Natalie Orenstein
Senior Reporter at The Oaklandside
Senior reporter for @Oaklandside, covering city hall and housing. East Bay born + bred. Would love to talk to you. DMs=off the record.
Articles
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4 days ago |
oaklandside.org | Eli Wolfe |Natalie Orenstein
When someone wants to run for a local government office in California, they normally create what’s called a “candidate committee,” basically a special bank account that they can use to raise money. Legally, contributions can be used to pay for things like yard signs and television ads. But there’s another type of political committee, known as an officeholder account.
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1 week ago |
oaklandside.org | Natalie Orenstein
Oakland is reeling from the death of Marvin Boomer following a California Highway Patrol chase of a suspect who crashed his car into a fire hydrant that struck and killed the 39-year-old treasured educator. This grim tragedy did not occur in a vacuum. It happened right as debate over Oakland’s police pursuit policy has reached a fever pitch, following recent increases in crime and changes to department protocols.
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1 week ago |
oaklandside.org | Natalie Orenstein
Enslaved people traveling the Underground Railroad risked death if they spoke aloud about their plans to flee. Instead, the story goes, they communicated in code through quilts hung on clotheslines. A quilted “monkey wrench” pattern referenced a blacksmith who traveled between plantations indicating when it was safe to escape. A “bear’s paw” quilt block referenced the winding path one would have to take through the woods. The “bowtie” pattern advised dressing in one’s finest garments, as a disguise.
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2 weeks ago |
oaklandside.org | Natalie Orenstein
This story is an excerpt from a previously published deep dive into the power — or lack thereof — of the Oakland mayor, and efforts to change what that looks like. Read the full story. Barbara Lee was sworn in this week, in front of a lively and packed crowd eager to enter the next chapter of Oakland politics after a tumultuous year featuring a recall, an indictment, and a financial deficit. The vast majority of voters were ready to welcome a new mayor.
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2 weeks ago |
oaklandside.org | Natalie Orenstein
Service providers in Alameda County are bracing for sweeping impacts of proposed federal cuts to Medicaid and food stamps. The Republicans’ so-called “big, beautiful bill” would add work requirements for Medicaid recipients and cut $267 billion in federal funding over 10 years from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The House, facing pressure from President Donald Trump, passed the spending bill by just one vote early Thursday morning, after an all-night session.
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RT @KQED: The bill to lower California’s cap on rent increases and expand tenant protections drew strong opposition from landlord groups an…
Friday night flip in the Oakland election: Barbara Lee is now leading and likely headed to the mayor's office. https://t.co/icXUsN9BRr
RT @DarwinBondGraha: The vote in the Oakland mayor's race is revealing a stark divide. Barbara Lee is picking up most of her support in th…