Oakland Focus Blog News

Pam Drake Mike Colbruno Sean Sullivan Vicky Kolkaski Talk Oakland

At the election for the 16th District Democratic Delegates on January 8th, I talked with Oakland Activists Pam Drake Mike Colbruno Sean Sull...

Saturday, January 31, 2009

BART Shooting: Johannes Mehserle Bail Set At $3 Million - Tribune

I thought there wasn't going to be a bail set, but now I'm interested in why this turned to a bail hearing. OAKLAND TRIBUNE - OA...

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Michael Steele Is The New RNC Chairman - First Black Person To Have Role

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Mayor Dellums: Dan Lindheim and Walter Cohen Not Best For Oakland

On Thursday, Mayor Ron Dellums appointed five new staffers. Of them I don't think Dan Lindheim, the new Chief Administrative Officer or ...

Saturday, January 31, 2009

SF Bayview Hunter's Point CAC/PAC Lennar Community Meeting

This is a video of the meeting held Wednesday night and regarding the Urban Design plan for the proposed Bayview Hunter's point Lennar d...

Friday, January 30, 2009

Obama Inauguration - Zennie Gets Home In First Class

After being stuck in Dulles for about three days after the Obama Inauguration I finally got out -- to Chicago. But then stayed overnight an...

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Oakland Police Said To Have Covered-Up 2000 Beating - Inside Bay Area

Documents point to Oakland police cover-up - Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — There is "strong circumstantial evidence" that police co...

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Mayor Ron Dellums Did Not Get Standing Ovation

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Bowoto v. Chevron Is Back In Court Feb 6th 2009

Bowoto v. Chevron Is Back In U.S. 9th District Court, Northern California, San Francisco, Feb 6th 2009 and for the purpose of the plai...

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Oakland rapper Too Short is growing up at 42 Years Old - Keepingitreal

More at Keepingitreal : “When you've had a 25-year career like Too Short's, what's left to accomplish? For the pioneering Oaklan...

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Oakland police Chief Wayne Tucker on Chauncey Bailey Murder Probe: "Mistakes" - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — As he announced his resignation Tuesday, police Chief Wayne Tucker acknowledged "mistakes" in...

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

BART Shooting Mayor Ron Dellums Talks To Oakland

To me what you're about to see is Mayor Ron Dellums finest hour: the day Dellums woke up. Here, Dellums got out and adressed Oaklanders ...

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Robert Bobb Is Detroit Schools financial manager | Detroit Free Press

More at FREEP : “Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed Robert C. Bobb, a Washington consultant with ties to Michigan, to become the emergency fin...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Wayne Tucker: Oakland police chief resigns, blasts City Council - Inside Bay Area

Oakland police chief resigns, blasts City Council - Inside Bay Area : “Criticizing the Oakland City Council for paying only "lip servic...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Oakland State of The City Dellums Speech Highlights

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums gave a great 2009 State of The City Address but it was twice interrupted by Oaklanders concerned about the matter ...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

BART Shooting Meeting: Alameda Co Sup Gail Steele's View

I talked to Alameda County Supervisor Gail Steele at the community meeting held on Sunday, January 8th 2009 at Joe Bort MetroCenter in Oakla...

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Live from the Oakland March for Life-UPDATE

More at JohnMalloy's DB : “Go to http://twitter.com/walkforlife to follow along live as the good Reverend Walter Hoye leads us in defens...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Gregoire, the Prince of Potato Puffs in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto

More at The Eaten Path : “No well meaning trip to the reality resistant bubble of Berkeley is complete without a visit to one of its three m...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Oakland White Elephant Sale Celebrates 50th Birthday

More at Today in Montclair : “In Oakland, the best-known White Elephant Sale is about to celebrate its 50th birthday! There’s a preview sal...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Tony West Appointed Assistant Attorney General By President Obama

Tony West, who you've frequently seen if you're a visitor to the Oakland Focus Blog , and my YouTube channel Zennie62 , was appoin...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

BART Shooting: Cal students march for Oscar Grant on Friday

More at Inside Bay Area : “BERKELEY — About 40 UC Berkeley students braved a steady drizzle Friday for a protest march to call attention to ...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

The People's Inauguration: Lake Merritt

Oaklander and YouTuber rubymsw created this very cool video where people around Lake Merritt were asked to give their own recital of the wor...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Jeff From Oakland talks Obama and America's Racial Future

I was in the middle of finishing an interview in front of the Capital on the night before the Inauguration, when this man came up and said &...

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Chris Matthews' Stupid Blogger Comment Today

According to The Huffington Post, MSNBC's Chris Matthews tried to make "Bloggers" a perjorative on his show when he denounced ...

