Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget! | Visit YouTube | Visit UShow.com I had to take a time out to send a little message to my friend Jack Cafferty at CNN. He has a blog post focusing on Van Jones and asking if the White House should have so many czars. Van Jones: Mayor of Oakland Now a bit of background, CNN's been very good to me by giving me a platform to feature my video work, particularly during the Democratic National Convention last year, and putting me on live TV more times than I can immediately recall. CNN essentially "made me" so after so many appearances and headquarters visits, like the one below, where I met the iReport staff that's become family to me, I've got a pretty good idea what they're looking for. Now, I know what CNN's doing - same thing I do - ask a question or go to a subject that I know will smack the hornets nest and get people emailing, commenting, and talking, er, like this one. It

  More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! In an article written by none other than Academy Award-Winning Actor Leonardo DiCaprio , Oakland's Van Jones was just named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. DiCaprio writes: When Van Jones was tapped to serve as special adviser on green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality earlier this year, the appointment was heralded as a significant development for the green movement. And for good reason. A pioneer in fusing economic opportunity and social justice with environmentalism, Jones, 40, represents an important progression in our country's perception and thus our approach to combatting global warming. It's incredible and, well, just plain cool to see Van rise from Oakland to the White House where he works as Special Adviser on Green Jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and be rewarded for something he would have done and has done without fanfare for years

  More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! Van Jones , President Obama's new "Special Advisor For Green Jobs Enterprise and Innovation" who I have featured in our "Oakland Focus" blog and videos several times and I last talked to as he closed his account at Gold's Gym in Oakland where he was a member for years, is the guest on CNN's "Larry King" show tonight starting at 6 PM PST, 9 PM EST but CNN runs a "loop" so if you missed Van at 6 PM or 9 PM respectively, you can catch him again later in the evening and the video on CNN.com two days later. (I hope.) Mr. Jones is the author of the New York Times best-selling book, "The Green Collar Economy" and the co-founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland. Over his career as activist and author, Jones has tirelessly fought for alternatives to violence and incarceration. In her tribute to Jones, Rosemary Pritzker wrote: Van Jones has been maki

Now, I know what you're saying: that's a weird title.  Well it's borne of my unusual Sunday, March 15th 2009.  In this case I was on the indoor rowing machine and saw Van Jones who's a friend -- not buddy buddy so careful there -- getting out of his car and walking to the gym: Gold's Gym on Grand Avenue . Frankly, I've never seen him in the gym, so I was a bit surprised he was headed in.  I finished my 2000 meters in 11 minutes -- hey, I'm finally back to that rowing pace! -- and went over to talk to Van. "Hey!  I thought you were in DC", I said.  Van explained that he was leaving Sunday night and to a morning White House meeting.  He was excited about the opportunity, sad to leave Oakland, but apparenly humbled over the task ahead "We've got to go and make sure people get jobs" he said.  Unless, you've lived under a rock, you know that Jones has carved a niche as a green energy and sustainable jobs advocate.  His latest boo

Oakland resident accepts White House post as 'green jobs' adviser - Inside Bay Area : “Oakland activist and author Van Jones has accepted a White House post as a "green jobs" adviser to President Barack Obama. Jones, 40, will serve starting Monday as special adviser for green jobs, enterprise and innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, helping to shape and implement job-generating climate policy; working to ensure equal protection and equal opportunity in the administration's climate and energy proposals; and publicly advocating the Obama administration's environmental and energy agenda.”

Tony West, who I've gotten to know over the last two years of volunteering for the Obama campaign, and Van Jones, who I actually met for the first time at a party hosted by Aimee Allison, are both featured in today's Oakland Tribune as possible future members of President-Elect Barack Obama's Cabinet.  Here are two videos I made of interviews I conducted with both Tony West and Van Jones  : Tony West: Van Jones: