Calendar
Speaker: Grover Furr
To Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87388824824?pwd=QTWNvr8cGeGo1ZDW7x9Y8W0sDaNxRc.1
To join on the phone:
Meeting ID: 873 8882 4824
Passcode: 042428
Call one of these numbers and enter the codes above:
+1 646 931 3860 US
+1 669 444 9171 US
Until the collapse of the Soviet Union, communists had always believed that the only way a socialist state could be destroyed was by hostile forces from the outside. Now we know that this was tragically wrong. The Soviet Union was destroyed by betrayal from within.
Uncovering the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union is the most important question confronting Marxists, socialists, and communists today. This is the subject of Prof. Furr’s talk.
Our speaker today is researcher, historian, and author, Prof. Grover Furr of Montclair State University in New Jersey. He teaches Medieval English Literature and has a Ph.D. from Princeton University. However, his subject of research has been the Soviet history of the Stalin period, on which he has written many articles and 17 books, starting with ‘Khrushchev Lied’ in 2011, and his last published book is titled ‘Trotsky’s Comintern Conspiracy – The Case of Osip Pyatnitsky’ published in 2024. His present research is on the Gorbachev period, which culminated in the fall of the USSR in 1991.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85449203697
Green Sunday: Why Stop ‘Super’ Artificial ‘intelligence’?
Nobel laureates, award winning researchers, and the most cited scientists in history are warning that the development of advanced artificial intelligence poses catastrophic risks to humanity including the risk of human extinction.
This talk shares what the experts are saying in their own words – and argues that we should treat AI development as an urgent existential risk and act to stop it. It also presents a short film based on one near term scenario by a whistleblower from a frontier AI company who left to warn the public about the danger we are in. We will also discuss resistance to advanced AI.
Guido Reichstadter has helped organize some of the world’s first acts of civil disobedience to stop advanced AI development. Over 25 years ago, while studying at the University of Florida, he became aware of the potential for the construction of artificial general intelligence (AGI), machine systems that share the same broad range of problem solving abilities as the human brain, and recognized their inherent danger. After taking his degree in math and physics, he began a 20 year career as a jeweler, married and raised two children. When the release of ChatGPT caused experts to shorten timelines for arrival of AGI, Guido became alarmed that the world would not avoid this danger. In 2024 he put his career on hold and moved to San Francisco, ground zero for US AI development, to mobilize public opposition.
Green Sundays are a series of free public programs & discussions on topics “du jour” sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County and held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party follows at 7:00 pm. Council meetings are open to anyone who is interested.
Chasing Chimeras: The Lure of Deceptive Climate Solutions is a new documentary by Barbara Bernstein exposing the fossil fuel industry’s push for false climate “solutions.” Renewable diesel, hydrogen, biogas, carbon capture, and offsets—all of these alleged post-carbon fixes promise to usher in a brave green world even while they endanger frontline communities and delay real climate action. All of them present immediate threats right here in the Bay.
From Portland, Oregon, to the Bay Area refinery corridor, Chasing Chimeras showcases the communities fighting back against these projects and the governments enabling them. Chasing Chimeras scrutinizes how state and federal programs promote and fund renewable diesel, biogas and hydrogen development, while disincentivizing the adoption of proven climate solutions.
The film features Bay Area activists Ann Alexander, Maureen Brennan, Ben Eichenberg, Bonnie Hamilton, Gary Hughes, Greg Karras, Kathy Kerridge, Theo LeQuesne, and Shoshana Wechsler. There are also cameos of Bay Area academics Barbara Haya and Mark Jacobson.
If you can’t make the screening, the film is also available online.
As COVID cases once again rise across the Bay Area, access to testing and protective resources has become more difficult for our communities—especially for Black, Brown, unhoused, and working-class residents. Many of the free testing sites that once served our neighborhoods have closed, and store-bought tests are unaffordable or unavailable for many.
In response, the Anti Police-Terror Project and The People’s House are stepping up to meet the need. We believe public health is a collective responsibility, and we remain committed to providing tools that help keep our communities safe and resourced.
We are now offering free COVID testing multiple days a week at The People’s House in Oakland (893 Willow St).
