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"content": "\n\u003cp>When Linda Jackson and her son moved into the Willow Mobile Home Park in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-bay\">East Bay \u003c/a>town of San Pablo five years ago, they paid roughly $900 to rent the space where they parked the home they own. The costs for their mortgage and rent felt manageable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can be comfortable,” the 75-year-old recalled thinking. “We can do this.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since then, however, Jackson’s monthly rent has climbed to just over $1,200. And another increase scheduled for January will bring it to nearly $1,300.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve never been so distraught,” Jackson said, adding she’s living “day-to-day.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, after organizing her neighbors and pressing city leaders for relief, Jackson wants voters to join the fight. She is supporting Measure S, a rent control proposal on San Pablo’s November ballot — one of three in Bay Area cities where voters are considering new rent limits or stronger protections under existing rent-control laws. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Residents of Willow Mobile Home Park and the neighboring Creekside Village Mobile Home Park meet in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026, to discuss rent increases at the parks. Residents are calling on the city to adopt rent protections as they face rising and unpredictable rent hikes. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My prayer is that Measure S provides some sort of relief for us,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tenants in San Pablo have pushed for a citywide rent cap for years. Redwood City voters will also consider a new rent cap this election, and Berkeley is weighing changes to its existing rent-control rules. But San Pablo’s proposal also covers mobile home parks, a response to recent rent hikes that have hit residents hard as they try to hold onto one of the few remaining paths to affordable homeownership in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A representative for Harmony Communities, which manages Willow, said the annual increases are intended to keep pace with rising operating costs. The company said its expenses rose roughly 6% last year, while its rent adjustments average about 4.5%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Measure S would limit yearly rent increases for multi-unit rental housing built before Feb. 1, 1995, to 3% or 60% of the regional inflation rate, whichever is lower. The cap would also cover eligible mobile home rentals and the lots residents rent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But some property owners, including the California Apartment Association, said the measures would also limit their ability to keep up with rising insurance and maintenance costs. That could lead owners to sell their buildings or spend less on upkeep, while doing little to address the housing shortage or lower already-high prices, said Joshua Howard, the executive vice president of local public affairs for the association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Research on rent control points to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12008424/prop-33-rent-control-is-on-the-ballot-again-election-2024-california\">mix of benefits and trade-offs\u003c/a>. Studies have \u003ca href=\"https://dornsife.usc.edu/eri/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/01/2018RentMattersPERE.pdf\">found\u003c/a> it can help people stay in their homes and keep communities together. Others have also \u003ca href=\"http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aer.20181289\">found\u003c/a> it can prompt owners to take rentals off the market, leaving fewer options and higher costs for people looking for a home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Pablo should instead focus on building housing and providing rental assistance,” Howard said. “We don’t need more local laws regulating the rental housing industry.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Jackson said the measure would offer a defense against future rent increases, while she also juggles other rising costs. Water, sewer, trash and storm drain charges have also increased, bringing her current monthly bill to about $1,450, according to a statement reviewed by KQED. That is more than the roughly $1,044 she said she receives from Social Security after medical deductions. She works part time and sometimes borrows from her son to cover expenses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Wherever I’m short, I have to ask him for it,” she said. “But I still got a phone bill, car insurance, food, gas, entertainment — if I dare to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080882\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Jackson helps fellow resident Clara Faria with her jacket during a meeting at Willow Mobile Home Park in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026. Residents are calling on the city to adopt rent protections as they face rising and unpredictable rent hikes at both mobile home parks. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her concerns echo those in an earlier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079706/theyre-bleeding-us-dry-seniors-struggle-with-rent-hikes-evictions-in-california-mobile-home-parks\">KQED investigation\u003c/a> into Harmony Communities, the Stockton-based company that manages Willow. Interviews with nearly two dozen residents and lawyers revealed repeated rent increases and confusing notices at parks associated with the company, leaving some low-income residents afraid of losing their homes. For example, Jackson’s latest rent increase includes a $300 monthly credit that offsets an additional rent increase from last year. The credit can be removed at any time, according to a notice reviewed by KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We understand that many residents are feeling the strain of rising costs, and we do not take rent adjustments lightly,” Nick Ubaldi, a spokesperson for Harmony, said in a statement. “These annual increases help maintain the property and services residents rely on.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for Jackson and her neighbors, the increases have meant tighter budgets and mounting stress.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That prompted Jackson and her neighbors to bring their concerns directly to the San Pablo City Council, joining a broader community campaign for tenant protections led by the nonprofit Rising Juntos.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080879\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Willow Mobile Home Park in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026. The park is a privately owned 55-and-older community owned by Harmony Communities. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the face of inaction from the city council, we worked together to create a policy that would improve residents’ lives,” said Rhea Laughlin, executive director of Rising Juntos.