Over 31,000 Kaiser health care workers in California & Hawaii are still on strike—fighting for safe staffing, manageable workloads, and patient care over burnout. Frontline union members speak from the picket line with @maximillianalvarez.bsky.social.

The Oakland Police Department reported a 73% reduction in pending Skelly hearings between October 2024 and January 2026. OPD attributed the backlog to understaffing, strict recusal requirements, and outdated technology. oaklandside.org/2026/02/25/o...

While most drivers are stopped because over traffic violations, 64.8% of the stops of homeless residents were based on “reasonable suspicion” — a less-demanding standard.

The First Amendment's fundamental democratic safeguards do not exist if journalists are not free to cover uprisings against government abuses without fear of state retaliation ballsandstrikes.org/law-politics...

Do you remember when people were saying "I think my phone is listening to me, i'm getting ads for stuff I spoke about" and people said "They arent listening to you, they're just this good at predicting your interests"? Well, it happens they were doing exactly that. www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...

Oakland youth shared their experiences with sex trafficking — and their ideas for solutions — with city and county leaders at a town hall hosted by Dream Youth Clinic. I attended the event and wrote about it for The Oaklandside: oaklandside.org/2026/01/30/o...

I was on @kqednews.kqed.org’s “The Bay” today to talk about Oakland’s drop in violent crime. You can listen here: www.kqed.org/news/1207125...

The Oakland Police Department appears near the finish line in its 23-year federal court oversight program — but there’s still work left to do, said U.S. District Judge William Orrick. I attended yesterday’s hearing at the federal courthouse and wrote about it: oaklandside.org/2026/01/28/o...

Catch up on Oakland news while walking the dog or cooking dinner with Oaklandside 510.

The White House is just outright admitting that it's posting fake and misleading information about a defendant who has been criminally charged by the feds.

Oakland councilmembers have declined for the second time to reappoint two incumbents to the Police Commission, the civilian board overseeing OPD. Did the Oakland police union sway the council’s decision? My latest for The Oaklandside: oaklandside.org/2026/01/21/p...

Councilmember Charlene Wang wants to create a Human Trafficking Survivor Support Fund, which would use fines levied against buyers and exploiters.

For years, survivors of sex trafficking in Oakland have struggled to secure financial support. A new proposal could change that, creating a dedicated revenue stream for survivors of sexual exploitation while penalizing those who buy and sell victims. My latest: oaklandside.org/2026/01/12/o...

semi-regular reminder that ICE was only created in 2003 when you are asked to imagine a world without ICE, you're basically being asked to remember where you were when Lilo & Stitch came out

Videos appear to contradict the White House’s defense of a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis. A law professor explains when deadly force is legal and whether the agent who killed Renee Good could be charged.

My colleague @chroniclesofazu.bsky.social wants to hear from couples who met in unconventional ways in Oakland to share their stories ❤️ Submit your meet-cute by the end of January: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

During Floyd Mitchell’s 19-month tenure, he ignored multiple invitations from The Oaklandside to answer questions about his job leading the Oakland Police Department. My latest story: oaklandside.org/2026/01/09/o...

Honored to have won a first place at SF Press Club ceremony last night, shared w/co-writer @roselynr.bsky.social & editor @tcraggs22.bsky.social. Thanks to @oaklandside.org @oaklandvoices.bsky.social @maynardinstitute.bsky.social for co-publishing the story.

“.. they carried her body out, just like by her limbs, they didn’t even have a stretcher," Heller said. "She was carried out like a sack of potatoes." “This was horrific and will change my life forever,” she said. “I feel so scared." @nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

My first story of 2026: Oakland saw a historic drop in homicides and other categories of crime last year — but city leaders aren’t declaring victory just yet. My latest: oaklandside.org/2026/01/07/o...

I’m at Hoover Elementary where there was some ICE presence earlier. The school is on lockdown and community members are chanting “say it loud say it clear immigrants are welcome here” No obvious sign of any federal agents in the area now

Cedric Irving Jr., the person accused of killing beloved football coach John Beam at Laney College in Oakland last week, will be held without bail, an Alameda County judge ruled Tuesday morning. My latest story: oaklandside.org/2025/11/18/c...

Three teens were critically wounded Wednesday in a shooting at a high school in the foothills of suburban Denver, including the suspected shooter, authorities say.

"Willie James has been incarcerated longer than I have been alive — a little over 45 years. He said having photos seized is heartbreaking. We’re only allowed to have 50 photographs, according to state prison rules."

1. In an alarming move, the Trump administration has banned trans coverage for federal employees and their families, including youth and adults. It mandates faith-based conversion therapy coverage. It is one of the largest removals of coverage in the US. Subscribe to support our journalism.

After BRAVE Bay Area (formerly BAWAR) closes next month, what resources will remain for rape survivors in Oakland? I’ve compiled a list of services for survivors of sexual assault and gender-based violence in Oakland and Alameda County. You can find them here: oaklandside.org/2025/08/21/r...

