Oakland firefighters rescued a pigeon they say was suffering from smoke inhalation. I couldn’t locate the pigeon for comment. oaklandside.org/2026/07/15/o...

Oakland firefighters saved a pigeon, and the internet is losing it

Firefighters gave oxygen to a bird believed to have suffered from smoke inhalation. The video has racked up millions of views online.

oaklandside.org

BREAKING: Oakland police fatally shot a person they say was armed near Fruitvale on Monday afternoon. oaklandside.org/2026/07/13/o...

Oakland police fatally shoot person near Fruitvale they say was armed

The officer-involved shooting on International Boulevard is the third in Oakland this year.

oaklandside.org

A new Alameda County Superior Court pretrial services program is reducing recidivism among the people it serves, according to court data. But its future is uncertain. oaklandside.org/2026/07/13/p...

Expanded pretrial services helped more people stay out of jail in Alameda County, court data shows

Repeat arrests of participants dropped from 43% to 18%, but the program’s funding expires in December.

oaklandside.org

For years, parts of International Boulevard in East Oakland, known as “the Blade,” have been hot spots for sex trafficking. Now, an Oakland City Council member representing part of the Blade is trying to disrupt the trafficking business through street closures. oaklandside.org/2026/07/08/s...

To deter sex trafficking, Oakland will close streets along International Boulevard

The city will close side streets where officials say soliciting happens. Some advocates worry the problem will simply move elsewhere.

oaklandside.org

Oakland students say crowds often form to record when a fight breaks out on campus. Oakland Unified School District leaders are now considering discipline for students who share those videos. My latest story, with reporting from Oaklandside’s student fellows: oaklandside.org/2026/06/17/o...

As school fights spread on social media, OUSD struggles to keep up

Students say when a fight breaks out on campus, a crowd often gathers to hit record. School leaders are now considering discipline for students who share those videos.

oaklandside.org

A note to young journalists: When you get a good newsroom boss -- I'm talking solid, ethical, knows what journalists do, doesn't have to be Marty Baron-level -- stay put for a while! Or you might end up working for some nincompoop like Will Lewis, Adam O'Neal, Bari Weiss .. the list goes on and on

Lots of ballots still need to be counted, but the incumbent Alameda County DA, appointed after Pamela Price’s recall, has 66% of votes so far. https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/02/alameda-county-district-attorney-primary-election-results/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky_

District attorney results: Ursula Jones Dickson leads after first ballot count

Lots of ballots still need to be counted, but the incumbent Alameda County DA, appointed after Pamela Price's recall, has 66% of votes so far.

oaklandside.org

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.

More Than 31,000 Health Care Workers in California, Hawaii Continue To Strike

A panel of union members call on the health care giant to return to the bargaining table in “good-faith” for contracts.

inthesetimes.com

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...

Oakland police make ‘significant dent’ in disciplinary hearing backlog

OPD reported a 73% reduction in pending Skelly hearings in a 15-month period. But questions linger over who should run the process.

oaklandside.org

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.

California police are far more likely to use force against homeless residents, new data shows

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.

bit.ly

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...

The Trump Administration Is Trying to Prosecute Its Way Out of Bad Media Coverage

The arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort threaten more than just their First Amendment rights as journalists.

ballsandstrikes.org

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-...

Google to pay $68 million over allegations its voice assistant eavesdropped on users

Class-action lawsuit alleged that Google's voice assistant illegally recorded and shared private conversations with advertisers.

cbsnews.com

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...

Oakland has a sex trafficking problem. Young people have ideas to solve it

Teens and young adults urged Mayor Barbara Lee and other local leaders to invest in prevention, education, and survivor services at a town hall hosted by Dream Youth Clinic.

oaklandside.org

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...

Violent Crime Is Down in Oakland | KQED

Violent crime is down in Oakland, along with most major U.S. cities. In 2025, Oakland’s homicide rate dropped 22% compared with the previous year.

kqed.org

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...

Racial disparities in officer discipline complicate OPD’s push to end federal oversight

A federal judge praised progress toward ‘constitutional policing’ but said the Oakland Police Department has not yet earned full independence from court supervision.

oaklandside.org

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

Crime drops in Oakland, privacy debates rise...on the podcast

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

oaklandside.org

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...

Did Oakland’s police union convince the City Council to block OPD oversight picks?

The council declined again to reappoint two commissioners in a move that some say could shape the police oversight board in ways friendlier to OPD.

oaklandside.org

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

Sex trafficking survivors would get financial support under new Oakland proposal

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

oaklandside.org

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...

Sex trafficking survivors would get financial support under new Oakland proposal

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

oaklandside.org

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.

Immigration Agents Are Shooting People. Is It Legal?

A law professor explains whether the agent who fatally shot Renee Good could face prosecution.

thetrace.org

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...

Former OPD Chief Floyd Mitchell refused to sit down with the press. Will the next chief be more accessible?

During Mitchell’s 19-month tenure, he ignored multiple invitations from The Oaklandside to answer questions about his job running the Oakland Police Department.

oaklandside.org

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...

Minnesota ICE shooting live updates: Driver fatally shot by immigration agent

Follow the latest news after an ICE agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman after a group of individuals began to block an immigration-related operation.

nbcnews.com

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...

Oakland saw a historic drop in homicides in 2025. City leaders aren’t declaring victory yet

Murders fell 27% last year, driven in part by the city’s Ceasefire program and community partnerships, Oakland officials say.

oaklandside.org

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

No Pasarán 🔴⚫@joeltena.bsky.social · 9mo ago

ICE activity confirmed near Hoover Elementary in West Oakland. license plate looks like 304072. Stay safe #Oakland, and let's keep out communities safe #AbolishICE #NoICEInOakland

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...

No bail for Cedric Irving, the man accused of fatally shooting legendary coach John Beam

Irving, who was arraigned Tuesday in Oakland, did not enter a plea. Dozens of Beam’s family and friends packed the courtroom.

oaklandside.org