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Laughlin noted that although mobile home residents own their homes, renting the land beneath them leaves them uniquely vulnerable to skyrocketing space rents. These communities often include seniors, residents with disabilities and low-income families with few affordable alternatives in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If voters pass Measure S, San Pablo would join 95 cities and 11 counties in California, or roughly a fifth of the state’s local jurisdictions, that already limit rent increases for mobile home spaces, according to the Mobile Home Park Home Owners Allegiance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When long-time residents are priced out, we lose more than individual households,” Laughlin said. “We lose relationships, community networks, cultural history, and the people who have invested decades in making San Pablo what it is.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city hired consulting firm RSG to analyze how the proposal could affect San Pablo’s housing market and what it would cost to administer. Its report estimated the program would cost up to around $2.4 million annually to administer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report found mixed evidence on how rent control affects housing availability and said the effects in San Pablo would depend on local market conditions and how the program is structured. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tenants living in their homes on July 1, 2025, would use what they paid then as the starting rent for calculating increases, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RjmkR2L7UmlyqjyZ36XhkzFlV4flZIj6/view?usp=sharing\">report\u003c/a>. Those who moved in afterward would use their move-in rent. Owners could seek increases above the cap to earn a fair return.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure would also limit the reasons landlords can evict tenants and require them to help pay moving costs for tenants displaced through owner move-ins and other limited circumstances. Tenants and landlords could bring complaints and rent disputes to the city. Landlords could ask permission to raise rents above the cap if needed to earn a fair return, and fees of up to $120 per unit, paid by landlords, would cover the cost of running the program.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Howard said a more effective system for both apartment owners and tenants would be short-term rental assistance. Asked how short-term assistance would help Jackson, who lives on a fixed income and faces repeated rent increases, he encouraged residents and property owners to work together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jackson hopes Measure S will let her stay in the home she and her son bought. Without relief, she said, they may have to sell and leave California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s no way we can just keep giving,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Linda Jackson and her son moved into the Willow Mobile Home Park in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-bay\">East Bay \u003c/a>town of San Pablo five years ago, they paid roughly $900 to rent the space where they parked the home they own. The costs for their mortgage and rent felt manageable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can be comfortable,” the 75-year-old recalled thinking. “We can do this.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since then, however, Jackson’s monthly rent has climbed to just over $1,200. And another increase scheduled for January will bring it to nearly $1,300.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since then, however, Jackson’s monthly rent has climbed to just over $1,200. And another increase scheduled for January will bring it to nearly $1,300.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve never been so distraught,” Jackson said, adding she’s living “day-to-day.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, after organizing her neighbors and pressing city leaders for relief, Jackson wants voters to join the fight. She is supporting Measure S, a rent control proposal on San Pablo’s November ballot — one of three in Bay Area cities where voters are considering new rent limits or stronger protections under existing rent-control laws. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Now, after organizing her neighbors and pressing city leaders for relief, Jackson wants voters to join the fight. She is supporting Measure S, a rent control proposal on San Pablo’s November ballot — one of three in Bay Area cities where voters are considering new rent limits or stronger protections under existing rent-control laws. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Residents of Willow Mobile Home Park and the neighboring Creekside Village Mobile Home Park meet in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026, to discuss rent increases at the parks. Residents are calling on the city to adopt rent protections as they face rising and unpredictable rent hikes.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105120\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Residents of Willow Mobile Home Park and the neighboring Creekside Village Mobile Home Park meet in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026, to discuss rent increases at the parks. Residents are calling on the city to adopt rent protections as they face rising and unpredictable rent hikes.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My prayer is that Measure S provides some sort of relief for us,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“My prayer is that Measure S provides some sort of relief for us,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tenants in San Pablo have pushed for a citywide rent cap for years. Redwood City voters will also consider a new rent cap this election, and Berkeley is weighing changes to its existing rent-control rules. But San Pablo’s proposal also covers mobile home parks, a response to recent rent hikes that have hit residents hard as they try to hold onto one of the few remaining paths to affordable homeownership in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tenants in San Pablo have pushed for a citywide rent cap for years. Redwood City voters will also consider a new rent cap this election, and Berkeley is weighing changes to its existing rent-control rules. But San Pablo’s proposal also covers mobile home parks, a response to recent rent hikes that have hit residents hard as they try to hold onto one of the few remaining paths to affordable homeownership in California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A representative for Harmony Communities, which manages Willow, said the annual increases are intended to keep pace with rising operating costs. The company said its expenses rose roughly 6% last year, while its rent adjustments average about 4.5%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A representative for Harmony Communities, which manages Willow, said the annual increases are intended to keep pace with rising operating costs. The company said its expenses rose roughly 6% last year, while its rent adjustments average about 4.5%.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Measure S would limit yearly rent increases for multi-unit rental housing built before Feb. 1, 1995, to 3% or 60% of the regional inflation rate, whichever is lower. The cap would also cover eligible mobile home rentals and the lots residents rent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Measure S would limit yearly rent increases for multi-unit rental housing built before Feb. 1, 1995, to 3% or 60% of the regional inflation rate, whichever is lower. The cap would also cover eligible mobile home rentals and the lots residents rent.