In California and Elsewhere, Fear of Crime Drives the Surveillance State
Concerns about public safety will eventually recede, but Big Brother will still be watching.
Oakland
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 13): Gun Buybacks, Poppy Payday, CAFE Standards
Good intentions, bad results
Basic Income Programs in Marin County and Oakland Exclude White People. Is That Legal?
The answer mostly hinges on how much the government is involved.
Oakland 'Nooses' Turn Out To Be Exercise Swings; Mayor Wants To Investigate Them As a Hate Crime Anyway
A white mayor is pursuing a racially fraught investigation of a black man for hanging exercise straps in a park. What could go wrong?
How Oakland Cops Gamed the System To Earn $30 Million in Overtime Pay
A new audit reveals how poor oversight and structural problems allowed one Oakland cop to earn $2.5 million in overtime pay in five years.
Second U.S. City Decriminalizes Magic Mushrooms, Other Psychedelics
The Oakland City Council unanimously approved a city ordinance decriminalizing "entheogenic plants."
Oakland's 'Pothole Vigilantes' Are the Batman and Robin of Road Repair
"We love the city, we hope they fill the potholes faster. And if they’re not going to do it, we’ll do it ourselves.”
Oakland Gets Sued For Law Requiring That Landlords Pay Tenants Up to $12,000 Just to End a Lease
Lyndsey and Sharon Ballinger's lawsuit claims that Oakland's Uniform Relocation Ordinance is unconstitutional.
Oakland's Weed Equity Program Not Helping Intended Recipients
Cannabis equity programs are growing in popularity, but do they actually work?
Is This the Summer of Snitches?
Meet Burrito Bob, Permit Patty, and other vigilante informants
Feds Show Up at ICE Whistleblower's CBS Interview
Former spokesperson James Schwab received a unexpected house call from federal agents after saying ICE forced him to lie about immigration raids in Oakland.
9 Women Describe Horrific Treatment at the Hands of Their Jailers
In California's Santa Rita Jail, pregnant inmates were pressured to have abortions, forced to go without food, and made to live in unsanitary conditions, a new lawsuit alleges.
Cases Dropped Against California Cops Accused of Statutory Rape, Prostitution With Police Dispatcher's Daughter
Judge says Bay Area cops accused of sex crimes might not have known that Oakland teenager "Celeste Guap" was underage.
Judge Orders Oakland Cop to Trial; Says He Was 'Like a Pimp' to Exploited Teen
Former Oakland cop Brian Bunton is one of dozens of area police officers who've been implicated in the sexual exploitation of "Celeste Guap."
Stop Government Promotion of Food Waste
Why do we put up with laws and regulations that contribute to the problem?
Loathsome Federal Drug Warrior Melinda Haag Is Retiring. California's Cannabis Community Rejoices.
The departing Northern California U.S. attorney was responsible for shutting down more than 600 legal dispensaries.
