Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

A series of late-night restaurant robberies in Oakland, Calif., has caused one owner to lock the doors and screen customers. read more | digg story

This is a video of my just completed (as of this writing) trip to the CNN Roland Martin Show and the CNN iReporters, Kevin Negenberger, Maggie Dowling, and Katy Brown, I met.

The second full length trailer for W. gives us the best look at Oliver Stone's W. which takes viewers through Bush’s eventful life -- his struggles and triumphs, how he found both his wife and his faith, and of course the critical days leading up to his decision to invade Iraq. read more | digg story

Quick question: How do you make one of the world's most stolen gadgets, well, more enticing? If we're talking about iPods, which we are, then you slap 24 and 18 karat white gold all over the newest models, and then send them out into the subways inside the pockets of the today's filthy rich. Of course, for a mere $644 for the Nano and $823 for the read more | digg story

Japan and Germany make cars. Saudi Arabia pumps oil. China supplies the world with socks and toys and flat-screen TVs. What does the United States produce? Lots of stuff, but in recent years this country's No. 1 export--by far--has been debt. read more | digg story

Joseph Stiglitz warns: a tax code that has become hideously biased in favor of the rich; a national debt increased 70 percent; a record $850 billion trade deficit; record oil prices; weak dollar. In addition, the US has not been educating enough engineers and scientists, nor investing in the kinds of basic research we need to lead in the 21st cent. read more | digg story

"That was the first time I've ever heard the parody on SNL actually use exactly what was said... It was a rough week for her." read more | digg story

Jason's butt ugly face has been revealed in these behind the scenes pictures of the upcoming unnecessary why are they wasting the money remake of Friday the 13th. read more | digg story

S.C. - Fort Mill Mayor Danny Funderburk says he was “just curious” when he forwarded a chain e-mail suggesting Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama is the biblical antichrist. Wow, this is what our government has sunk to. read more | digg story

You can catch this snail art car at the "How Berkeley Can You Be?" parade on October 13th. Click here to read the full story about an extraordinary vision brought to life.

By now, most of us have heard about the study that showed there to be traces of small amounts of drug medication in our water. Even though it has no threatening effect on us, imagine what kind of effects it has on the fish that live in these waters. Thanks to a crew of environmentalists they collected several pounds of drug medication from our Bay Area waters. Read the full story here.

In her 578 days as Governor of Alaska, she was only in Juneau, Alaska for 85 of them. read more | digg story

Credit to HariOak.com for this news: Lake Merritt lovers may have noticed that all the fountains have been turned off. Four of the motors have failed and are out of warranty. A replacement motor is broken. Three of the four fountains are owned by the La ke Merritt Institute , which is struggling to come up with the $7,000 it needs to replace the motors. Let's help! Please send donations, whether they are large or small, to the Lake Merritt Institute, 568 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610. The institute is a non- profit, 501C3 corporation, so donations are deductible to the extent of the law. Below is an excerpt of a letter that the Institute's Dr. Richard Bailey sent to the Adams Point Action Council, which is spearheading this fund drive. "Cheers: That is great! We could certainly use this kind of help. To answer your questions: "Funds for the aeration fountains should be sent to: The Lake Merritt Institute, 568 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610. We

Earlier this month, a group called  Communities for a Better Environment filed suit against Chevron's attempt to upgrade its Richmond Refinery because they claim the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was not well done, but judging by the comments of readers of SFGate, the SF Chronicle website, the timing of the lawsuit could not have been worse.   The problem: high gas prices.  The problem's turned what would normally be knee-jerk opponents into reasoned observers.   Take a look: norcalguy101 9/4/2008 10:02:56 PM Idiots. Recommend:     ( 13 ) ( 13 ) [Report Abuse] moose_activist 9/4/2008 10:06:16 PM What morons! We need to give Chevron a free pass to upgrade to lower gas a little more. We need to ship these enviornuts to China now! Recommend:     ( 23 ) ( 8 ) [Report Abuse] This comment was left by a user who has been blocked by an SFGate editor. annoying_gnat 9/4/2008 10:29:11 PM from the looks of the comments from the Humbolt area they could use some refinement. H

Look, this matter of a civil grand jury asking for travel expense data of Oakland elected officials is more -- one more -- element of gossip mongering that does not solve any problem. Why? Well, what's the benchmark of spending per person?  Hmmm?  How much is too much?  The grand jury does not  know.  But they will say "We know"  If so, show us the measures.  Otherwise this is a waste of time and money.

Terrible street design. , originally uploaded by sirgious . For all of the picts of the Cathedral of Christ exterior, here's one you're not going to see much of -- how it adresses the street. Yikes.  .