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But some property owners, including the California Apartment Association, said the measures would also limit their ability to keep up with rising insurance and maintenance costs. That could lead owners to sell their buildings or spend less on upkeep, while doing little to address the housing shortage or lower already-high prices, said Joshua Howard, the executive vice president of local public affairs for the association.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But some property owners, including the California Apartment Association, said the measures would also limit their ability to keep up with rising insurance and maintenance costs. That could lead owners to sell their buildings or spend less on upkeep, while doing little to address the housing shortage or lower already-high prices, said Joshua Howard, the executive vice president of local public affairs for the association.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Research on rent control points to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12008424/prop-33-rent-control-is-on-the-ballot-again-election-2024-california\">mix of benefits and trade-offs\u003c/a>. Studies have \u003ca href=\"https://dornsife.usc.edu/eri/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/01/2018RentMattersPERE.pdf\">found\u003c/a> it can help people stay in their homes and keep communities together. Others have also \u003ca href=\"http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aer.20181289\">found\u003c/a> it can prompt owners to take rentals off the market, leaving fewer options and higher costs for people looking for a home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Research on rent control points to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12008424/prop-33-rent-control-is-on-the-ballot-again-election-2024-california\">mix of benefits and trade-offs\u003c/a>. Studies have \u003ca href=\"https://dornsife.usc.edu/eri/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/01/2018RentMattersPERE.pdf\">found\u003c/a> it can help people stay in their homes and keep communities together. Others have also \u003ca href=\"http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aer.20181289\">found\u003c/a> it can prompt owners to take rentals off the market, leaving fewer options and higher costs for people looking for a home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“San Pablo should instead focus on building housing and providing rental assistance,” Howard said. “We don’t need more local laws regulating the rental housing industry.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“San Pablo should instead focus on building housing and providing rental assistance,” Howard said. “We don’t need more local laws regulating the rental housing industry.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Jackson said the measure would offer a defense against future rent increases, while she also juggles other rising costs. Water, sewer, trash and storm drain charges have also increased, bringing her current monthly bill to about $1,450, according to a statement reviewed by KQED. That is more than the roughly $1,044 she said she receives from Social Security after medical deductions. She works part time and sometimes borrows from her son to cover expenses.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But Jackson said the measure would offer a defense against future rent increases, while she also juggles other rising costs. Water, sewer, trash and storm drain charges have also increased, bringing her current monthly bill to about $1,450, according to a statement reviewed by KQED. That is more than the roughly $1,044 she said she receives from Social Security after medical deductions. She works part time and sometimes borrows from her son to cover expenses.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Wherever I’m short, I have to ask him for it,” she said. “But I still got a phone bill, car insurance, food, gas, entertainment — if I dare to.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Wherever I’m short, I have to ask him for it,” she said. “But I still got a phone bill, car insurance, food, gas, entertainment — if I dare to.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080882\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Jackson helps fellow resident Clara Faria with her jacket during a meeting at Willow Mobile Home Park in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026. Residents are calling on the city to adopt rent protections as they face rising and unpredictable rent hikes at both mobile home parks.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080882\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Jackson helps fellow resident Clara Faria with her jacket during a meeting at Willow Mobile Home Park in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026. Residents are calling on the city to adopt rent protections as they face rising and unpredictable rent hikes at both mobile home parks.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her concerns echo those in an earlier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079706/theyre-bleeding-us-dry-seniors-struggle-with-rent-hikes-evictions-in-california-mobile-home-parks\">KQED investigation\u003c/a> into Harmony Communities, the Stockton-based company that manages Willow. Interviews with nearly two dozen residents and lawyers revealed repeated rent increases and confusing notices at parks associated with the company, leaving some low-income residents afraid of losing their homes. For example, Jackson’s latest rent increase includes a $300 monthly credit that offsets an additional rent increase from last year. The credit can be removed at any time, according to a notice reviewed by KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her concerns echo those in an earlier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079706/theyre-bleeding-us-dry-seniors-struggle-with-rent-hikes-evictions-in-california-mobile-home-parks\">KQED investigation\u003c/a> into Harmony Communities, the Stockton-based company that manages Willow. Interviews with nearly two dozen residents and lawyers revealed repeated rent increases and confusing notices at parks associated with the company, leaving some low-income residents afraid of losing their homes. For example, Jackson’s latest rent increase includes a $300 monthly credit that offsets an additional rent increase from last year. The credit can be removed at any time, according to a notice reviewed by KQED. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We understand that many residents are feeling the strain of rising costs, and we do not take rent adjustments lightly,” Nick Ubaldi, a spokesperson for Harmony, said in a statement. “These annual increases help maintain the property and services residents rely on.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We understand that many residents are feeling the strain of rising costs, and we do not take rent adjustments lightly,” Nick Ubaldi, a spokesperson for Harmony, said in a statement. “These annual increases help maintain the property and services residents rely on.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But for Jackson and her neighbors, the increases have meant tighter budgets and mounting stress.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That prompted Jackson and her neighbors to bring their concerns directly to the San Pablo City Council, joining a broader community campaign for tenant protections led by the nonprofit Rising Juntos.