Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

Adrienne Bailon is a Disney Cheetah Girl who claimed nude photos of her were stolen, then put on the Internet. Well, it's all a hoax set up by her friend who's a Hollywood publicist.  Watch my video to learn why.  

  If the American Auto Industry is allowed to collapse, the US will lose 7.8 million jobs, an economic impact of $349 billion and, increase an already high unemployment rate by another six percent. We can't let that happen. In this video I explain why.  

Oakland artist Rocky Rische-Baird was commissioned to create a giant mural on the side of what will be the 1100 Broadway Building.  The skyscraper, developed by SKS Investments, is proposed to be built and finished in 4 years.   The historic Key System building will remain at the site, with the new structure surrounding it.  This press conference in the video was held to present the mural concept, it's creator, Rocky Rische-Baird, and Paul Stein, who is also featured in another video on 1100 Broadway on Oakland Focus. 

Remember our blog post featuring a chilling video showing how Oakland Unified School District Police Chief Art Michel verbally abused and detained Oakland Tribune photographer Jane Tyska? To refresh, Chief Michel claims that Tyska hit his police cruiser with her camera, where Tyska says she did not and indeed, the video shows that she was making a video of a protest. Michel used his claim to launch a verbally abusive tirade against Tyska, an event that he's reportedly very remorseful about.   (If you've not seen the video, it's here: Well, I just talked with a good friend of mine who will not be revealed, and who reports that this episode was not the first time Tyska has had a "run-in" -- as my friend put it -- with Art Michel. My source is not clear regarding the reasons for Michel's dislike for Tyska, but it's clear he's got something against her. My source also personally has known Police Chief Michel for some time but has n

I visited Tony West of Obama for America and the law firm Morrison and Forrester on Monday of this week to talk about the campaign and why it worked so well and West's future. West is well known in the San Francisco Bay Area as an excellent plaintiff's lawyer.   But West is also known as a friend of President-Elect Barack Obama. West met Obama in 2004 and offered to help him should he elect to run for President. When Obama did, he called West and thus began West's role as Chair of the fundraising committee for Northern California. It also started a round of basketball between the two that's gone well enough for Obama to give West a pair of his shoes to wear for games.   Since Obama's election win, West's name has been floated for Mayor of Oakland, a position in some capacity for Obama, and Alameda County District Attorney. West himself says his future may include remaining with Morrison and Forrester as a lawyer. West's wife Mia was just recently

Below is the agenda for the latest meeting on the over-sized proposal for the Safeway on College Avenue.  The meetings tonight; I'm traveling.  But for those who attend and want a recap of the first meeting held June 19, 2008, here's my video from that 300-strong event: Rockridge Safeway Stakeholder Meeting #5 Agenda November 12, 2008 Section I. Introduction/Context 7:00-7:15 Welcome, introduction, agenda review Review overall project objective and today’s objectives Review of Groundrules Review process for tonight’s meeting Section II. Reflection of ideas generated during Meetings 1-4 7:15-7:30 Review areas of agreement and open items Interior Exterior Landscaping Contiguous Neighbor buffer Parking Traffic Section III. Open dialogue with David Blair (architect) 7:30-8:45 Todd Paradis – opening and purpose David Blair presents a couple of ideas for each program element – a sampling of some of the important aspects related to landscaping, buffer, exterior, parking, etc.

After retiring, starting for the Lions for one-game, getting cut, Daunte Culpepper returns for a tryout with the Raiders Tuesday. read more | digg story

Matt Holliday has been traded to Oakland, pending completion of physicals, for Huston Street, Carlos Gonzalez, and Greg Smith. read more | digg story

According to the Oakland Tribune, Eastbay Lawmakers have set up call-in numbers and email lists for those looking for inauguration tickets.  Here's their report, in part: The East Bay congressional delegation is compiling first-come, first-serve waiting lists of those who want free — and hard to get — tickets to the Jan. 20 presidential inaugural ceremony in Washington, D.C. But federal lawmakers are warning the hundreds of constituents who have called or sent e-mail requests for tickets that a spot on the list offers no guarantees. Members do not know how many of the estimated 250,000 tickets their offices will receive from the Joint Congressional Inaugural Committee. Ticket-holders will have access to the outdoor viewing area on the west front of the Capitol. Lawmakers' phones started ringing months ago, but the volume ramped up after the historic Nov. 4 election of Barack Obama, who is poised to become the nation's first African-American president. It's unclea

Donald Lacy is a name that came into Oakland and the nation's view after the 1997 murder of Lacy's daughter who was an innocent bystander just leaving McClymond's High School in Oakland. As part of his on-going effort to combat the problems that caused that event, Lacy started The Lovelife Foundation, which is "promoting life and saving lives through community revitalization, leadership and development." ( http://lovelifefoundation.org)  . I saw Lacy at the San Francisco Democratic Party event on Election Night and got his views on the Election and President-Elect Obama's victory.