The skit accurately roasts McCain's willingness to sacrifice any shred of decency to win an election with his ridiculously specious attack ads.It evens throws in this likely McCain ad: "Barack Obama fathered TWO black children IN WEDLOCK." read more | digg story

Nicole Kidman trounces the competition in Forbes second annual ranking. read more | digg story

The Federal Reserve says it has granted a request by the country's last two major investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley—to change their status to bank holding companies. The change in status will allow them to create commercial banks that will be able to take deposits, bolstering the resources of both institutions. read more | digg story

John McCain’s campaign manager played a role in helping the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac beat back regulatory challenges when he served as president of their advocacy group. read more | digg story

A fire that broke out late Saturday inside a nightclub near the Hong Kong border caused a stampede of panicked partygoers trying to escape killing at least 43 people, and leaving more than 88 injured. What caused the inferno is said to be fireworks which were a part of a show featured inside the nightclub. read more | digg story

US taxpayers may be on the hook for one of the biggest frauds in US history. Taxpayers are mad as hell about the US government's decision to bail out Wall St with $700 Billion US dollars leaving the taxpayer on the hook. Reminds me of the movie Network 1976 with everyone screaming "I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Going to Take This Anymore". read more | digg story

Economist, not exactly a bastion of liberalism, finally says it like it is: McCain team's lies have taken the campaign to new lows. Choosing Palin is a cynical move that has "placed abortion, the most divisive cultural issue in America, at the centre of his campaign", and a demonstrable novice a "72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency". read more | digg story

I met Oakland City Council At Large candidate Kerry Hamill for a long -- in Internet terms -- talk about why she's running for the seat and her plans should she win the election.  As Kerry and I both worked for Elihu Harris, we had a lot to talk about.

This i s from Sfgate : A man was shot and killed and his girlfriend was wounded in a shooting in Oakland, police said. Marco Casillas, 19, and his girlfriend, a 19-year-old woman whose name wasn't released, were found suffering from numerous gunshot wounds on the 4000 block of Santa Rita Street at about 10:45 p.m. Friday, said Officer Jeff Thomason, Oakland police spokesman. Both were taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where Casillas was pronounced dead. His girlfriend was reported to be in critical but stable condition, authorities said. A motive for the shooting was unknown, and no arrests have been reported in the slaying, Oakland's 103rd homicide this year. Meanwhile, a suspect has been arrested in the slaying of the city's 102nd homicide. Curtis Norris, 19, is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in the shooting death of Edward Dismuke, 38, authorities said. Dismuke was riding a bicycle at about 9:50 p.m. Tuesday when he was shot near 38t

This is a political "slice of life" video I created during the evening of the March 4th "Super Tuesday" Primary. It starts with my trip to the Oakland "Obama For America" headquarters to do some phone banking work and then to two Obama parties in San Francisco, one at Tosca and the other at an art gallery. Along the way, you will meet Obama volunteers and discover their motivations and passions for being involved in this enormous grass roots movement to get Barack Obama elected President of The United States. 

The following is a story I read about a custodian Webster Academy who was wrongfully accused of stealing property from the school. With proving himself innocent, it makes me furious that so many police officers abuse their authority. Click on his photo for the whole story by Katy Murphy from the Education Report:

This sounds like this will be quite interesting. I think it's sad how people feel as prisoners in their own home due to the air quality. The full Oakland Tribune Story Below. Groups convene to address environmental concerns in East Oakland By Kamika Dunlap Oakland Tribune Article Launched: 09/18/2008 05:11:27 PM PDT OAKLAND — Environmental activists and community groups will discuss at a meeting Monday the poor health conditions affecting many East Oakland residents living along the city's industrial corridors. Groups will examine findings from a new report, "Cumulative Impacts in East Oakland: Findings from a Community-Based Mapping Study." The report was put together by Communities for a Better Environment and other partners, including the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the California Air Resources Board, UC Berkeley and Bay Area Healthy 880 Communities. The study addresses the environmental effects of toxic pollution, such as idling diesel trucks and po

Thanks to the Rockridge News.. D o you have an extra hour each week to help feed the Bay Area’s less fortunate   residents? Daily Bread can match you with a food source and needy organization, doing their best to find a convenient time and place for you. Your job will be to pick updonated food at donor sites for delivery to local storage. Some pick up sites are available in Rockridge. Got the time? Call Patrice Ignelgi, 526-3123, or e-mail her at patrice@ pcsyes.com .  Daily Bread also operates the Milk for Kids program, which provides milk donated by the Berkeley Bowl and the Village Market to children in need. To volunteer, or for more information, contact Patrice Ignelgi.

OAKLAND — A man was shot and wounded in a daylight shooting Thursday on busy International Boulevard. The shooting happened about 11:43 a.m. in the 4800 block of International Boulevard, police said. The gunfire sent people scrambling for safety from the street into nearby shops. Vinny Fong, owner of Golden Nails salon, said he heard about five gunshots and then people came running into his shop. "A lot of people tried to run in and hide," Fong said. "So we called the police.... MORE

I stumbled over this little-seen video by YouTuber wendylea66 which explains why the Oakland Uhuru Movement was against  resident  Pat McCullough's District One council campaign. One part of the video that's interesting is the claim that more police will not solve the crime problem. Take a look.

This videos looks at the last 12 years of the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth -- Measure K. Visit kidsfirst2coalition.org to learn more about the effort to expand the Oakland Children's Fund this November.