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That prompted Jackson and her neighbors to bring their concerns directly to the San Pablo City Council, joining a broader community campaign for tenant protections led by the nonprofit Rising Juntos.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080879\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Willow Mobile Home Park in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026. The park is a privately owned 55-and-older community owned by Harmony Communities.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080879\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Willow Mobile Home Park in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026. The park is a privately owned 55-and-older community owned by Harmony Communities.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In the face of inaction from the city council, we worked together to create a policy that would improve residents’ lives,” said Rhea Laughlin, executive director of Rising Juntos.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Laughlin noted that although mobile home residents own their homes, renting the land beneath them leaves them uniquely vulnerable to skyrocketing space rents. These communities often include seniors, residents with disabilities and low-income families with few affordable alternatives in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Laughlin noted that although mobile home residents own their homes, renting the land beneath them leaves them uniquely vulnerable to skyrocketing space rents. These communities often include seniors, residents with disabilities and low-income families with few affordable alternatives in California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If voters pass Measure S, San Pablo would join 95 cities and 11 counties in California, or roughly a fifth of the state’s local jurisdictions, that already limit rent increases for mobile home spaces, according to the Mobile Home Park Home Owners Allegiance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If voters pass Measure S, San Pablo would join 95 cities and 11 counties in California, or roughly a fifth of the state’s local jurisdictions, that already limit rent increases for mobile home spaces, according to the Mobile Home Park Home Owners Allegiance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When long-time residents are priced out, we lose more than individual households,” Laughlin said. “We lose relationships, community networks, cultural history, and the people who have invested decades in making San Pablo what it is.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When long-time residents are priced out, we lose more than individual households,” Laughlin said. “We lose relationships, community networks, cultural history, and the people who have invested decades in making San Pablo what it is.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"label": "From the 2026 Voter Guide",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city hired consulting firm RSG to analyze how the proposal could affect San Pablo’s housing market and what it would cost to administer. Its report estimated the program would cost up to around $2.4 million annually to administer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report found mixed evidence on how rent control affects housing availability and said the effects in San Pablo would depend on local market conditions and how the program is structured. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tenants living in their homes on July 1, 2025, would use what they paid then as the starting rent for calculating increases, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RjmkR2L7UmlyqjyZ36XhkzFlV4flZIj6/view?usp=sharing\">report\u003c/a>. Those who moved in afterward would use their move-in rent. Owners could seek increases above the cap to earn a fair return.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tenants living in their homes on July 1, 2025, would use what they paid then as the starting rent for calculating increases, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RjmkR2L7UmlyqjyZ36XhkzFlV4flZIj6/view?usp=sharing\">report\u003c/a>. Those who moved in afterward would use their move-in rent. Owners could seek increases above the cap to earn a fair return.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The measure would also limit the reasons landlords can evict tenants and require them to help pay moving costs for tenants displaced through owner move-ins and other limited circumstances. Tenants and landlords could bring complaints and rent disputes to the city. Landlords could ask permission to raise rents above the cap if needed to earn a fair return, and fees of up to $120 per unit, paid by landlords, would cover the cost of running the program.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The measure would also limit the reasons landlords can evict tenants and require them to help pay moving costs for tenants displaced through owner move-ins and other limited circumstances. Tenants and landlords could bring complaints and rent disputes to the city. Landlords could ask permission to raise rents above the cap if needed to earn a fair return, and fees of up to $120 per unit, paid by landlords, would cover the cost of running the program.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Howard said a more effective system for both apartment owners and tenants would be short-term rental assistance. Asked how short-term assistance would help Jackson, who lives on a fixed income and faces repeated rent increases, he encouraged residents and property owners to work together.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But Howard said a more effective system for both apartment owners and tenants would be short-term rental assistance. Asked how short-term assistance would help Jackson, who lives on a fixed income and faces repeated rent increases, he encouraged residents and property owners to work together.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jackson hopes Measure S will let her stay in the home she and her son bought. Without relief, she said, they may have to sell and leave California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s no way we can just keep giving,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Voters in San Pablo, Redwood City and Berkeley will weigh rent protections this November. For some mobile home owners, the outcome could determine whether they can afford to stay in their homes.",