Testing Schedule
- Tuesdays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Mondays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Detox, which also includes free ear acupuncture, Narcan distribution, fentanyl test strips, and peer support for addiction and mental health
- 1st and 3rd Fridays from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Clinic, which includes massage therapy, acupuncture, healing circles, and other community-based wellness services
What to Expect
- Rapid antigen COVID tests are available on-site
- In most cases, individuals will be able to leave with a box of take-home tests (while supplies last)
- K/N95 masks are available to anyone who needs them
- No insurance, ID, or pre-registration is required
- All services are free of charge
This gathering is more than a film screening—it is a space for honest dialogue, reflection, and connection. You’ll hear directly from people whose lived experiences challenge assumptions and deepen our understanding of how cycles of harm take root and how they can be broken. Your voice and perspective matter in shaping the solutions that will define our communities for the next generation. Together, we can envision and work towards a future in which compassion and evidence guide our policy decisions, so that every child has the chance to thrive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Climate, Degrowth & the Economy
Register today!
DONATION$ (5+) plea$e
tax deductible, accepted, appreciated & not required!
Climate, Degrowth & the Economy Program schedule below:
9:00 AM
Land Acknowledgement
- Kim DeOcampo, Tuolumne Mewuk, Houma Choctaw, African American who is a Member of the Sacred Sites Protection & Rights of Indigenous Tribes (SSPRIT) and a Board member of Sogorea Te Land Trust.
9:10 AM
Welcome
- Cheryl Davila, Founder, CEMTF & Former Councilmember, City of Berkeley
Speakers
9:15 AM
Degrowth & The Post-Growth Deal: Ecosocialism for the win
- Armando Davila Kirkwood, Graduate Student, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
9:40 AM
Negotiating Post-Extractivist Futures During Latin America’s Pink Tide 2.0
- Vaclav Masek Sánchez, Ph.D Candidate, Institute of Environmental Science at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB)
10: 00 AM
Degrowth for who: policy perceptions amongst working class Americans
- Dallas O’Dell, Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Environmental Science at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB)
10:20 AM
Degrowth Policies, Practices, and Education in the EU
- Nancy E. Landrum, Ph.D., Professor, Sustainable Business Transformation & Alli Grabe, Graduate Student, Munich Business School
10:40 AM
U.S. Degrowth: The State of the Movement
- Anna Prouty, Media & Outreach Coordinator, Degrowth Institute
11:00 AM Break
11:05 A M
“A Post-growth deal for Italy” exploring the coalition-building potential of non-reformist reforms
- Federico Arcuri, Project Coordinator, Research and DeGrowth & Carlotta Paglia, Co-Author & Research Fellow, International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE)
11:25 AM
“How the Doughnut can bring CA’s economy in service of climate and people”
- Franziska Raedeker, Consultant& Lecturer, Indy Rishi Singh, Chief Pollinator, Julian Kraus-Polk, Policy Researcher & Partnerships, California Doughnut Economics Coalition,
11:50 AM
Announcements & Closing
- Cheryl Davila
Plea$e DONATE!
Website: https://cemtf.org
Speaker: Nadya Williams
To Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87388824824?pwd=QTWNvr8cGeGo1ZDW7x9Y8W0sDaNxRc.1
Meeting ID: 873 8882 4824
Passcode: 042428
Call one of these numbers and enter the codes above:
� +1 646 931 3860 US
� +1 669 444 9171 US
Huge parades in Ho Chi Minh City this spring marked the 50th anniversary of April 30, 1975, when a North Viet Namese army tank crashed through the iron gates of the U.S. Embassy in Sai Gon. The military took the lead in the parade, but it soon changed to beautiful peace floats, music, doves, flowers, and thousands of workers and children, along with colorful cultural costumes.
Our speaker, Nadya Williams, observed the celebrations and traveled throughout the country. She says, “Although Viet Nam is looking to the future, the past is always present . During the so-called “Indochina War,” Viet Nam, along with Laos and Cambodia, received more explosive power than World War I and II combined. It remains the largest aerial bombardment in human history.” She will share what she learned from encounters with many people of Viet Nam’s transformation since the war’s end and the still long road ahead.
Freelance journalist Nadya Williams has been an active Associate Member of Veterans For Peace since 2003. She is on the board of the Viet Nam Chapter 160 of VFP and Director of Communication for the San Francisco Chapter 69.
.png)
You’re Invited to Berkeley’s First Sun Day!
Join neighbors, local leaders, and community partners for a joyful, hands-on celebration of clean energy and climate action.
Sun Day is not your average climate event. It’s playful, practical, and powered by community. Whether you’re a renter curious about switching to electric, a homeowner looking to go solar, or a parent seeking fun family activities, Sun Day is for you.
