economic damages. In 2018, the year the Camp fire destroyed the town of Paradise and killed more people than any wildfire in California history, wildfire damages statewide were an estimated $148.5 billion. The Palisades and Eaton fires in January may have caused up to $164 billion in damages, a UCLA study found. Times staff writer Grace Toohey contributed to this report.
San Francisco Chronicle
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Grateful Dead fan dies during 60th anniversary show in San Francisco
A Michigan man died Sunday during Dead & Company's final concert in Golden Gate Park, and his family has launched a fundraiser to help cover funeral and travel costs. Fred Cothard, 54, collapsed while dancing during the band's set on the third night of their 60th anniversary run, according to his family. His partner, Jody Leddy, said in a Facebook post Wednesday that they were listening to the band perform 'They Love Each Other' when he fell. 'I was holding him, talking to him about his kids, and kissing him until hours after the doctor pronounced him,' Leddy wrote. 'This is the last photo of us, about two hours before he collapsed.' No cause of death was provided. Another Planet Entertainment, the event's promoter, referred questions to the San Francisco Police Department. 'Our thoughts are with the individual's family and loved ones,' a spokesperson for the Berkeley-based company said in a statement. Another Planet also produces the Outside Lands festival. Cothard, a longtime fan of the Grateful Dead, had traveled to San Francisco with Leddy for the shows, which drew 60,000 fans nightly. The concerts marked the band's 60th anniversary and what would have been Jerry Garcia's 83rd birthday. The event featured different setlists each night and guest appearances by Billy Strings, Sturgill Simpson and Trey Anastasio. Cothard's children, 23-year-old twins Sadie and Sawyer, started a GoFundMe campaign to help bring their father's remains back to Constantine, Michigan, and cover funeral costs. 'Our dad was an incredible father and friend to all,' Sadie Cothard wrote on the fundraising page. 'Even though this was sudden and we were not there with him, we take comfort in knowing that he was surrounded by thousands of his Dead family, and the music that he loved so much.'
San Francisco Chronicle
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Napa Valley is getting another luxury music festival. Here's who's playing
Palm Tree Music Festival, an international live music event founded by electronic music producer Kygo and manager Myles Shear, is coming to Wine Country. The one-day festival will be headlined by Norwegian DJ Kygo and New York duo the Chainsmokers on Oct. 11 at the Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa, organizers announced Tuesday, July 15. Additional acts include Odd Mob, Vandelux, Mia Moretti and Goshfather. The event is in partnership with Blue Note Napa, which will be presenting its Black Radio Experience over Labor Day weekend at the same venue, and Berkeley-based Another Planet Entertainment, producers San Francisco's annual Outside Lands music festival in Golden Gate Park from Aug. 8-10. Set against the backdrop of Napa's vineyards, the festival aims to combine live electronic music with upscale hospitality. It marks the fourth new location announced by Palm Tree Crew in recent months, joining stops in Saint Tropez, Sardinia and Montecito. The brand has previously hosted events in the Hamptons, Aspen and Lake Tahoe. Palm Tree Crew, which operates across live events, hospitality and consumer ventures, said the Napa festival will feature tiered ticket options. General admission includes access to performances, food vendors and merchandise, while VIP tickets offer front-stage views, shaded lounges, gourmet food and hosted bars. The top-tier 'Palm Club' provides private tables, bottle service and dedicated staff. Pre-sale access ticket sales begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 17, for subscribers to Palm Tree Crew, Another Planet Entertainment and Blue Note Napa mailing lists. General ticket sales open 10 a.m. Friday, July 18. Prices have not yet been announced.
