Oaklandside 510

Oakland's roads are in crisis—871 stretches have zero years of remaining life left. But there's also progress: bond money is finally flowing, bollards on International Boulevard have eliminated pedestrian deaths, and speed cameras are coming online.  Oaklandside road safety reporter Jose Fermoso takes us deep into the data, the success stories, and what's next for Oakland's str...

Deputy editor Esther Kaplan and news editor Darwin BondGraham join host Tasneem Raja to preview the biggest stories The Oaklandside will be covering in 2026—from OUSD's superintendent search and brutal budget cuts, to the mayoral and DA races, the FBI corruption trial, Oakland's budget crisis, and whether the city's historic drop in crime will continue. Stories we cover in this epis...

Oakland Unified School District faces brutal $102 million in budget cuts that will impact every school. Education reporter Ashley McBride breaks down what's getting cut, why the district is in crisis, and what happens next. Plus: Oakland airport's new guest pass program raises concerns about TSA sharing passenger data with ICE, the ethics commission dismisses Ken Houston's complaint...

The Nosh food awards are in! Hear about Oakland’s Best New Restaurant (Lucuma), Best Bar Overall (Tallboy), Best Coffee Shop (Mother Tongue Cafe & Bar), and much more.  See all the Nosh winners in 2025. Also in this episode: Oakland finally sells $285 million in Measure U bonds for roads and housing after years of delays, OUSD's school board faces tough decisions on $100 million in cuts,...

In this week’s episode, we catch you up on speed cameras coming to Oakland's most dangerous roads , share some good news about Oakland’s costly coal terminal lawsuit, and tell you about a City Hall clash between a city council member and a high-up city staffer accusing each other of ethics violations. Plus, holiday gift guides to help you shop local in three Oakland neighborhoods. But first,...

This week, Oakland is mourning a legend. John Beam, Laney College's beloved athletic director and football coach, was shot and killed on Thursday morning in the school's field house. Host Tasneem Raja talks with Oaklandside reporters Azucena Rasilla and Roselyn Romero about Beam's extraordinary legacy , the circumstances of his death, and what we know about the suspect who's be...

In today's episode:  Oakland faces a potentially massive legal judgment over its efforts to block a coal terminal in West Oakland.  The state finds Oakland Unified discriminated against Jewish students.  A popular Lake Merritt hangout spot is getting new parking restrictions after gun violence.  The old Lake Merritt Lodge is reopening as a shelter for survivors of domestic violence and traffi...

Oakland’s surprising affordable housing boom, dropping crime rates, a new health center for East Oakland youth, huge fixes coming for Oakland sidewalks, and much more good news in this week’s episode.  We spend a lot of time on this podcast covering Oakland's challenges — budget crises, crime statistics, political turmoil. That's important.  But it’s not the full story of what's hap...

Last week, federal agents arrived in the East Bay for what was expected to be a major immigration and law enforcement operation. Then President Trump called it off—for now. But the impact on Oakland students, families, businesses, and protestors was stark. In this episode, we walk you through everything that happened that Wednesday and Thursday, from Coast Guard Island to Fruitvale Village to Oakl...

Note: this episode was recorded Wednesday, before Thursday’s whirlwind news of a Bay Area “surge” in federal enforcement that didn’t materialize—for now. We’ll talk about it in next week’s episode. This week on Oaklandside 510, our investigation into how Oakland City Council members routinely ignore public records laws, good news on lead contamination progress in Oakland schools, a guide to local...

How violence interrupters make OUSD schools safer. Plus: Who’s to blame for the police chief leaving?, OAK refuses to screen partisan video, remembering Allen Temple’s Pastor J. Alfred Smith, Sr., Tommy Orange wins a genius award, is a new tax the best way to plug the city’s budget hole?, and why Oakland hasn’t sent more homegrown talent to the WNBA? First, thank you! We’re incredibly grateful to...

Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell surprised the city this week by resigning after just 18 months on the job. We talk with Oaklandside news editor Darwin BondGraham and public safety reporter Roselyn Romero about what might be behind his decision, the challenges of the job, and Oakland's troubled history of police chief turnover. Plus: a vigilante business that removes squatters using swords...