What to Expect
- Try e-bikes, solar ovens, induction cooktops & more
- Learn from local experts how to electrify your home and life
- Hear inspiring stories from local climate doers
- Enjoy food trucks, kids activities, and a community picnic
- Start your afternoon with a Kidical Mass bike ride then utilize our free Bike East Bay bike valet!
Let’s make clean energy feel local, doable, and joyful. Bring your friends, your questions, and your stories.
RSVP today and be part of Berkeley’s clean energy celebration!
Engagement Zone Exhibitors:
• City of Berkeley Energy & Sustainability • Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet • Citizens’ Climate Lobby • Climate Health Now • Ava Community Energy • 1-888-Heat-Pumps • Moon Five • Gradient • QuitCarbon • Ecology Center • Sierra Club SF Bay Area Chapter • 350.org • Harvest • Bright Saver • Rebuilding Together East Bay Network • EVEN Recharge
eMobility Test Ride Partners:
• Rad Power Bikes • Access Trikes • Bay Wheels
Speaker Panel: “How We Electrified Our Homes, Schools, and Neighborhoods” featuring:
- Rahul Young, Head of Community Engagement at Rewiring America
- Rebecca Franke, Berkeley resident who fully electrified her home one step at a time
- Nick Kukulan, driving force for the solar installation on the new South Wing of First Congregational Church of Berkeley
- Erendira Blanco from the Induction Cooktop Teaching Project, making induction cooktops available to students and families in OUSD
Want to get engaged? Please email our volunteer coordinator at berkeley.ca.sun.day@gmail.com.
Proudly co-sponsored by:
A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring under authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse. Progressing along a rough timeline from birth to death, each story is shot in a static camera angle as a single petitioner negotiates with an authority figure hovering just outside of frame, who is practiced in the language of doublespeak.
Includes a post-film Q&A and discussion.
John Carpenter’s legendary sci-fi action film is now regarded and revered more like a prescient documentary. If you really want to know what’s going on behind the scenes of our authoritarian Government and all the complicit corporations, keep those glasses on, man. Also, chew bubble gum and kick ass.
John Carpenter’s legendary sci-fi action film is now regarded and revered more like a prescient documentary. If you really want to know what’s going on behind the scenes of our authoritarian Government and all the complicit corporations, keep those glasses on, man. Also, chew bubble gum and kick ass.
|
As the CDC considers further vaccine rollbacks today at a hearing in Atlanta, we all must remember how our health, our lives, and our struggles for collective liberation are interconnected.
When attacks on our public health happen, we all feel the consequences. Higher costs, lack of access to preventative care, long wait times, and staffing shortages are all inevitable should we allow these attacks to continue unabated. We must remain furious and do everything in our power to resist these assaults on our rights and dignity. Join us on Monday evening, September 22nd at 8pm ET/5pm PT for our next national medical debt call. We’ll discuss the current state of healthcare and how we can build a lasting movement together to fight these ongoing crises. Finally, we’ll close out with some grounding practices to envision a future free from debt. |
|
No one should have medical debt. Basic needs like housing and a healthy environment should not be paywalled. People should be the central priority of our society — not profit. |
As COVID cases once again rise across the Bay Area, access to testing and protective resources has become more difficult for our communities—especially for Black, Brown, unhoused, and working-class residents. Many of the free testing sites that once served our neighborhoods have closed, and store-bought tests are unaffordable or unavailable for many.
In response, the Anti Police-Terror Project and The People’s House are stepping up to meet the need. We believe public health is a collective responsibility, and we remain committed to providing tools that help keep our communities safe and resourced.
We are now offering free COVID testing multiple days a week at The People’s House in Oakland (893 Willow St).
Testing Schedule
- Tuesdays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Mondays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Detox, which also includes free ear acupuncture, Narcan distribution, fentanyl test strips, and peer support for addiction and mental health
- 1st and 3rd Fridays from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Clinic, which includes massage therapy, acupuncture, healing circles, and other community-based wellness services
What to Expect
- Rapid antigen COVID tests are available on-site
- In most cases, individuals will be able to leave with a box of take-home tests (while supplies last)
- K/N95 masks are available to anyone who needs them
- No insurance, ID, or pre-registration is required
- All services are free of charge
As we move farther and farther into whatever comes next, Diablo Rising Tide is offering a workshop on “Advanced Safety & Security for Street Actions.”
