Natalie Orenstein joined the Berkeleyside staff in early 2017, and has contributed reporting to the site since 2012, when she started as an intern. She previously wrote about public policy and social science research for a number of national nonprofits and foundations. Her journalism has also appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, the J Weekly, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and elsewhere. Natalie is a proud Berkeley native and has only strayed from the Bay Area once, to attend Pomona College.
Berkeley Unified is famous for its lunch program, but kids are coming home from school with barely eaten sandwiches and tales of scarfing down food, sometimes in as little as five to 10 minutes.
After a months-long saga, the school board denied REALM's application to merge with an online charter system, then revoked the school's charter.
Wednesday is the Berkeley School Board's last chance to approve Compass — or close REALM.
As the city starts telling people to clear out their stuff, some homeless residents are avoiding enforcement by packing up their items daily.
People care a lot about what happens in South Berkeley — and they shared those views during the first full meeting on the brand new Adeline corridor plan draft.
The new proposal could result in hundreds of housing units on the Ashby BART parking lot, narrower tree-lined streets, and new intersections. Learn more at a community meeting tonight.
After a week-long federal trial, the jury said the city did not unfairly target First They Came for the Homeless because of its protests.
A four-day federal trial pits the city of Berkeley against a homeless group that argues its First Amendment rights were violated.
The statewide 'Day of Action' is promoting bills that would bring in more funding for public education and cap charter school growth.
And what will happen if the charter chain merges with Berkeley's REALM?
People who went to Berkeley Bowl on May 7 could be at risk of contracting the disease, officials said Friday.
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