One local writer, journalist and chronicler of Oakland’s political scene and beyond, has written a novel set in South Carolina in the late 1930s.

Known to many of us simply as Jesse, J. Douglas Allen Taylor is a native Oaklander whose family has deep roots in the Bay Area. I asked him why the book was set in South Carolina.

Image a job that receives over 120,000 applications each year competing for 900 placements. No, this is not at Apple or Google or clerking for a Supreme Court Justice. This is a job that only requires a High School diploma and takes a mere four months to train for, yet it pays a $60-$80k salary. What could this job of so many dreams be? Try prison guard in California.

Holding back tears, Ana Romero listened intently as Bay Area elected leaders delivered their support for a legislative package to mitigate foreclosure impacts and wondered if there was anything else she could do to save her house. 

A hearing regarding possible conflict of interest allegations in the ongoing Oakland gang injunctions saga has resulted in the judge issuing a non-ruling, until more evidence is presented.