A mayor‑appointed working group urges Oakland to shift to a strong‑mayor charter while adding council safeguards and public review.

Tim Simmons, a 17‑year RPD veteran, is Richmond's new police chief and has prioritized hiring, neighborhood policing and a review of license‑plate reader data.

California AG Rob Bonta co-led a multistate amicus brief calling the federal "no-bond" policy inhumane and illegal and asking courts to restore bond hearings. The filing joins state attorneys general and advocates in a national push for due process.

California’s attorney general has launched a statewide sweep into “surveillance pricing,” asking retailers, grocers and hotels to explain whether they use personal data to set individual prices. The inquiry will examine disclosures and pricing experiments under the CCPA.

California DOJ says a Prop 65 settlement was reached after tests found lead and cadmium in seafood; companies will pay penalties and add warnings.

Oakland city attorneys say OPD has reformed enough to end federal oversight, but plaintiffs and the monitor point to unfinished internal‑affairs work and discipline problems.

An Afghan family who aided U.S. forces left the Bay Area for Britain after new Trump‑era immigration moves left them fearing detention and deportation.

Fire Chief Lewis Broschard will retire March 30 after leading major expansions, ISO upgrades and new wildfire resources across Contra Costa County.

Oakland officers released a suspected illegal dumper after a call from Councilmember Ken Houston — a move that clashes with the city charter’s no‑contact rules.

The Education Department asked an appeals court to drop its challenge, leaving a federal judge’s decision that blocked anti‑DEI funding threats in place. Educators called it a win.

Most CalPERS retirees remain in California, but a rising share of pension dollars now goes to beneficiaries living out of state. That shift is small but growing and matters for local economies.

A Mellman Group survey paid for by opponents finds support under 50% for California’s proposed billionaire tax, complicating the SEIU‑UHW signature drive.

Mayor Barbara Lee told KRON4 that budget shortfalls have strained Oakland Fire Department staffing, and city leaders are weighing parcel-tax and reallocation options to restore coverage. The decisions will shape staffing for years to come.