Friday, January 23, 2009

New Downtown Oakland Housing Developments Hurt By Economy

Major Oakland developments default on loans - Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — At least three major residential-retail projects deemed to be imp...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Obama Inauguration - Stuck At Dulles Airport

Well, after another big large air traffic event, here I am stuck at another airport wating standby -- the byproduct of last-minute trav...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Obama Inauguration - CA Assemblyman Sandre Swanson at B Smith's

Oakland's California Assemblyperson Sandre Swanson took time to talk with me at BSmith's event on Saturday as part of the Obama Ina...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Oakland Raiders to interview Al Saunders - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “The Raiders are making another run at Al Saunders. This time, it will be for the offensive coordinator vacancy cr...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Oakland police seek gunman in shooting at Frank Ogawa Plaza - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “Oakland — Police are seeking a gunman who wounded a 22-year-old East Oakland man Sunday night during an apparent ...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Joe Scarborough: Obama Speech Best Since JFK

I literally ran into Joe Scarborough, the host of MSNBC's Morning Joe as I was walking into the lobby of a hotel for the sole purpose o...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Berkeley Students Gather to Watch Obama's Inauguration

The Daily Cal's Erika Oblea and Keen Batti report on the gathering of students, faculty, and residents in Berkeley and Oakland for the i...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Obama Inauguration - Columbia Heights House Party

I attended this awesome house party thrown by Brad and Leah, two Obama campaign volunteers who live in the Columbia Heights section of Washi...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Obama Inauguration - Toshira on It's Meaning

As I walked along the Capital Mall the night before The Inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President, a young woman came up and asked ...

Monday, January 19, 2009

Angela Bassett, Giancarlo Esposito On Obama and "Gospel Hill"

While In Washington DC for the Inauguration, I was invited to a great premier of a cool new movie called "Gospel Hill". Directed ...

Monday, January 19, 2009

Obama Inauguration Concert Mass Of Humanity

This was an incredible Sunday concert experience as part of Obama Inauguration festivities, even if, like me, you got their around 2 PM and ...

Monday, January 19, 2009

Obama Inauguration - President Bush Look-Alike

I was walking to the Willard Hotel when I happened on a man who looked just like current President George W Bush. His name is Ed Thebility, ...

Monday, January 19, 2009

Obama Inauguration Trip - B Smith at Union Station

I attended the swanky affair at B Smith's Restaurant in Washington's Union Station. Produced by Stelfana Broadhead, the event attrac...

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Obama Inauguration - What To Do In Oakland?

Hey everyone. I'm in Washington DC at the last minute just to really cover the experience of it all -- no tickets to events, but then I...

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Obama Inauguration Trip - Democratic Housemates

Once I got my bags, got the Super Shuttle, and made to the house that my friend Teka has, I was able to meet our housemates. It turns out th...

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Oakland Police Department wants to fire 11 officers in warrant scandal - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — The Oakland Police Department wants to fire 11 officers at the center of the department's search wa...

Friday, January 16, 2009

Raiders interview Gilbride - Inside Bay Area

More at IBA : “New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride spent more than four hours at the Raiders' year-round facility in Al...

Friday, January 16, 2009

Johannes Mehserle's attorney enters not guilty plea for client - Inside Bay Area

More at Oakland Tribune : “The attorney for Johannes Mehserle, the former BART police officer charged with murder stemming from a shooting o...

Friday, January 16, 2009

BART SHOOTING: Ron Dellums, Mayor of Oakland Calls For Reform

In the aftermath of the late-night arrest of BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, a planned Oakland City Hall-based protest went ahead as schedul...

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Grand Lake Guardian Is In A Coma - Founder Said To Have Given Up

The once popular news site "The Grand Lake Guardian" is in a coma and according to my source, it's not coming out of it anyti...

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Oscar Grant was Avenged By The Alameda County DA

Where was Oscar Grant's Due Process? , originally uploaded by Focal Intent . This photo asked the question, Where was Oscar Grant's ...

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Oakland Hills fire from 80/Powell, October 1991

Oakland Hills fire from 80/Powell, October 1991 , originally uploaded by marymactavish . I remember where I was when this happened: I was ha...

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Police Violence in Oakland Over BART Shooting

Police Violence in Oakland , originally uploaded by Brooke Anderson . I just saw this in the process of blogging. Here's what the poste...

