Dope and depressing news for the week of Feb. 23 – March 1
It’s been a week of political upheaval, gun control and sticking it to the ICE man. Let’s unpack a few key stories impacting the Bay and beyond.
Schaaf sticks her neck out for immigrants
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf got an early tip on an ICE raid across the Bay Area and instead of quietly complying, she instead chose to hold a press conference Saturday to warn immigrant communities, according to the Washington Post. Her decision added fuel to ICE Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan’s frustrations with Bay Area sanctuary cities, as he claims her actions prevented him from detaining an additional 864 “criminal aliens” on his hit list. Although more than 150 illegal immigrants were captured by the end of Tuesday, the raid’s effectiveness was seriously dampened by the mayor’s warning – and she’s not at all sorry about it.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. Photo courtesy of Washington Examiner.
G-Eazy comes home
Oakland native, born as Gerald Earl Gillum, turned rapper extraordinaire brings it home to perform his “Beautiful & The Damned” at the Fox Theatre Thursday night. The San Francisco Chronicle did a nice piece in December that profiled his roots and struggles along the way, and he has come a hell of a way from his days slinging $5 mixtapes on Telegraph Ave.
SF mayor race goes to court
Mayoral candidate Mark Leno takes issue with Supervisor London Breed’s job description on the upcoming June ballot material. Election rules state that job descriptions must reflect the job held on the day of the filing deadline. Breed was both acting mayor and a supervisor on that specific day, but her ballot materials only refer to her temporary role as acting mayor in the short time following Ed Lee’s death. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Leno and team are petitioning the Superior Court to force the change. This is just one of many mini dramas we’re guaranteed to see throughout the San Francisco mayoral race.
California Democrats shake up the establishment
The California Democrats State Convention was held in San Diego this past weekend and the signals were clear: they want new blood. According to the Washington Post, Sen. Dianne Feinstein was denied the endorsement in her reelection, giving her opponent Kevin de Leon a boost among voters that believe the incumbent is just not anti-Trump enough for their taste.
Kevin de Leon. Photo courtesy of johnib.wordpress.com.
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi also faces a divided party as she seeks to keep her seat as San Francisco’s 12th District representative. The Sacramento Bee reports a contentious campaign where her opponents are trying to paint her as “the most conservative candidate in her own race.” Although it is widely believed the 77-year-old will easily hold her position, aided by a campaign finance machine, her more liberal opponents are getting some surprising support and attention from people within the district who feel Pelosi is out of touch with the people she represents. Dem. Stephen Jaffe has managed to raise nearly $70,000 for his campaign to take her seat, but one to watch is the much younger and vibrant Dem. Ryan Khojasteh who is going old school with a grassroots movement.
In the D.C. muck
The president has confused his supporters and opponents with recent gun control propositions in response to weeks of pressure following the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Although made casually, his Wednesday on-camera comments suggest he’s for extensive reform including the confiscation of firearms prior to due process, as is reported by the New York Times.
Illustration courtesy of Newsday.
Both Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks are in the spotlight as Chief of Staff John Kelly makes good on his promise to reduce their temporary security access in light of recent revelations. The son-in-law will no longer be able to read security briefings and it’s been reported that Hope Hicks will resign as the communications director.
Best news
The Oakland Warriors finally kicked the shit out of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Saturday’s home game: 112-80.
And that is all.
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