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"title": "As Costs Rise, Voters in 3 Bay Area Cities Could Cap One of Them: Rent | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>When Linda Jackson and her son moved into the Willow Mobile Home Park in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-bay\">East Bay \u003c/a>town of San Pablo five years ago, they paid roughly $900 to rent the space where they parked the home they own. The costs for their mortgage and rent felt manageable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can be comfortable,” the 75-year-old recalled thinking. “We can do this.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since then, however, Jackson’s monthly rent has climbed to just over $1,200. And another increase scheduled for January will bring it to nearly $1,300.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve never been so distraught,” Jackson said, adding she’s living “day-to-day.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, after organizing her neighbors and pressing city leaders for relief, Jackson wants voters to join the fight. She is supporting Measure S, a rent control proposal on San Pablo’s November ballot — one of three in Bay Area cities where voters are considering new rent limits or stronger protections under existing rent-control laws. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260117-HarmonySanPablo-08-BL_qed-847d67d4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Residents of Willow Mobile Home Park and the neighboring Creekside Village Mobile Home Park meet in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026, to discuss rent increases at the parks. Residents are calling on the city to adopt rent protections as they face rising and unpredictable rent hikes. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My prayer is that Measure S provides some sort of relief for us,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tenants in San Pablo have pushed for a citywide rent cap for years. Redwood City voters will also consider a new rent cap this election, and Berkeley is weighing changes to its existing rent-control rules. But San Pablo’s proposal also covers mobile home parks, a response to recent rent hikes that have hit residents hard as they try to hold onto one of the few remaining paths to affordable homeownership in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A representative for Harmony Communities, which manages Willow, said the annual increases are intended to keep pace with rising operating costs. The company said its expenses rose roughly 6% last year, while its rent adjustments average about 4.5%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Measure S would limit yearly rent increases for multi-unit rental housing built before Feb. 1, 1995, to 3% or 60% of the regional inflation rate, whichever is lower. The cap would also cover eligible mobile home rentals and the lots residents rent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But some property owners, including the California Apartment Association, said the measures would also limit their ability to keep up with rising insurance and maintenance costs. That could lead owners to sell their buildings or spend less on upkeep, while doing little to address the housing shortage or lower already-high prices, said Joshua Howard, the executive vice president of local public affairs for the association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Research on rent control points to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12008424/prop-33-rent-control-is-on-the-ballot-again-election-2024-california\">mix of benefits and trade-offs\u003c/a>. Studies have \u003ca href=\"https://dornsife.usc.edu/eri/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/01/2018RentMattersPERE.pdf\">found\u003c/a> it can help people stay in their homes and keep communities together. Others have also \u003ca href=\"http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aer.20181289\">found\u003c/a> it can prompt owners to take rentals off the market, leaving fewer options and higher costs for people looking for a home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Pablo should instead focus on building housing and providing rental assistance,” Howard said. “We don’t need more local laws regulating the rental housing industry.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Jackson said the measure would offer a defense against future rent increases, while she also juggles other rising costs. Water, sewer, trash and storm drain charges have also increased, bringing her current monthly bill to about $1,450, according to a statement reviewed by KQED. That is more than the roughly $1,044 she said she receives from Social Security after medical deductions. She works part time and sometimes borrows from her son to cover expenses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Wherever I’m short, I have to ask him for it,” she said. “But I still got a phone bill, car insurance, food, gas, entertainment — if I dare to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080882\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-12-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Jackson helps fellow resident Clara Faria with her jacket during a meeting at Willow Mobile Home Park in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026. Residents are calling on the city to adopt rent protections as they face rising and unpredictable rent hikes at both mobile home parks. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her concerns echo those in an earlier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079706/theyre-bleeding-us-dry-seniors-struggle-with-rent-hikes-evictions-in-california-mobile-home-parks\">KQED investigation\u003c/a> into Harmony Communities, the Stockton-based company that manages Willow. Interviews with nearly two dozen residents and lawyers revealed repeated rent increases and confusing notices at parks associated with the company, leaving some low-income residents afraid of losing their homes. For example, Jackson’s latest rent increase includes a $300 monthly credit that offsets an additional rent increase from last year. The credit can be removed at any time, according to a notice reviewed by KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We understand that many residents are feeling the strain of rising costs, and we do not take rent adjustments lightly,” Nick Ubaldi, a spokesperson for Harmony, said in a statement. “These annual increases help maintain the property and services residents rely on.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for Jackson and her neighbors, the increases have meant tighter budgets and mounting stress.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That prompted Jackson and her neighbors to bring their concerns directly to the San Pablo City Council, joining a broader community campaign for tenant protections led by the nonprofit Rising Juntos.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12080879\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260117-HarmonySanPablo-07-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Willow Mobile Home Park in San Pablo on Jan. 17, 2026. The park is a privately owned 55-and-older community owned by Harmony Communities. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the face of inaction from the city council, we worked together to create a policy that would improve residents’ lives,” said Rhea Laughlin, executive director of Rising Juntos.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Laughlin noted that although mobile home residents own their homes, renting the land beneath them leaves them uniquely vulnerable to skyrocketing space rents. These communities often include seniors, residents with disabilities and low-income families with few affordable alternatives in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If voters pass Measure S, San Pablo would join 95 cities and 11 counties in California, or roughly a fifth of the state’s local jurisdictions, that already limit rent increases for mobile home spaces, according to the Mobile Home Park Home Owners Allegiance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When long-time residents are priced out, we lose more than individual households,” Laughlin said. “We lose relationships, community networks, cultural history, and the people who have invested decades in making San Pablo what it is.