This week on Oaklandside 510, we're covering essential earthquake preparedness tips for Oakland residents, the Police Commission's vote on vehicle pursuit policy changes, major infrastructure investments in East Oakland, a parking ticket scam targeting Uptown drivers, and more. Plus: We're in fundraising mode! Help us raise the final $5,000 of our $15,000 goal to keep the 510 going...

It’s the last episode of our 10-episode pilot experiment! Want to keep the 510 going? We just launched a fundraiser: we’re raising $15,000 to pay for six more months of weekly episodes.  Learn more and chip in here: Donate to keep the 510 going for another six months! In this episode: Reporter Ashley McBride has been covering Oakland schools for five years. She shares what she thinks more Oaklande...

How Oaklandside fights for your access to information And: Waymo's potential expansion to Oakland, how Oakland schools are handling AI in the classroom, hoping to save Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, the closure of beloved Edith's Pie bakery, and pairing picnic spots with takeout ideas around Oakland. Three easy questions to make Oaklandside 510 better? We'd love your thoughts....

⁠ Three easy questions to make Oaklandside 510 better? We'd love your thoughts. ⁠ Gun violence is dropping in Oakland, but it's still way too high. We take you behind the scenes into some intensive, on-the-ground efforts to bring the numbers down further — efforts that are funded by the city but led by civilians. Host Tasneem Raja talks with Oaklandside’s public safety reporter Roselyn R...

Three easy questions to make Oaklandside 510 better? We'd love your thoughts. Mayor Barbara Lee just hit her first 100 days in office, facing enormous expectations from residents who want immediate solutions to crime, illegal dumping, homelessness, and Oakland's budget crisis. She also has to navigate federal threats from President Trump while working to heal a deeply divided city—and sh...

Three easy questions to make Oaklandside 510 better? We’d love your thoughts. When a toxic metal foundry finally shut down in East Oakland after years of community organizing, residents celebrated a hard-won victory. But as our environmental reporter discovered, a new polluter was allowed to move in with the city's blessing. This story reveals how environmental enforcement works—or doesn&apos...

How does Oakland decide who gets millions of dollars in city contracts? And is the process fair and transparent? Host Tasneem Raja talks with City Hall reporter Eli Wolfe about his investigations into Oakland's contracting system. Plus: Oakland Animal Services’s new policies, street design in Chinatown, universal transitional kindergarten, and how Oakland city councilmembers spend their &quot...

The 510 is on a break this week. Back next week with a great conversation on public safety in Oakland. Thanks for tuning in—and letting us catch our breath!

While Oakland has said goodbye to all of its major sports franchises in recent years—the Warriors, Raiders, and A's—a whole new generation of minor league and grassroots teams has been taking root in the city.  From soccer to basketball to baseball, Oakland's sports scene is experiencing a renaissance. Host Tasneem Raja talks with Tommy Craggs, former Deadspin editor and current Oaklands...

Last August, Oakland families began to receive disturbing reports about high amounts of lead in the drinking water at their children’s schools. Ashley McBride and Callie Rhoades get the receipts, going deep inside the Oakland Unified School District’s haphazard efforts to fix the problem — and its total communication meltdown when it came to informing principals, teachers, parents, and students. T...

Sideshows, speeding, “optional” stop signs: road safety is a big issue in Oakland—and some residents are taking matters into their own hands. From DIY guerilla tactics to pressuring city officials, Jose Fermoso reports on how neighbors in San Antonio and Rockridge have recently tried to make their streets safer. (Links to these stories and all reporting mentioned in the episode are below.) Jose al...

Oaklandside City Hall reporters Eli Wolfe and Natalie Orenstein dissect how Oakland’s new mayor is responding to the wrecking ball of federal cuts heading for city and county programs. What do Barbara Lee’s decades in Congress mean for Oakland now? And we explain how we’re covering the mayor’s first 100 days. Will she run again? Here’s what we know. Darwin BondGraham and Tasneem Raja catch you up...