Even in the wind and rain, more than 350 volunteers turned out in force to clear vegetation and create more defensible space across 20 sites in the Berkeley Hills.

I’m thrilled! Truly a once-in-a-lifetime chance for residents in Berkeley, Albany, and the East Bay to establish a beautiful new park along the waterfront, thanks to the Trust for Public Land and the East Bay Regional Park District. What are your ideas for this new park and amazing open space?

Opening Day ceremony and parade for the Berkeley Albany Baseball League, where Dashiell is on the Red Sox. Great to see @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social Chancellor Rich Lyons throw a strike for the ceremonial first pitch! Play ball!

Step by step, we’re making progress on Zone Zero at our house. Here’s a Substack post with our latest update after our 1:1 home consultation with BFD. If you live in the Very High Fire Hazard Zone like we do, what steps have you taken so far? Love to hear your comments, questions, and feedback.

Appreciated the opportunity to support Senators @joshbecker.bsky.social & @benallenca.bsky.social and Assemblymembers Damon Connolly, Chris Rogers, and Steve Bennett in Sacramento as they introduced their wildfire prevention bill package.

Really enjoyed participating in this week’s Urban Land Institute panel on wildfire risk & insurability, where I talked about Berkeley’s EMBER program. Thanks to Holly Neber, Edward McFarlan, Wahib Ghazni, and former CA Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones for the great discussion.

Frozen yogurt at Menchie’s on the northside of campus is always a hit in our household!

It’s not enough to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk too — especially when it comes to wildfire safety in Berkeley. I’m documenting our family’s step-by-step path to EMBER compliance to share our progress. Hope you’ll follow along and share your tips too! open.substack.com/pub/brentbla...

Helping Berkeley homeowners keep their insurance at better rates is a top priority. Thanks to CA Deputy Insurance Commissioner Michael Soller & wildfire insurance broker Andrew Engler for meeting with BFD Asst Chief Dave Winnacker & me to talk about how our EMBER ordinance can make us more insurable

This week, I authored a resolution alongside @mayoradenaishii.bsky.social, CM @cecilialunaparra.bsky.social and CM Terry Taplin condemning Operation Metro Surge, calling for the abolishment of ICE, and showing solidarity with peaceful protesters in Minneapolis. www.berkeleyside.org/2026/01/28/b...

My son Dashiell and I enjoyed joining @mayoradenaishii.bsky.social, Superintendent Ford Morthel, and CM @igortregub.bsky.social staff to visit with the Berkeley High Robotics Team — Berkelium 5419. Thanks for the behind-the-scenes tour, and good luck in your next competition kicking off this week!

Happy New Year from Tokyo!

As seen in Nga Trang, Vietnam yesterday. Next door neighbors. Very on brand.

Honored to join Chabad Berkeley, Itamar Landau, Councilmember @igortregub.bsky.social, and so many others at the 4th Street menorah lighting last night.

Thanks @mayoradenaishii.bsky.social for this D6-appropriate Christmas gift. Happy Holidays!

Thanks to all the veterans who served to defend our country and keep us safe — especially my dad, Earl, who commanded a Titan II missile in the US Air Force. Happy Veterans Day!

Thanks @mayoradenaishii.bsky.social for co-hosting office hours with me in North Berkeley! Enjoyed chatting with you and our constituents about their ideas and concerns.

Thanks to the Berkeley Student Cooperative for hosting @cecilialunaparra.bsky.social and me last night for a “Meet Your Councilmembers” event at Cloyne Court.

Congrats to the Berkeley FireSafe Council for hosting another successful neighborhood potluck yesterday!

Thanks to Dan for hosting your Scenic Ave neighbors and me last night, for a lively discussion about housing, fire safety, downtown revitalization, and other issues facing Berkeley. Look forward to continuing the conversation over the weeks and months ahead!

My team and I enjoyed our walk with Councilmember Shoshana O’Keefe and Bob & Emma from the Berkeley Path Wanderers to discuss plans to upgrade Keeler Path near Remillard Park. Thanks for the tour! (And thanks to Shoshana’s mom for the cookies!)

Thanks to all of the constituents that joined my team and me for our September office hours, held at the Berkeley Rose Garden! It was great to catch up with so many neighbors to hear what’s on their mind and learn more about how we can help. Look forward to the next one!

Enjoyed joining Councilmember Shoshana O’Keefe at Berkeley’s first Sun Day today. Congrats to @kerabinns.bsky.social and the planning team on a wonderful event celebrating clean energy and climate action!

