Avery and I are hosting a poetry reading in our backyard tomorrow. DM me up if you want the address. There will be snacks!

My most up-to-date guide to how much your landlord can raise your rent in Oakland can be found here. For many Oakland tenants, the maximum allowable rent increase right now is less than 1%... bayareacurrent.com/tenant-in-oa...

Latest info from Kaiser about COVID vaccines in the Bay Area, released via a spokesperson. TL;DR... Kaiser is saying they'll make the vaccine available to all members six months or older at no cost, and they'll start getting it Monday...

A massive number of Prince George’s residents and advocates have shown up *in the rain* to protest a proposed data center in the majority Black county

Are you trying to get the current COVID vaccine in the Bay Area? Or have you already gotten it? Would you tell me how your experience went for a story I'm writing? Not required: but bonus points if you live in Richmond as this is a story for Richmondside. [email protected]

Some positive school news! Vallejo's school district has greatly expanded its visual and performing art classes thanks to funds from a state proposition. New from me for @vallejosun.bsky.social... www.vallejosun.com/state-funds-...

This is the weirdest mailer I’ve gotten all year, which is saying a lot. Just propaganda from oil company lobbyists that doesn’t actually urge action on any way. “Paid for by Californians for Affordable and Reliable Energy, CARE”

Graffiti of "Trump 2028" and swastikas was spotted today after a recent Vallejo homeless encampment sweep on Valle Vista Avenue. Photos via @vallejojustice.bsky.social

“ICE agents arrest multiple people after SoMa house raid” sfstandard.com/2025/08/28/i...

The group attempting to recall Contra Costa DA Diana Becton is starting its signature gathering effort again as its first attempt fell short. Here’s my report for Richmondside! richmondside.org/2025/08/29/d...

A shuttered OUSD school campus located next to the West Oakland library is on fire right now. I just drove by. Fire department is there. Not the first time this campus has burned in recent years.

Unmasked raids are also tools of fear. It’s bad that they’re masked but the fact that they’re masked is not the main problem here.

My neighbor works for the city of San Francisco. He used to have to go to the office 3 days a week but, largely to support downtown businesses, Dan Lurie changed the the requirement to 4 days. Out of spite, my neighbor's started bringing his lunch to work instead of going to a restaurant lol

My neighbor works for the city of San Francisco. He used to have to go to the office 3 days a week but, largely to support downtown businesses, Dan Lurie changed the the requirement to 4 days. Out of spite, my neighbor's started bringing his lunch to work instead of going to a restaurant lol

SF and East Bay air quality map. Felt it the second I woke up. They call 50-100 “moderate” but even air like this doesn’t feel good for me. Hope we it gets better and definitely hope this doesn’t become normal…

“I teach in deep East Oakland. My kids are experts in how power works.” Excellent article by Oakland history teacher Jesse MacKinnon… oaklandside.org/2025/08/18/t...

Editors and writers: if your book uses a lot of acronyms please include an acronym index so it isn’t confusing af!

To people who are like “California should just succeed!!,” have you considered that if California tried to do that the US government would probably bomb us?

If you have some cash and are angry about what's going on w/Trump-led BS in DC, Remora House does incredible work. I'm happy to vouch for them—they've been doing it for years, they work *with* people, I've met ppl involved, they're solid. ❤️ Donation links: linktr.ee/remorahousedc

Been taking it real easy and staying home because I tested positive for COVID on Tuesday. Be careful out there folks! So far feels like a mild flu -- definitely annoying but not too concerning and way less bad than when I had it in 2022 and all I could do was sleep for a week

Pretty unhinged trending list rn, ya?...

A committee has recommended Vallejo's school district close two elementary schools. My latest for @vallejosun.bsky.social... www.vallejosun.com/vallejo-scho...

Happy I got to report on a really cool summer program in Vallejo that offered youths a chance to play basketball, socialize and eat a free dinner late Friday nights this summer. Organizers want to bring it back next year and add soccer! www.vallejosun.com/new-vallejo-...

Sigh. I'm not against workforce teacher housing. But it's a shame it's necessary because it comes with its own set of problems like: 1. It's not a healthy work-life balance to live with your co-workers! and... oaklandside.org/2025/08/07/w...

"TSA wants to scan your face. Here's the main the to know about opting out." www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/06/t...