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city hired consulting firm RSG to analyze how the proposal could affect San Pablo’s housing market and what it would cost to administer. Its report estimated the program would cost up to around $2.4 million annually to administer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report found mixed evidence on how rent control affects housing availability and said the effects in San Pablo would depend on local market conditions and how the program is structured. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tenants living in their homes on July 1, 2025, would use what they paid then as the starting rent for calculating increases, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RjmkR2L7UmlyqjyZ36XhkzFlV4flZIj6/view?usp=sharing\">report\u003c/a>. Those who moved in afterward would use their move-in rent. Owners could seek increases above the cap to earn a fair return.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure would also limit the reasons landlords can evict tenants and require them to help pay moving costs for tenants displaced through owner move-ins and other limited circumstances. Tenants and landlords could bring complaints and rent disputes to the city. Landlords could ask permission to raise rents above the cap if needed to earn a fair return, and fees of up to $120 per unit, paid by landlords, would cover the cost of running the program.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Howard said a more effective system for both apartment owners and tenants would be short-term rental assistance. Asked how short-term assistance would help Jackson, who lives on a fixed income and faces repeated rent increases, he encouraged residents and property owners to work together.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jackson hopes Measure S will let her stay in the home she and her son bought. Without relief, she said, they may have to sell and leave California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s no way we can just keep giving,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues",
"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators",
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"headTitle": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They held posters that said “Three Strikes” and contained images of Thao, along with her former city hall allies, including Councilmember Carroll Fife and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They held posters that said “Three Strikes” and contained images of Thao, along with her former city hall allies, including Councilmember Carroll Fife and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They held posters that said “Three Strikes” and contained images of Thao, along with her former city hall allies, including Councilmember Carroll Fife and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "According to an FBI investigator, an unpaid bill for negative campaign mailers and a tip from a citizen commission helped launch the federal investigation into former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her three codefendants over allegations of bribery, corruption and fraud. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They held posters that said “Three Strikes” and contained images of Thao, along with her former city hall allies, including Councilmember Carroll Fife and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "beyond-scary-ac-transit-riders-brace-for-potential-service-cuts",
"title": "‘Beyond Scary’: AC Transit Riders Brace for Potential Service Cuts ",
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"headTitle": "‘Beyond Scary’: AC Transit Riders Brace for Potential Service Cuts | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Traceé Coltes of Richmond said she relies on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">AC Transit\u003c/a>, but she’s noticed that one of her usual lines, the 71, has become unreliable, forcing her to walk to take BART. She said she once missed a mammogram appointment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s beyond scary,” Coltes said. “That’s very important to my health and well-being. I couldn’t go because the bus didn’t show up.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She is among many AC Transit riders who expressed fear and anxiety on Wednesday afternoon during a special AC Transit Board of Directors meeting. The public gave feedback on the agency’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.actransit.org/contingency-plan\">Proposed Contingency Service Plan\u003c/a> that would cut service and lay off workers if voters reject a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/regional-measure-rtm\">regional transit funding ballot measure\u003c/a> this November.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104555\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traceé Coltes gives her public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The plan calls for a 16% reduction in service — removing 100 buses — and laying off up to 300 employees, according to Robert Lyles, spokesperson for AC Transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plan preserves the agency’s “15-minute or better” weekday service on the busiest lines and major travel corridors (such as Telegraph Avenue, Foothill Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Way), but it proposes other cuts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They include later service start times, at 7 a.m., and earlier end times, at 7 p.m., on many routes, the elimination of all weekend transbay service, to name a few.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board of directors said it will use nearly 500 pieces of public comment submitted Wednesday to inform a final vote on how to reduce service if the Regional Transit Measure does not pass. If the service reductions are needed, the board expects to consider a proposed final service plan at a Dec. 9 meeting. Service cuts would begin June 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>AC Transit is facing a $200 million structural deficit over the next four years due to pandemic-related drops in ridership, reduced federal, state and local funding (namely the exhaustion of federal Covid-19 relief dollars).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ We want none of this to activate, but we cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend that this substantial structural deficit does not exist,” Lyles said. “ The Board’s responsibility is to keep this transit agency operating.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>RTM would create a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and a one-cent sales tax in San Francisco, and is estimated to generate around $1 billion annually for several Bay Area transit agencies, including BART, Muni, Caltrain and AC Transit over 14 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 21% of the tax collected in Alameda County and 3% of the tax collected in Contra Costa County would support AC Transit — generating an estimated $50 million annually for the agency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coltes and other riders said that they’re already seeing a preview of what life will be like if AC Transit reduces service — what AC Transit Director Jean Walsh calls the agency’s “reliability crisis.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-10-MC-KQED-d6321b53.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104551\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-10-MC-KQED-d6321b53.