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

BART OFFICER JOHANNES MEHSERLE ARRESTED TONIGHT

In a shocking turn of events, it was reported by KTVU that BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, who was the central focus as the cop who shot 22...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Phil Tagami On "KQED's Forum" For An Hour On Oakland Development - Podcast

On Monday, Oakland Developer and friend Phil Tagami, who you can find out more about with a click here or to the right where his photo is, w...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Robert Bobb Consultant Report on Oakland Government Released Today

Report on Oakland seeks accountability, cuts : “Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums laid out a 60-day plan today for restructuring city government wit...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

BART Shooting: Carol Ward Allen Informs Keith Carson

At the BART Community Meeting held Sunday January 11th Alameda Co Supervisor Keith Carson criticized the BART Board for the timing of the me...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

BART protesters in SF: Video From Solaraqua

Solaraqua writes: "On January 12, 2009 a group of demonstrators gathered at the United Plaza, in San Francisco to protest over the fat...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Oakland Chamber Budget Cut May Cause Release Of Popular Kayla Brand

For about ten years, Kayla Brand has been a valued and popular member of the staff of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce as Events and Develop...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Alameda Mayor Beverly Johnson Defends Rotating Fire Station Closures

More at ActionAlameda.org : “Less than a week after low-level City of Alameda functionaries appeared on the news trying to dismiss claims by...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Monday Night BART protesters in SF: 'We are Oscar Grant!' - SFGate.com

More at SfGate : “(01-12) 21:36 PST San Francisco -- A raucous crowd protesting the shooting death of a BART passenger marched through downt...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Ruckus Society Plans More BART Shooting Protests - Inside Bay Area

More at the Trib : “Activists plan to return to downtown Oakland on Wednesday, one week after a small group of rioters marred what had been ...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

BART Police Gary Gee; BART Website No Oscar Grant Apology

BART Board's Lynette Sweet said BART Police did not explain that they talked to Officer Johannes Mesherle until Sunday. What Gee said i...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Keith Carson - Alameda Co Supervisor Pissed With BART Board

At Sunday's BART Board Committee Meeting, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson took the mic and let lose, expressing his frustration w...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Naked, Unconscious Woman Found Under Oakland Freeway Dies - News Story - KTVU San Francisco

More at KTVU.com : “OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland police have a mystery on their hands after the discovery of a woman who was naked and unconsc...

Monday, January 12, 2009

BART Protest Set For 5 PM in San Francisco - Why SF?

There's a planned BART Protest set for 5 PM in San Francisco, but why the heck someone would try San Francisco is weird to me. Whatever...

Monday, January 12, 2009

DOJ sends conciliation team to Oakland - washingtonpost.com

More at washingtonpost.com : “WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Justice Department has sent mediators to Oakland, Calif., to help resolve tensions aris...

Monday, January 12, 2009

BART Mtg: Oakland City Council Desley Brooks v. BART Board

Oakland City Councilmember Desley Brooks takes on the BART Board and BART Board Member Carol Ward Allen at the community meeting held on Su...

Monday, January 12, 2009

2009 California Democrat 16th District Delegate Election

This video covered the 2009 California Delegate election for the 16th District. The event was held on Saturday, January 10th at The Alameda ...

Monday, January 12, 2009

BART Meeting: Linton Johnson - BART Spokesperson On Shooting

BART Spokesperson Linton Johnson expresses his frustration over the bad PR BART has received regarding the BART Fruitvale Shooting just befo...

Monday, January 12, 2009

Zennie Abraham Takes On CNN's Ali Velshi On Economic Stimulus

For me this was a ton of fun to do. But it's even better when someone takes time to let folks know you did a great job. Such was the c...

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Robbery at Gunpoint On Euclid Between Lagunitas and Van Buren, Adams Point

This was from the Yahoo Adams Point Message Board: A friend called this a.m. to say he and two others were walking home yesterday mid-ev...

Sunday, January 11, 2009

BART Meeting on Oakland Shooting Sunday Jan 11 2 PM to 4 PM

I was just informed today, Saturday evening January 10th, 2009, that BART is holding a "community meeting" on Sunday, January 11...

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Oakland Mayor Calls in OPD and D.A.

Haaziq4News is all over the Mayor's press conference. But he didn't get the Mayor's full statement -- that was missed by many a...

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Public vents over BART shooting at BART board meeting

From The Contra Costa Times: "BART held it's Board of Directors meeting and the public showed up in force to voice their frustrati...

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Oakland Latino's United's Video Opinion on The Oakland Riots and Shooting

This man makes a great point about how the media did not show the peaceful protest at Fruitvale BART and did show the violent riot. The on...

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Re: Bart police shoot and kill black man on camera!

YouTuber darrincoe expresses his emotions over seeing the shooting video, and he doesn't even live in Oakland. But it shows the impact ...

Saturday, January 10, 2009

The Second Downtown Oakland Riot After The BART Shooting

This time Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums got out into the streets and talked with people. This one was smaller and ended almost as quickly as it...

Saturday, January 10, 2009

New Footage of Oakland Man Murdered By BART Cop

The YouTuber write that this is new, but it's not. However it's still worth another look, if only to see that the man next to Oscar...

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Oakland Peaceful Post-Riot Protest March

As I left City Hall there was a small group of people carrying home-made signs reading "Stop Police Brutality" and screaming "...