This is from the Oakland Police Department.  According to my sources, the checkpoints will almost certainly be on or near Broadway, and not far from Luka's bar and restaurant and Sweets Lounge on Broadway -- the areas with the highest traffic on Friday night. Personally, I think the best solution for the grant money funding this program is to have a free late-night shuttle service that goes from specific points around Lake Merritt and to stop areas near each bar.  That would be a great alternative to driving.  But this excuse to arrest someone is not solving the problem at all.  As Willie Brown said in this video , "Drink.  Drink.  Drink.  Then drive drunk so I can represent you."  In fact, San Francisco doesn't have a checkpoint system; most people take cabs which are in abundance.  But also people do drive, some of them elected officials and wealthy people, and nothing ever happens to them in San Francisco.  Look at the case of Harry Denton! In Oakland, where

Run your company into the ground, get bailed out, and under McCain, get a tax break! read more | digg story

Welcome to EastOakland.net - A free site with information and commentary focused on East Oakland, California & Oakland International Airport, Mills College, McAfee Coliseum, the Oracle Arena, Maxwell Park And The Hills. read more | digg story

In a move that would impact the Port of Oakland, Alaska Governor and GOP VP Candidate Sarah Palin says the new fees for Long Beach, L.A. and Oakland ports would harm the economies of Alaska and California. read more | digg story

Oakland – In the aftermath of Chauncey Bailey’s murder, the first American journalist to be killed in the U.S. in 31 years while reporting on a story, an investigative team of Bay Area journalists have uncovered key facts about his murder and continued the investigation into possible criminal activities of the Your Black Muslim Bakery (YBMB). read more | digg story

I haven’t been to the zoo since I was a kid, which makes sense, because the zoo is really designed for kids. My wife heard through the grapevine that the Oakland Zoo is very nice, so, for our first visit, we took the kids to the Oakland Zoo and it was well worth it. read more | digg story

An SF Examiner article, Tony R. Rodriguez reports on a literary event created by the NCIBA. read more | digg story

According to TMZ, Oakland Raiders DT Tommy Kelly was arrested Sunday night in Oakland on a DUI charge. read more | digg story

So I read this article tonight, and I myself am starting to think they are passing officers through too quickly. The full story by SF Gate Below: Oakland officer hit with second wrongful-death lawsuit Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, September 15, 2008 09-15) 18:39 PDT OAKLAND -- The family of an unarmed man who was shot and killed by two Oakland police officers on New Year's Eve 2007 filed a $10 million federal civil rights lawsuit against the city Monday. Officers Hector Jimenez, who shot another unarmed man to death this past July, and Jessica Borello killed 20-year-old Andrew Moppin-Buckskin at 47th Avenue and International Boulevard after he ran from his car following a traffic stop, police said. Moppin-Buckskin was not armed, but the officers believed he had been reaching for his waistband, police have said. The officers shot him numerous times "while he was unarmed and was not posing and threat of deadly force or serious bodily harm," said the wrongful-

In the past, Downtown Oakland was the true center of the city. But as business left Oakland, downtown became a ghost town. By the 1980s it was hard to build a structure without some form of government money involved. Not anymore. 1100 Broadway by SKS Investments is an entirely privately financed skyscraper office complex that will transform the middle of downtown Oakland into a landmark place to be.

This is what I remember about "9-11" -- the day that the World Trade Center was destroyed due to a terrorist attack by what we now know and call the Al Qiada terrorist group. I was living in Oakland, Ca at the time.

Oakland At Large Council candidate Rebecca Kaplan sat down with me to talk about her run for the position at Cafe Verbena on Tuesday of this week.   She's running against Kerry Hamill in the runoff election.

That's right!! According to the Oakland Tribune , it looks like original Rock n' Roll Band AC/DC may be coming to the Oracle Arena this December: Check out the full story: AC/DC tour to stop in Oakland By Jim Harrington Contra Costa Times Article Last Updated: 09/11/2008 02:43:15 PM PDT For those about to rock, AC/DC salutes you -- with the band's first world tour since 2001. The multi-platinum act is expected to officially announce dates for the 18-month trek in the near future. On a local front, however, sources indicate that the band has circled Dec. 2 to perform at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Confirmation of that date is hopefully right around the corner. The band will use the tour to promote the long-awaited new album, "Black Ice," due in stores Oct. 21. The set was produced by Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen) and it marks the group's first studio effort since 2000's "Stiff Upper Lip." The album's first single

Two more robberies in Oakland: Residents stabbed, pistol-whipped in Oakland home invasion robberies By William Brand and Angela Hart Oakland Tribune Article Last Updated: 09/11/2008 06:45:31 PM PDT OAKLAND — Police are investigating two apparently unrelated violent home invasion robberies Wednesday in Oakland's Dimond district. One of the incidents occurred about 10:15 p.m. in the 3600 block of Laguna Avenue, where a man, 35, and a woman, 24, were stabbed. Residents of the house told police three men wearing masks confronted them. It was unclear how they entered the house, but the victims tried to resist and were overpowered. At least one resident was tied up. The bandits escaped with $2,000 in cash, a video game and a cell phone. They fled in a white vehicle, possibly an SUV, police said. The stabbing victims were taken to a local hospital, where they were in stable condition, police said. The man was stabbed in the back and pistol-whipped. The woman was stabbed in the leg. The ot