This four-hour program will cover
- Your rights in action scenarios (and how cops try to trick you out of them!), plus ways to provide legal and jail support for your affinity group.
- Digital security tactics to protect your devices and information.
- How to become a police liaison for your affinity group, and why a PL is so important!
- Deescalation skills for a variety of confrontational groups, including police, bystanders, vigilantes, federal agencies (like ICE), and more.
- Strategies for dealing with chemical and other “non-lethal” weapons deployed by law enforcement.
The trainers emphasize that this is “an advanced (201-level) training, and participants should have some NVDA experience.”
1. Call to Order, determination of quorum
2. Open Forum/Public Comment on Non-Agenda matters
3. Action Items:
a. Annual Reports 1. CrimeTracer Forensic Logic 2024 (OPD)
b. Use Policies 1. OPD Community Safety Camera Systems (OPD)
To observe and participate in the meeting via Zoom, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85817209915 Or One tap mobile: 1 669 444 9171 To participate in the meeting virtually, you must log on via Zoom. If you have a question, please raise your hand in Zoom during open forum and public comment. For those attending in person, you can complete a speaker card and submit to staff.
Members of the public can view the meeting live on KTOP or on the City’s website at https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/ktop-tv-10. Comment in advance. To send your comment directly to the Privacy Commission and staff BEFORE the meeting starts, please send your comment, along with your full name and agenda item number you are commenting on, to Felicia Verdin at fverdin@oaklandca.gov. Please note that eComment submissions close one (1) hour before posted meeting time. All submitted public comment will be provided to the Privacy Commission prior to the meeting. 1 of 89
As COVID cases once again rise across the Bay Area, access to testing and protective resources has become more difficult for our communities—especially for Black, Brown, unhoused, and working-class residents. Many of the free testing sites that once served our neighborhoods have closed, and store-bought tests are unaffordable or unavailable for many.
In response, the Anti Police-Terror Project and The People’s House are stepping up to meet the need. We believe public health is a collective responsibility, and we remain committed to providing tools that help keep our communities safe and resourced.
We are now offering free COVID testing multiple days a week at The People’s House in Oakland (893 Willow St).
Testing Schedule
- Tuesdays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Mondays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Detox, which also includes free ear acupuncture, Narcan distribution, fentanyl test strips, and peer support for addiction and mental health
- 1st and 3rd Fridays from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Clinic, which includes massage therapy, acupuncture, healing circles, and other community-based wellness services
What to Expect
- Rapid antigen COVID tests are available on-site
- In most cases, individuals will be able to leave with a box of take-home tests (while supplies last)
- K/N95 masks are available to anyone who needs them
- No insurance, ID, or pre-registration is required
- All services are free of charge
After it’s planned release through a major theater chain was canceled at the last minute, online satire website The Onion’s mockumentary about Jeffrey Epstein and his relationship to figures in the White House and elsewhere is making its way to independent theaters, along with their parody of dating reality shows in a double feature that, apparently some people don’t want you to see.
Thu: 4:00 
Thu: 7:55
Email strike.debt.bay.area@gmail.com a few days beforehand for the online invite. All are welcome!
For our October, 2025 meeting we will be reading and discussing the first three chapters of The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart (The CBC Massey Lectures) by Astra Taylor (Amazon) (Verso Books). For our November meeting we will finish the book.
Finalist, 2024 Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction
Finalist, 2024 Writers’ Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing
These days, everyone feels insecure. We are financially stressed and emotionally overwhelmed. The status quo isn’t working for anyone, even those who appear to have it all. What is going on?
In this urgent cultural diagnosis, author and activist Astra Taylor exposes how seemingly disparate crises―rising inequality and declining mental health, the ecological emergency, and the threat of authoritarianism―originate from a social order built on insecurity. From home ownership and education to the wellness industry and policing, many of the institutions and systems that promise to make us more secure actually undermine us.
Mixing social critique, memoir, history, political analysis, and philosophy, this genre-bending book rethinks both insecurity and security from the ground up. By facing our existential insecurity and embracing our vulnerability, Taylor argues, we can begin to develop more caring, inclusive, and sustainable forms of security to help us better weather the challenges ahead. The Age of Insecurity will transform how you understand yourself and society―while illuminating a path toward meaningful change.
Strike Debt Bay Area hosts this non-technical book group discussion monthly on new and radical economic thinking. Our first book was Doughnut Economics, and our most recent book was Elinor Ostrom’s Rules for Radicals”. For the rest of our reading list see here.