The job application for ICE Deportation Officers asks: “If you found yourself in a 'life-threatening' situation, do you feel you could use deadly force (e.g., use your firearm) to protect your life, the lives of fellow officers, or the lives of innocent bystanders?”

More coffee union news: Looks like the Starbucks on Broadway filed to unionize on July 22nd according to the NLRB's website. I believe if they do form the union, all Starbucks in Oakland would be unionized, as the other two unionized in 2023...

New union news just sent to my inbox: Workers across four Blue Bottle Coffee locations in the Bay Area won their union election in a 22-5 vote. Here's the press release with more info:

While the City of Oakland plans painful cuts to popular social and cultural services, the Oakland Police Department is demanding two million dollars for more military-grade weapons. bayareacurrent.com/oakland-cops...

Oakland's Police Department is seeking to: 1. More than double its stock of drones. 2. More than double its stock of armored vehicles. 3. Get about $425K worth of new assault rifles. New from me in @bayareacurrent.bsky.social bayareacurrent.com/oakland-cops...

I feel like this report sheds some light on larger structural issues in Vallejo…

Nah you know what we actually need more of? Podcasters lol...

If you want to learn a bit about how commercial leases work in California, read this! Could help explain all the empty storefronts!

There are almost no tenant protections for businesses or nonprofits in California. I talked with two Oakland based small business owners, one who was evicted, who felt their landlord used a legal loophole to charge them large unpredictable fees... bayareacurrent.com/how-landlord...

This week, @zackhaber.bsky.social investigated an unpredictable maintenance charge that’s plaguing local small businesses, and helps explain all those empty storefronts in the Bay. bayareacurrent.com/how-landlord...

Federal cuts could cost Vallejo public schools over a million dollars this upcoming school year. My latest for @vallejosun.bsky.social... www.vallejosun.com/federal-cuts...

What’s up with this recent trend I’m seeing of local publications allowing spokespeople for institutions, notably police agencies, be quoted without being named? Why grant them anonymity and not even say why?

Anyone know of a time where the federal government has stopped funding an education program and then the state of California has stepped up to pay the bill, essentially refunding the program? Has that happened ever?

Superintendent Rubén Aurelio estimated on Monday that the Vallejo City Unified School District will need to close three additional schools this school year. There are six elementary schools the district is considering closing. www.vallejosun.com/three-more-v...

Vallejo school district's superintendent said Monday he estimates 3 more elementary schools need to close for the district to stay fiscally stable. He also said he's hopefully this will be the last round of closures for the foreseeable future. My report: www.vallejosun.com/three-more-v...

Yes this report is problematic, as all TV reporting tends to be, for handling ICE gently and uncritically. I do think it shows a shift in public opinion though. Leftists attempting to stop ICE aren't portrayed as crazy or even unreasonable here. www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco...

"Peruvian woman detained by ICE in San Francisco freed after judge's ruling" The judge ruled her warrantless arrest outside of immigration court was unlawful... www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco...

Breaking: Puerto Rico appears to be about to pass into law a bill that would ban transgender care up to the age of 21, which would be devastating for trans people on the island, given they cannot as easily travel to get care elsewhere.

Can you spot the difference between an ICE administrative warrant and a judicial search warrant? Join us July 26 for a free immigration Know Your Rights training along with a privacy self-defense workshop in San Francisco. Lunch, translators provided. secure-justice.org/july-26-sf

“Assaults Against ICE Agents in the U.S. Surge by 700%” I think claims like this are hard to measure and verify, still, an interesting article… mundonow.com/en/violence-...

Remembering Dan Siegel, who told the crowd to take People’s Park on Bloody Thursday Siegel later served as president of Oakland’s school board and fought for workers, unions, and human rights advocates over five decades as a civil rights lawyer. www.berkeleyside.org/2025/07/04/d...

Had been meaning, for years, to interview Dan Siegel about People’s Park stuff but never got around to it. And now he’s gone. Do those interviews while you still can, people!

Dan Siegel was the only lawyer who had the guts to go on record when I reported on Richmond's Chamber of Commerce pretty blatantly breaking campaign finance law last year. A bunch of other lawyers I asked ignored me or said no! Gonna miss having that dude around Oakland!

Yes. Will the Dems actually say they want to cut ICE's budget and attempt to do so? If not, they have no moral compass and will likely fade into irrelevancy. They'll just be republicans lite.

Interesting article. And it was nice of SFist to run free advertising for a few fireworks shops in Nevada... sfist.com/2025/07/03/h...