In this morning's newsletter, I wrote about an under-appreciated problem for liberalism — its total failure to cultivate young talent www.vox.com/on-the-right...

BRAVE Bay Area, formerly Bay Area Women Against Rape, announced it is shutting down due to financial constraints. But current and former staff told me the nonprofit has been under investigation for alleged fraud and mismanagement. My latest investigative story: oaklandside.org/2025/08/12/b...

For National Night Out, I stopped by four block parties in deep East Oakland, Grand Lake, Lakeshore, and Oak Knoll. Residents told me the event plays a major role in promoting a sense of belonging among neighbors and improving public safety. oaklandside.org/2025/08/06/o...

National Night Out, an annual gathering for neighbors, city leaders, and local law enforcement to get to know each other, returns to Oakland on Aug. 5. Check out the list of the Town’s 229 block parties here: oaklandside.org/2025/07/16/o...

OakDOT issued parking tickets to hundreds of stolen cars between 2022 and 2024, according to the most recent Alameda County grand jury report. A solution may be on the horizon, but nothing will change soon. New story from my colleague Eli Wolfe and me: oaklandside.org/2025/07/28/o...

Couchdate — a bar, cafe, vinyl shop, and community space in Frank Ogawa Plaza — says the city pushed it out of downtown Oakland. Records I obtained show there’s more to the story. oaklandside.org/2025/07/23/o...

BRAVE Bay Area, the nation’s first rape crisis center that was formerly known as Bay Area Women Against Rape, will permanently close at the end of September. My latest story for The Oaklandside: oaklandside.org/2025/07/14/a...

BREAKING: Metadata shows the FBI’s ‘raw’ Jeffrey Epstein prison video was likely modified. 🧵

A federal judge on Thursday said that while the Oakland Police Department has made some strides in recent months, it still hasn’t achieved full compliance with its federal oversight program, now in its 22nd year. My latest: oaklandside.org/2025/07/11/o...

Several weeks ago, I had the amazing opportunity to speak with Bernice Grisby, a life coach with the East Bay Asian Youth Center. I wrote about her life + career in my latest story for @oaklandside.org: oaklandside.org/2025/07/01/o...

Gov. Newsom has been a vocal critic of the Oakland Police Department’s pursuit policy, which he says allows suspects to flee with impunity. After last week’s CHP chase that killed a Castlemont High School teacher, Newsom’s critics say he should “own it.” My latest: oaklandside.org/2025/06/03/o...

Critics and supporters of MACRO, Oakland’s civilian response program, agreed on one thing during the City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting last night: MACRO is not working the way it should. My latest story for @oaklandside.org: oaklandside.org/2025/05/28/m...

Last night, Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell proposed changes to OPD’s pursuit policy, including rescinding a rule that some residents say makes it more difficult for officers to chase suspects. The latest from my colleague Jose Fermoso and me: oaklandside.org/2025/05/23/o...

Prop. 36, overwhelmingly approved by California voters last November, enacted stiffer penalties for some theft and drug crimes. Critics say it’s disproportionately being used against Black people — a pattern already manifesting in Alameda County. My latest story: oaklandside.org/2025/05/22/p...

Is David Duong seeking a pardon from Trump in the Oakland FBI corruption investigation? New with @roselynr.bsky.social and @darwinbondgraham.bsky.social oaklandside.org/2025/05/16/o...

The Oakland Police Department needs 277 more police officers than are currently budgeted to effectively patrol the city, according to a draft study conducted by an independent consulting firm. Read my latest here: oaklandside.org/2025/04/24/o...

A gun billboard ad towering above I-880 in Oakland might be violating a little-known city law. The firearms manufacturer and the billboard company did not obtain a permit from the Oakland Police Department to run the ad, according to city officials I spoke to. oaklandside.org/2025/04/23/o...

NEW at @motherjones.com: HHS plans to cut federal funding to the state protection and advocacy agencies who investigate abuse in group homes. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

I’m the news editor for Chrysalis, and I’d love to get pitches on news stories from trans youth!

A billboard running a pistol ad off I-880 in Oakland has taken many residents by surprise. The ad is an unusual sight for a city known for some of the highest gun violence rates in California and the nation. oaklandside.org/2025/04/14/o...

Northeastern University is distancing itself from a plan circulated last month that advocated for a new police department to patrol the Mills College campus and surrounding East Oakland neighborhoods. Latest story from @darwinbondgraham.bsky.social and me: oaklandside.org/2025/03/13/n...

Former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price can now add a new job title to her resume: podcaster. I sat down with Price earlier this week to ask her about her new podcast, reflections on her recall, and what she thinks about the new DA. oaklandside.org/2025/03/13/p...

For decades, the city of Oakland’s Neighborhood Services Division has helped neighborhoods collaborate with the city and OPD to solve problems and prevent crime. Now the division is gone. My latest story: oaklandside.org/2025/03/05/o...

american masculinity is so amazing. caring about clothes as a man apparently makes you "gay" but our position on geopolitics totally depends on whether you wear a suit