Sean Sullivan's a new name and face in Oakland politics. Observers may remember Sean's run for Oakland's District Three Council Seat, where he lost to the incumbent Nancy Nadel. But Sean pressed on. He's worked at Covenant House and serves on the board of several non-profits in Oakland and the Bay Area. You can learn more at his website: http://www.seansullivan.org At the Westin on Election Night, Sean stopped to talk about the election and now President-Elect Obama and the then-progress of the No On Prop 8 campaign.

The rash of protests over the passage of Proposition Hate, ah, Proposition 8 is spreading.  This one was near the Mormon Temple in Oakland.  Here's the Oakland Tribune 's account: OAKLAND — Hundreds of protesters angry about last week's voter passage of a ban on same-sex marriages in California gathered on the streets and sidewalks in front of the Mormon Temple, prompting officials to shut down nearby freeway off-ramps for 3½ hours. "The time has come to take it out there to the people who voted for this awful thing," said San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty. "The Mormon church has had to rely on our tolerance in the past, to be able to express their beliefs "... This is a huge mistake for them. It looks like they've forgotten some lessons." The protest was one of several anti-Proposition 8 gatherings throughout the state. Hundreds of protesters rallied outside an Orange County megachurch whose popular pastor brought Barack Obama and John M

This video will be misunderstood by some just for its title. I ask you to listen to what I say. I'm am against California Proposition 8. I've made videos to show the World how stupid and hateful the people who back the initiative can be. But what does bother me is the discovery that of all groups, African Americans voted more for it than against it. Why? I think one reason is that the message those who were against Prop 8 put out was off-putting to many who are Black. While I agree that gay marriage is a civil rights issue, one can't then make the cognitive leap and say that Blacks and Gays share the same path and past. The reason is simple: if I walk down the street you already have made up your mind how you're going to adress me because of my skin color. That's not true if the person's Gay -- you can't tell by looking. The bottom line is civil rights for all -- but the message that's sent by "No on 8" seems to say that

This video will be misunderstood by some just for its title. I ask you to listen to what I say. I'm am against California Proposition 8. I've made videos to show the World how stupid and hateful the people who back the initiative can be. But what does bother me is the discovery that of all groups, African Americans voted more for it than against it. Why? I think one reason is that the message those who were against Prop 8 put out was off-putting to many who are Black. While I agree that gay marriage is a civil rights issue, one can't then make the cognitive leap and say that Blacks and Gays share the same path and past. The reason is simple: if I walk down the street you already have made up your mind how you're going to adress me because of my skin color. That's not true if the person's Gay -- you can't tell by looking. The bottom line is civil rights for all -- but the message that's sent by "No on 8" seems to say that

Oakland Tribune photographer Jane Tyska was just doing her job when an Oakland Police Officer named Art Michel alledgedly hit Tyska as she was filming.  It's too bad Jane didn't get a shot of the car as it went by -- I'd have done that right off.  But it's clear the Oakland Police are developing a kind of track record of hostility to the press.  First there's the matter of Chauncey Bailey, then there's this issue of the way Jane was treated and detained. Police should consider journalists as off-limits to their treatment.  To treat someone the way Michel handled Jane, who I know, is not only terrible, it should be grounds for dismissal.  I view it as interfering with a journalist's job, just as a police officer has the right to charge a person who keeps them from doing their job.  It's obvious Officer Michel was being unnecessarily harsh with Tyska.  He should be forced to at the very least apologize to Jane.  Michel was out of line.  He

This kind of thing is always in the back of my mind when I drive through the Oakland Hills. Eamon Kelly was one of two passengers in the car. They are lucky to have survived this terrible accident. You can read the full story here...

Like everywhere in America, horns blowing and people out celebrating in downtown Oakland.

This is by sunao999  on YouTube and is from last night's election party at the Oakland Convention Center.  I was at my client's event in San Francisco (Yes on H).   

NP - H.E. Christian (Chris) Peeples 171355 63.88 NP - Joyce Roy 94697 35.30 Write-in 2202 0.82 Data from Alameda County Registrar of Voters.  

Yes 57024 52.99 No 50587 47.01 Data from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.  This is the results for Measure OO in Oakland, a  proposal that more than doubles the amount of money Oakland must budget for non-public programming for kids. More on this later.