Friday, January 09, 2009

Officer in BART shooting abruptly resigns

More at SFGate.com : “(01-07) 19:14 PST OAKLAND -- The BART police officer who shot an unarmed man to death on a station platform early on N...

Thursday, January 08, 2009

BART Cop Needs to Be Held without Bail

'I have yet to see any widespread nationwide coverage on the New Year's execution style murder of Oscar Grant by a Bay Area Rapid Tr...

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Protests over Oscar Grant's death turn violent 100+ arrested

OAKLAND, Calif. -- More than 100 demonstrators were arrested overnight as a march to protest the slaying of a Hayward man by a BART police o...

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Riots erupt in Oakland after slain father laid to rest

Protests erupted shortly after a young man killed by a subway police officer was laid to rest in Oakland on Wednesday night. read more | di...

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Oakland Riots - Davey D Rants on Mayor Ron Dellums

HipHop Reporter Davey D vents his frustration with Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums at the BART Fruitvale Press Coference and protest. Davey D expl...

Thursday, January 08, 2009

The BART Shooting Downtown Oakland Riot - Zennie's Account

This is my report of the riots that broke out during what was planned to be a peaceful protest of the death of Oscar Grant at the hand of B...

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Jane Tyska Foe Art Michel Resigns -Oakland schools police chief leaving - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — Art Michel, the Oakland school district police chief who detained a Tribune videographer last fall duri...

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Geoffrey's, a place to be and be seen, is closing - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “Geoffrey's Inner Circle, the popular black-owned and -operated nightclub in downtown Oakland, is closing. Ow...

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Oakland BART Police Shooting Update News

This is a review of the latest (to this date) information on the BART Police shooting of Oscar Grant. The Grant family lawyer John Burris ha...

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Nemekhbayer Gaitav, 42, found stabbed to death in Oakland apartment

More at SFGate.com : “A man was found stabbed to death in downtown Oakland, police said today. Nemekhbayer Gaitav, 42, was found inside an ...

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

What does "In God We Trust" mean to you? - Zennie Abraham

This is the video that "started it all" for me as a nationally-known video-blogger. It was one of several I made for the CNN / Yo...

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

The Oakland BART Shooting By Police at Fruitvale Station Was A Deliberate Act

The Oakland BART Police Fruitvale Station shooting was a horrifying act of an individual police officer that, upon reflection, went insane f...

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

BART / Oakland Police Shooting - A Very Angry Video

Of all the videos I've seen on last New Year's Day Morning's shooting by the BART / Oakland Police at Fruitvale BART Station, th...

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Inauguration 2009 Party January 9th Washington DC 8:30 - 1:30 PM

Famous stylist and restauranteur B Smith and Dan Gasby are the hosts for a major party to be held in Washington D.C during Inauguration Week...

Monday, January 05, 2009

Jane Brunner's the New President of The Oakland City Council

Today, as I was attending the memorial service for Dr. C. Diane Howell, the Oakland City Council selected Councilmember Jane Brunner (D-1) a...

Monday, January 05, 2009

Stop Twitter Phishing Now!

"Phishing" is the act of sending a "safe" looking email that asks you to give out sensitive information: your username ...

Monday, January 05, 2009

Bay Area Women Against Rape looks for ways to raise money as cuts loom - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “OAKLAND — Bay Area Women Against Rape, the nation's first rape crisis center, held a house party recently to ...

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Al Davis blasts ESPN report that he's selling part of Raiders - Inside Bay Area

More at Inside Bay Area : “The Raiders dismissed an ESPN report Sunday that said managing general partner Al Davis is negotiating to sell p...

Sunday, January 04, 2009

2008 a year of chaos for the Oakland Raiders

To say that the year of 2008 was tumultuous for the Oakland Raiders would be in the running for the understatement of the decade. The year s...

Sunday, January 04, 2009

VIDEO: Transit cop caught on tape shooting, killing rider

Disturbing home video obtained and broadcast by Bay Area television stations Saturday evening shows the killing of an unarmed 22 year-old Ha...

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Oakland, Ca Fruitvale Bart Station Shooting. Full Video and interview with Karina Vargas

This is the first of several videos that are literally flying around the Internet. This one shows the actual clip that has an unarmed BART r...

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Oakland Raiders Considering a Color Change

"Brighter colors, brighter future," were the words Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis used to preface his call with reporters early Su...

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Oakland Apartments For Rent - You can Find Oakland Rentals

Yes, there are Oakland Apartments in safe places! You can indeed find them, especially if you use our Oakland Apartments Blog. You can giv...

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Oscar Grant Fatally Shot at Fruitvale Bart New Years Day

According to the family's lawyer, it sounds like there is a lot of gaps and holes in this story. This is a very sad story, and I can...

Sunday, January 04, 2009

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