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-10-MC-KQED-d6321b53-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-10-MC-KQED-d6321b53-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A member of the public looks at a bus line map at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104552\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-12-MC-KQED-9fe7c0ac.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-12-MC-KQED-9fe7c0ac.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-12-MC-KQED-9fe7c0ac-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-12-MC-KQED-9fe7c0ac-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">James Bowens gives his public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12104550\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-02-MC-KQED-8dddc922.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104550\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-02-MC-KQED-8dddc922.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-02-MC-KQED-8dddc922-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-02-MC-KQED-8dddc922-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Far too many trips are being canceled, and the problem has been getting worse,” Walsh said in an emailed statement, speaking as an individual board member, noting that her views did not necessarily reflect the rest of the Board or AC Transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walsh said a combination of absenteeism and understaffing has led to a lack of bus operators, causing “significant” rates of cancellations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our goal is to run 99.5% of scheduled buses, but we have been falling far short of that goal and inconveniencing thousands of people in the process,” Walsh said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walsh added that the board recently approved her motion to increase reliability reporting from twice a year to monthly, which is set to begin at the end of October. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-17-MC-KQED-c0067815.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104556\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-17-MC-KQED-c0067815.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-17-MC-KQED-c0067815-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-17-MC-KQED-c0067815-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kiwan Gore gives her public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Kiwan Gore of Berkeley encouraged the board to reduce rather than eliminate weekend transbay service in its contingency plan. Born with cerebral palsy, she said she relies on AC Transit “big time,” and that other transit agencies, like BART, are “financially out of reach” for her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m in the city a lot, especially on the weekends. So for me, cutting transbay service on weekends is drastic,” Gore said. “ I’m anxious about it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coltes was also concerned that the proposed cuts would affect not only her own quality of life, but also seniors, parents and working people who struggle to afford the Bay Area’s high cost of living.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can’t get a paycheck if you can’t even get to work, and if your means of transportation is public transportation and it’s constantly decreasing, then you see where that goes,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She is among many AC Transit riders who expressed fear and anxiety on Wednesday afternoon during a special AC Transit Board of Directors meeting. The public gave feedback on the agency’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.actransit.org/contingency-plan\">Proposed Contingency Service Plan\u003c/a> that would cut service and lay off workers if voters reject a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/regional-measure-rtm\">regional transit funding ballot measure\u003c/a> this November.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104555\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traceé Coltes gives her public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The plan calls for a 16% reduction in service — removing 100 buses — and laying off up to 300 employees, according to Robert Lyles, spokesperson for AC Transit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The plan preserves the agency’s “15-minute or better” weekday service on the busiest lines and major travel corridors (such as Telegraph Avenue, Foothill Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Way), but it proposes other cuts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They include later service start times, at 7 a.m., and earlier end times, at 7 p.m., on many routes, the elimination of all weekend transbay service, to name a few.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board of directors said it will use nearly 500 pieces of public comment submitted Wednesday to inform a final vote on how to reduce service if the Regional Transit Measure does not pass. If the service reductions are needed, the board expects to consider a proposed final service plan at a Dec. 9 meeting. Service cuts would begin June 2027. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>AC Transit is facing a $200 million structural deficit over the next four years due to pandemic-related drops in ridership, reduced federal, state and local funding (namely the exhaustion of federal Covid-19 relief dollars).\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ We want none of this to activate, but we cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend that this substantial structural deficit does not exist,” Lyles said. “ The Board’s responsibility is to keep this transit agency operating.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>RTM would create a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and a one-cent sales tax in San Francisco, and is estimated to generate around $1 billion annually for several Bay Area transit agencies, including BART, Muni, Caltrain and AC Transit over 14 years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About 21% of the tax collected in Alameda County and 3% of the tax collected in Contra Costa County would support AC Transit — generating an estimated $50 million annually for the agency. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coltes and other riders said that they’re already seeing a preview of what life will be like if AC Transit reduces service — what AC Transit Director Jean Walsh calls the agency’s “reliability crisis.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Far too many trips are being canceled, and the problem has been getting worse,” Walsh said in an emailed statement, speaking as an individual board member, noting that her views did not necessarily reflect the rest of the Board or AC Transit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Walsh said a combination of absenteeism and understaffing has led to a lack of bus operators, causing “significant” rates of cancellations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our goal is to run 99.5% of scheduled buses, but we have been falling far short of that goal and inconveniencing thousands of people in the process,” Walsh said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Walsh added that the board recently approved her motion to increase reliability reporting from twice a year to monthly, which is set to begin at the end of October. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-17-MC-KQED-c0067815.