LeAna Powell complained to the Public Ethics Commission on June 20, days after she was fired, accusing mayoral candidate Thao of ordering city staffers to campaign for her.
Author Archives: Darwin BondGraham
Before joining The Oaklandside as News Editor, Darwin BondGraham was a freelance investigative reporter covering police and prosecutorial misconduct. He has reported on gun violence for The Guardian and was a staff writer for the East Bay Express. He holds a doctorate in sociology from UC Santa Barbara and was the co-recipient of the George Polk Award for local reporting in 2017. He is also the co-author of The Riders Come Out at Night, a book examining the Oakland Police Department's history of corruption and reform.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
A guide to Oakland voter guides for the 2022 election
We don’t make endorsements. But we do round-up guides that help voters understand the candidates and issues.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Misconduct charges against Sheng Thao amplified by a blogger paid by an opponent
Zennie Abraham released a video with a former staffer’s allegations. He didn’t mention his work for another mayoral candidate—and the coal terminal plan they support.
Posted inArts & Community
Halloween was once a chaotic night of pranks and violence in the East Bay
Hordes of mischief-making children, punishing adults, rashes of theft, vandalism, and police crackdowns—Halloween in Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda was once mayhem.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland’s election is heating up: Big spending by PACs, strategic alliances, and tweet backlash
A Kanye comment lands a candidate in hot water. Astonishing spending from unions and coal terminal developers. And more twists and turns.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Analysis: Oakland mayor’s race is all about public safety
Feelings—and misperceptions—about the size of Oakland’s police budget since the “defund” movement are likely to shape this election.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Mayor Libby Schaaf strikes hopeful note in final state of the city speech
Despite rising violence, homelessness, and mass discontent, Schaaf told supporters the city is stronger after her 8 years in office.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
How ranked-choice voting works in Oakland elections
You don’t have to settle for 1 candidate for mayor, school board, and more. You can pick up to 5 through the city’s instant runoff process.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
East Oakland police chase leaves a bystander dead
Oakland police say a man wanted for brandishing a gun fled officers this morning, setting off a deadly chase.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Federal monitor warns of ‘deeply troubling’ disciplinary issues within Oakland Police Department
Two new internal affairs cases could derail OPD’s plan to finally shake off its federal watchdogs.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland mayor’s race: unions, coal terminal developers, and others are spending big on a few candidates
So far, Sheng Thao and Ignacio De La Fuente have benefitted the most from the fact that wealthy people, unions, and corporations can spend almost unlimited amounts in U.S. elections.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Election 2022: Here’s what Oakland residents want their next mayor to focus on
Homelessness, public safety, illegal dumping, and racial equity were among the priorities for voters we interviewed.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Arson cause of Tuesday’s fire along I-580 in Oakland, officials said
Flames broke out Tuesday afternoon within a few hundred meters of where another suspicious fire damaged several homes last week.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland mayoral candidate Seneca Scott was arrested last year for brandishing a firearm
Scott allegedly used a gun to confront two people in 2021. Candidate Peter Liu was also arrested on a gun charge last year.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland mayoral candidate threatens Jewish community in mass emails
A fringe candidate, angry at being excluded from an upcoming forum at a Jewish temple, emailed antisemitic messages to local reporters and public figures.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Toilets? Cannabis grows? Rising temps? We looked into theories and history behind the Bay Area algae bloom
Questions swirl as carcasses rot at Lake Merritt and beyond. We talked to experts and explored 100 years of local fish-kills.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland mayoral candidates talk affordable housing, crime, and ‘giant water slides’ at forum
8 of the 10 people running for mayor presented their ideas to an audience of elders and others at Laney College Tuesday night.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Lake Merritt fish die-off: Can the city help? Can you? Will decimated species bounce back?
The Bay’s unprecedented and fatal algae bloom has scientists, government agencies, and others scrambling to understand the causes and long-term implications.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Fish are piling up dead around Lake Merritt
Authorities say an algae bloom associated with the die-off probably isn’t harmful to humans but are urging people and pets to stay out of the water.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Everything Oakland residents need to know about the 2022 election
How to register and vote, what’s on the ballot, voters’ rights, and other Nov. 8 election essentials.
