EXPLAINED: Barbara lee | Vintage Vibes

Oakland could join 47 other of the 100 most populous U.S. cities with strong mayor governments

Welcome to the Thursday, July 16, 2026, Brew.

Ballotpedia · Jul 16

What is a strong mayor government? Oakland voters will decide charter amendment to change city’s form of government

Voters in Oakland, California, will decide on a ballot measure to amend the city charter to create a strong-mayor form of government, changing the distribution of power and responsibilities among the mayor, city administrator, and city council.

Ballotpedia · Jul 13

Trump wants to put a $75m coal terminal in this liberal California city. Residents aren’t having it

Residents of West Oakland, which suffers from toxic waste and high pollution rates, rally against a coal export facility

The Guardian - US · Jun 15

From Netflix Spotlight to Hospital Bed: 'Last Chance U' Coach John Beam Shot on Oakland Campus

Laney College football icon and former Netflix 'Last Chance U' coach John Beam was critically injured in a campus shooting in Oakland, prompting lockdowns, community outrage and an ongoing police search for the gunman.

International Business Times UK · Nov 14, 2025

'San Francisco Is On The Rise': Mayor Daniel Lurie Reveals Why Trump Will NOT Be Sending Federal Troops

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie explains how key discussions convinced Trump to cancel plans to deploy federal troops, signalling renewed confidence in the city's recovery.

International Business Times UK · Oct 24, 2025

Belva Davis, a journalist who ‘opened doors for a generation’, dies aged 92

Friends and colleagues remember the first Black woman hired as a TV reporter on the west coast for her ‘courage, integrity, grace and humanity’

The Guardian - US · Sep 27, 2025

Trump’s White House takes to TikTok as deadline looms to ban platform

The new account comes as Trump has three times delayed implementing a ‘sell or ban’ law for the Chinese-owned app.

Al Jazeera · Aug 20, 2025

Black mayors of cities Trump decries as 'lawless' tout significant declines in violent crimes

Members of the African American Mayors Association started noticing last year declines in violent crime in their cities

The Independent UK · Aug 17, 2025

Cops warn that suspect charged in 2004 cold-case murder and rapes might have more victims out there

Cold case suspect Robert Castillo could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted

The Independent UK · Apr 29, 2025

Trump news at a glance: Mass anti-Trump protests sweep nation; supreme court issues midnight order

Protesters pour into the streets from east coast to west in second wave of demonstrations this month – key US politics stories from Saturday 19 April at a glance

The Guardian - US · Apr 20, 2025