Had a wonderful time at yesterday’s Solano Stroll! Thanks to all the friends, neighbors, and colleagues who marched with us in the parade and stopped by our booth. Always great to celebrate our beautiful community while getting feedback on how to make Berkeley even better!

The shooting of Charlie Kirk is a senseless tragedy. I condemn it wholeheartedly. There should be no place in America for political violence — full stop. *Now* can we talk about guns?

With our indomitable Congresswoman @lateefahsimon.bsky.social this morning. Thanks you for your bold progressive leadership — and for fighting for East Bay families every day in Washington, DC!

Thanks to @bloomberg.com for covering the work we’re doing here in Berkeley to protect our community from the wildfire threat. But lots of work still to do! #ZoneZero #EMBER #FiresafeBerkeley

Successful weekend of vegetation cleanup and wildfire preparedness with my Zone Zero assistant. (Look at that big pile of branches ready for Berkeley’s free chipper program!) But lots more work still to do… #ZoneZero #EMBER #wildfiresafety #FireSafeBerkekey

Proud to join my council colleagues in approving bold new Middle Housing zoning standards, which will add gentle housing density in neighborhoods outside fire hazard zones. Together we can make Berkeley better, safer, more affordable, and more welcoming for more families who want to live here!

Great news: The Berkeley City Council unanimously approved the Fire Department’s EMBER proposal, along with my amendments to improve it after months of community input. Together, we’re making Berkeley more wildfire resilient and safe — but much more to do! www.berkeleyscanner.com/2025/06/17/c...

Proud that @berkeleyca.gov and our Fire Department are leading the way on wildfire preparation and resiliency!

My neighbor on tonight’s flight home to SFO. There oughta be a law…

Thanks @buffywicks.bsky.social for coming out to support Berkeley’s proposed EMBER program to improve our wildfire resilience. @adenaishii.bsky.social, Berkeley Fire Chief Sprague and Asst Chief Arnold, and our teams look forward to working with you to make Berkeley and the East Bay fire safe!

Calling all artists and nonprofits!

This is heartbreaking. We must do better, period. Our hearts go out to our neighbor and her friends & family. But that’s not nearly enough. Everyone in Berkeley deserves safe streets and sidewalks. It’s on us as public officials to deliver.

As Trump’s ICE ramps up deportations, we must stand strong. I was proud to author Berkeley’s latest Sanctuary resolution, passed by the City Council last Tuesday. Thanks to @adenaishii.bsky.social @cecilialunaparra.bsky.social @taplinterry.bsky.social & colleagues at BUSD and EB Sanctuary Covenant!

Speaking truth to power. Grateful to Bishop Budde for delivering this message eloquently and powerfully. (And extra proud to be an Episcopalian today!)

Wonderful to be in community with friends and neighbors from across Berkeley at this morning’s MLK Day breakfast, a welcome contrast with inaugural events in DC. Together, we recommit to the hard work ahead to move all of Berkeley forward — and defend our progressive values.

Congrats @lateefahsimon.bsky.social on your swearing in! Honored to be there today as you take the baton from @barbaraleeformayor.bsky.social and keep up the fight for all of us in Congress!

Thank you for your leadership, Chief Sprague. The fires in LA should be a wake-up call for all of us. I look forward to continuing to work with you to make Berkeley fire safe. As the councilmember representing the north Berkeley hills, nothing is more important.

Proud and grateful that the Berkeley Fire Department has sent 4 firefighters and 1 fire engine to LA as part of a strike team assisting in fighting the Palisades fire. Thank you for your service — and be safe. 🙏 www.cbsnews.com/amp/losangel...

Calling all Berkeley artists and arts nonprofits: Apply for a grant today!

Good morning, Berkeley!

Great to be with @itamarlandau.bsky.social, Mayor @adenaishii.bsky.social, and Councilmember @igortregub.bsky.social at tonight’s Berkeley Community Hannukah Candle Lighting. So important to stand together and boldly show our light. Thanks to the Jewish Coalition of Berkeley for the invite!

Rest in peace, President Carter. A wonderful humanitarian and public servant whose example we would all be lucky to follow.

Very encouraging data, though lots of work still to do. I look forward to seeing the full BPD annual report in March.

Still a long ways to go to solve the home insurance crisis — especially for families here in Berkeley and across the state that have had their policies dropped — but this is good news. www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/11/f...

Thanks for your leadership on this important issue. (And great bumping into you!)

First Berkeley City Council meeting with Mayor @adenaishii.bsky.social is in the books! (Thanks for bringing Sour Patch Kids, CM O’Keefe!)

It’s official! Ready to get to work!