Mayor Thao accepts recall, thanks voters for electing her: ‘It isn’t about me. … It has always been about Oakland.’

Oakland voters have recalled Mayor Sheng Thao. With more than 65,000 votes tallied, 64% have said yes to a recall, prompting the need for a special election to elect a new mayor in a few months. In a statement acknowledging her defeat Friday night, Thao said, “I am deeply proud of the progress we created together and I am committed to ensuring we stay on track by supporting a smooth transition. It isn’t about me. It never has been. It…

Mayor Thao rallies against recall, with help from a former Oakland mayor and other supporters

At an event launching  the campaign to fight her recall, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said Sunday that the FBI raid of her home in June was an “overreach” by the agency.  Likening it to the  investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails just two weeks before the 2016 presidential election, Thao said the ongoing FBI probe is “undoubtedly putting a finger on the scale, influencing this election.”  Thao reiterated that she is innocent, is not the target of the investigation, and has…

That’s a wrap: Oakland Ballers give baseball fans a reason to cheer

The Oakland Ballers delivered in their inaugural season, reviving the city’s baseball legacy with a wining season and a playoff berth. “Welcome to the next chapter of baseball in Oakland,” blares a voice over the public address system in Raimondi Park, the B’s home field in West Oakland.  Fans have flocked to the bleachers, nearly 2,000 on average at each home game. Only a few thousand more have been going to the Coliseum to see the A’s play their last…