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Exclusive: Castro Theatre open for bookings as $41 million renovation nears completion
As the long running and controversial multi-million dollar renovation of the historic Castro Theatre is nearing an end, the 123-year-old venue is now working to fill its calendar for 2026. Another Planet Entertainment spokesperson David Perry exclusively told the Chronicle that the Berkeley-based theater management company, which took over operations in 2022, is accepting bookings for events in March and beyond. 'While we're not announcing specific programming at this time, we are beginning to engage with longtime Castro Theatre clients, such as the Frameline LGBT International Film Festival, Oasis Arts and others, in addition to new groups for dates from March 2026 onward,' Perry said in a statement Monday, July 7. Among the improvements already completed during the $41 million makeover is the restoration of the theater's decorative ceiling and chandelier. The raked floor of the auditorium has also been flattened for the installation of motorized removable seats and the house organ. The changes were approved by the city after a contentious fight between Another Planet and a community-led opposition that argued that the existing orchestra seating configuration was essential to maintaining the theater's identity as a single-screen movie palace and a sacred gathering space for the city's LGBTQ community. A second-floor space will be transformed into a bar and lounge area. Movable bars will be added on the ground level. The project should be complete by the end of the year. Among those enthusiastic about the reopening of the Castro is Frameline Executive Director Allegra Madsen, whose dream of having the festival's 50th edition at its longtime home base may soon be realized. She told the Chronicle when Another Planet reached out to tell her the bookings would be accepted in time for the June festival that 'it was wonderful news.' 'I'm really excited for all the possibilities,' added Madsen, who recently presided over the 49th festival that ended June 28. 'We had a little tour inside and it's looking beautiful. It's really gonna be a magnificent palace when it's all done. … They've been good partners to us and we're excited to be back there.' The Castro Theatre opened on June 22, 1922, as a 1,407-seat Spanish Baroque style movie palace designed by famed architect Timothy L. Pflueger and built by the Nasser family. When the theater screened Blake Edwards' 1982 musical comedy, 'Victor/Victoria!' on Feb. 4 2024, its last event before construction began, it had remained virtually unchanged. The Nasser family still owns the theater under Bay Properties, Inc., but leased operations control to Another Planet Entertainment because it believes a reconfiguration and a diverse mix of events — such as concerts, the Outside Lands music festival producer's specialty — are essential to keep the building financially viable. After the city cleared Another Planet to make the changes in 2023 after several contentious public hearings at City Hall, the company began what was then billed as a one-year, $15 million renovation. Another Planet CEO Gregg Perloff told the Chronicle in May that the multiple meetings and hours of public input delayed progress, and that commitments made to the community increased costs. Another expensive setback involved electrical upgrades, which caused further delay and required PG&E to begin extensive trench work on Sunday, July 6 — a process that is expected to continue through mid-August, Perry confirmed. Meanwhile, a coffee shop and a nail salon owned by brothers Riyad and Ken Khoury, that are separate storefronts on either side of the theater but are also owned by the Nassers, have been served eviction notices. Another Planet officials say they need the spaces to expand the Castro Theatre's box office, plans that were included in the original lease. Perloff told the Chronicle it was a 'landlord-tenant issue,' while the Khourys say both the Nasser family and Another Planet have made promises they have not kept.
Business Wire
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Prime Roots Launches First Plant-Based Whole Cut Deli Meats That Meat Eaters Chose Over Traditional Meat in Blind Taste Tests
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After seven years of research and development, Prime Roots, the Berkeley-based pioneer in clean-label plant-based meats, has announced a major leap forward in the deli category. Using proprietary mycelium-based whole food protein, Prime Roots is now offering a new line of upgraded plant-based deli meats that are sliced fresh at the deli counter and—according to third-party blind taste tests—are preferred by a majority of meat eaters who would switch to Prime Roots over conventional deli meats. The technological breakthrough positions Prime Roots as a leader in the growing category of better-for-you deli options. Prime Roots' updated recipes are among the only deli meats on the market that are nitrate-free, cholesterol-free, and packed with complete protein—making them a heart-healthy, clean-label alternative. Recent studies also show that fungi-based proteins used by Prime Roots can build muscle more effectively than animal-based proteins such as milk, offering both functional and nutritional advantages. 'As a new-school deli brand, we've always been committed to giving people the flavor and health benefits they expect from their favorite deli classics,' said Kimberlie Le, Co-Founder of Prime Roots. 'We're thrilled to unveil our upgraded recipes and new packaging that has been refined over years of feedback and that will drive real results. With some of our retail partners reporting that Prime Roots is driving 20% growth in deli sales – we're not just taking share—we're growing the category.' With consumers increasingly concerned about preservatives and additives—especially nitrates, which remain classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization—Prime Roots offers a differentiated, clean-label option in a category long overdue for innovation. Over 77% of consumers are looking to eat healthier and Prime Roots is a part of that movement at the deli meat counter. Prime Roots' products are unique in the deli delivering the flavor of meat but having absolutely no nitrates, not even deceptively hidden nitrates from sources such as celery salt. Prime Roots' upgraded product lineup includes: Smoked Turkey Cracked Pepper Turkey Smoked Ham Black Forest Ham Salami Cupping Pizza Pepperoni Bacon Each product is made from a complete whole food protein and designed to be sliced fresh using commercial deli slicers, making them suitable for use in both delis and restaurants. They can be served hot or cold and are gluten-free, soy-free, GMO-free, nitrate-free, and free from artificial ingredients. Beyond taste and health, Prime Roots delivers a meaningful environmental impact with 91% fewer carbon emissions, 92% less water usage, and 89% lower water eutrophication compared to traditional meat production. Prime Roots is now available at hundreds of locations including delis, grocery stores, and restaurants across 30+ states. To find Prime Roots near you, visit About Prime Roots Founded in 2017 in Berkeley, California, Prime Roots was created by meat eaters—for all eaters—on a mission to deliver killer taste that won't kill you. Prime Roots doesn't aim to imitate meat—it's here to make it better by removing the bad stuff like nitrates, preservatives, and cholesterol, while keeping the full flavor, texture, and protein people crave. Prime Roots offers the first-of-its-kind line of plant-based deli meats and charcuterie designed to be freshly sliced at deli counters and foodservice operations.
