Oakland faith leaders fly to Minneapolis and fast at home against ICE
Bay Area congregations are participating in a national day of action sparked by Trump’s immigration enforcement and Renee Good’s killing.
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city hall
Feds argue corruption case against Sheng Thao built on ‘significant’ evidence
Teeing up a potentially combative court hearing in March, defense attorneys for Oakland’s former mayor and others say evidence should be suppressed. Prosecutors say they didn’t rely heavily on an informant with a checkered past.
Oakland plans to send cops to the Super Bowl and World Cup
Oakland’s police department is understaffed, but police officials claim dispatching officers to protect events in Santa Clara won’t impact public safety here.
‘ICE-free zones’ among ideas Alameda County is considering to defend against Trump immigration crackdown
Following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, county officials are gearing up to ban ICE agents from certain areas.
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.
Oakland recycling CEO indicted with Sheng Thao tells his life story in new film, ‘The King of Trash’
David Duong hit the red carpet on Saturday to promote a movie about his family’s escape from communist Vietnam and rise as Bay Area recycling moguls. But moviegoers hoping for…
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New owners of Sequoia Diner vow to preserve what customers ‘already love’
The Laurel District’s lauded breakfast spot is in escrow, with plans to change ownership in mid to late February.
Everything you need to know about the Cheese Board expansion
The cherished North Shattuck bakery, cheese shop and pizzeria reopened Jan. 20 with a new system to accommodate a project eight years in the making.
Teni East Kitchen, moving a half mile, sees new, tasty possibilities with larger space
The Burmese restaurant is moving a few blocks to the east to take over the space formerly occupied by popular restaurant Pomella.
PUBLIC SAFETY
What happened when Gavin Newsom sent a ‘surge’ of state troopers to fight crime in Oakland
The governor promised a crackdown on crime. But in the first year of the surge, state troopers arrested very few violent criminals. Instead they stopped 15,000 Black and Latino drivers.
Education equity
Oakland Unified saw uptick in transitional kindergarten, drastic decline in newcomer enrollment this year
At Wednesday’s school board meeting, there were few updates on the $100 million in budget cuts for next year, but a special meeting is scheduled for next week.
10 new laws that will impact California schools in 2026
New state laws will limit student cell phone use, require gender-neutral bathrooms, and shield schools from ICE enforcement.
OUSD lead crisis: Internal records reveal panic and confusion among school leaders
Emails and memos circulating last summer expose a total communication breakdown inside Oakland’s public school system, with principals in the dark about the risks to students and district officials unclear on the status of remediation.
Arts & Community
This week in Oakland: LaRussell at CryBaby, and an Indigenous Mam exhibit at the 81st Avenue library
Other events include the reopening of Lake Merritt’s Nature Rotary Center, a conversation about caregiving, and a Mandarin mixer at Kinfolx.
Housing & Homelessness
Landlord of fire-ravaged Oakland building attempts to evict displaced tenants
The city attorney demanded a prominent Oakland real estate owner withdraw “unlawful notices” of termination.
Vanderbilt University buys old CCA campus in Rockridge
It is unclear how the transfer of the Oakland arts campus will impact long-term plans to build 448 homes there.
7 stories of senior housing proposed for old Red Cross site in Rockridge
Neighbors are organizing against the Claremont Avenue building, which would include 203 market-rate apartments.
Oakland calls for 500 volunteers for homeless count
The Point-in-Time Count determines how much money Oakland gets for shelters and services, and helps policymakers and community groups understand the scale of the crisis.
Health & Environment
Kaiser Permanente will pay $556M to settle Medicare fraud case
Federal prosecutors alleged the Oakland-based healthcare giant schemed for nearly a decade to rake in higher Medicare reimbursements.
Environmental groups organize to protest Chevron, military action in Venezuela
The East Bay action came together in response to the Trump Administration’s capture of the Venezuelan president and the fatal shooting of an observer by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
Cazadero camp heavily damaged by winter storms
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said the director of the music camp north of Guerneville that serves Bay Area public school students. The camp is seeking donations and help clearing toppled redwoods and debris.
Business
Moxy Uptown Oakland stops taking hotel reservations and is expected to close
The news follows challenges to the city’s hospitality industry, including tech industry layoffs and declining tourism dollars.
Does your home need an electrical upgrade? Call Mr. Poppy.
New company aims to offer professional wiring work with good service at a lower cost.
Why is couchdate leaving downtown? It depends on who you ask
A city spokesperson says the bar held unpermitted events and had a “concerning history” as a commercial tenant. The owner says Oakland made it “impossible” to stay open. Records show there’s more to the story.
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Built on a foundation of listening
How do we build an outlet for local journalism that is rooted in, representative of, and responsive to communities in a city as diverse, complex, and powerful as Oakland?
Hundreds of Oaklanders told us what they want from local journalism. Here’s what we learned.
HOW WE WORK
Everything that happened in Oakland in 2025
Corruption charges, beloved teachers lost, scrappy baseball wins, and federal agents on Coast Guard Island. Yeah, it was a lot. Here’s everything you need to know about Oakland’s chaotic 2025.
Oaklandside’s Alejandra Armstrong, Roselyn Romero, Darwin BondGraham receive journalism honors
All three are being honored tonight by the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Armstrong will receive the Unsung Hero Award.
The Oaklandside is launching a reporting fellowship for high schoolers
The program will pay 12 OUSD high school students to collaborate with the newsroom and help shape our education coverage. Students must apply by Nov. 30.
Uptown parking ticket scam, Prescott Market’s new vendors, East Oakland improvements: on the podcast
Catch up on Oakland news while walking the dog or cooking dinner.
Values guiding our work
News organizations don’t always tell you–or know–what drives their decisions.
