Politics

Stem cell ban reversal hits close to home

By Lauren Rudser and Brittney Johnson/ Oakland North Last week, the Obama administration reversed bans, put into place under former President Bush, on Stem Cell research using federal funds. See how this is affecting one local couple.

Making it

Gabriel De Jesus is bent over a laptop, eyes moving back and forth between the screen and the stack of forms on the desk next to him, jotting occasional notes. An older man knocks on the door and says he’s there to pick something up; De Jesus has him sign in on the sheet outside while he looks for his file. The phone rings; he answers, “Citizens for Education, this is Gabriel.” De Jesus works four days a week here…

Youth Speak Up, Curfew Shot Down

Diana Montaño/OaklandNorth Last month, a youth curfew ordinance was voted down by the City Council’s Public Safety Committee. And while the ordinance failed to become law, it did succeed in rousing the voice of Oakland’s youth.

North Oakland Now: March 8, 2009

Welcome to daylight-saving time. Oakland’s nepotism ordinance is drawing ire from the police and fire departments. The police union has filed a lawsuit charging that it could violate privacy laws–and could possibly out same-sex relationships. If the city doesn’t meet with the union, it will be back in court on May 12. This morning’s Trib reports on the latest news from Washington about earmarks for the Bay Area. In Oakland, a declining African-American population has lead to a change in…

Filmmaker to screen “Redemption,” story of Oakland recyclers

Jason Witt is an Olympian of recycling—he can recycle up to 800 pounds of bottles and cans a day. “He’s the captain of his ship,” said Amir Soltani, a writer and activist who has been following Witt for the past year as part of his upcoming documentary on West Oakland recyclers. Soltani said there is a lot of physical effort and finesse involved in manning a cart the size of Witt’s, which, at the end of each day, is stacked…

WELL presents Gajillionaire show

Join us for the Artist Reception March 6th• 6-10p show runs March 3 – 31st Amos Gajillionaire’s work is highly decorative and extremely colorful, he combines hand painted optical art with silkscreening to create one-of-a-kind piece of artwork. Amos is dedicated to making pieces accessible to a wide audience; his vision is to completely eradicate mass-produced posters and homogenized blandness from the walls of astute, urbane inhabitants. Amos is out to prove that there is no reason discerning collectors of…