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104556\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kiwan Gore gives her public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kiwan Gore of Berkeley encouraged the board to reduce rather than eliminate weekend transbay service in its contingency plan. Born with cerebral palsy, she said she relies on AC Transit “big time,” and that other transit agencies, like BART, are “financially out of reach” for her. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m in the city a lot, especially on the weekends. So for me, cutting transbay service on weekends is drastic,” Gore said. “ I’m anxious about it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coltes was also concerned that the proposed cuts would affect not only her own quality of life, but also seniors, parents and working people who struggle to afford the Bay Area’s high cost of living.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You can’t get a paycheck if you can’t even get to work, and if your means of transportation is public transportation and it’s constantly decreasing, then you see where that goes,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "If voters reject a regional transit ballot measure, the agency says it will be forced to cut service and lay off hundreds of employees.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Traceé Coltes of Richmond said she relies on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">AC Transit\u003c/a>, but she’s noticed that one of her usual lines, the 71, has become unreliable, forcing her to walk to take BART. She said she once missed a mammogram appointment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s beyond scary,” Coltes said. “That’s very important to my health and well-being. I couldn’t go because the bus didn’t show up.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She is among many AC Transit riders who expressed fear and anxiety on Wednesday afternoon during a special AC Transit Board of Directors meeting. The public gave feedback on the agency’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.actransit.org/contingency-plan\">Proposed Contingency Service Plan\u003c/a> that would cut service and lay off workers if voters reject a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/regional-measure-rtm\">regional transit funding ballot measure\u003c/a> this November.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104555\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-16-MC-KQED-57e2eb01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traceé Coltes gives her public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The plan calls for a 16% reduction in service — removing 100 buses — and laying off up to 300 employees, according to Robert Lyles, spokesperson for AC Transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plan preserves the agency’s “15-minute or better” weekday service on the busiest lines and major travel corridors (such as Telegraph Avenue, Foothill Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Way), but it proposes other cuts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They include later service start times, at 7 a.m., and earlier end times, at 7 p.m., on many routes, the elimination of all weekend transbay service, to name a few.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board of directors said it will use nearly 500 pieces of public comment submitted Wednesday to inform a final vote on how to reduce service if the Regional Transit Measure does not pass. If the service reductions are needed, the board expects to consider a proposed final service plan at a Dec. 9 meeting. Service cuts would begin June 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>AC Transit is facing a $200 million structural deficit over the next four years due to pandemic-related drops in ridership, reduced federal, state and local funding (namely the exhaustion of federal Covid-19 relief dollars).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ We want none of this to activate, but we cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend that this substantial structural deficit does not exist,” Lyles said. “ The Board’s responsibility is to keep this transit agency operating.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>RTM would create a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and a one-cent sales tax in San Francisco, and is estimated to generate around $1 billion annually for several Bay Area transit agencies, including BART, Muni, Caltrain and AC Transit over 14 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 21% of the tax collected in Alameda County and 3% of the tax collected in Contra Costa County would support AC Transit — generating an estimated $50 million annually for the agency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coltes and other riders said that they’re already seeing a preview of what life will be like if AC Transit reduces service — what AC Transit Director Jean Walsh calls the agency’s “reliability crisis.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-10-MC-KQED-d6321b53.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104551\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-10-MC-KQED-d6321b53.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-10-MC-KQED-d6321b53-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-10-MC-KQED-d6321b53-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A member of the public looks at a bus line map at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104552\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-12-MC-KQED-9fe7c0ac.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-12-MC-KQED-9fe7c0ac.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-12-MC-KQED-9fe7c0ac-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-12-MC-KQED-9fe7c0ac-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">James Bowens gives his public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12104550\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-02-MC-KQED-8dddc922.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104550\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-02-MC-KQED-8dddc922.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-02-MC-KQED-8dddc922-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-02-MC-KQED-8dddc922-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Far too many trips are being canceled, and the problem has been getting worse,” Walsh said in an emailed statement, speaking as an individual board member, noting that her views did not necessarily reflect the rest of the Board or AC Transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walsh said a combination of absenteeism and understaffing has led to a lack of bus operators, causing “significant” rates of cancellations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our goal is to run 99.5% of scheduled buses, but we have been falling far short of that goal and inconveniencing thousands of people in the process,” Walsh said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walsh added that the board recently approved her motion to increase reliability reporting from twice a year to monthly, which is set to begin at the end of October. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-17-MC-KQED-c0067815.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104556\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-17-MC-KQED-c0067815.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-17-MC-KQED-c0067815-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-ACTRANSIT-17-MC-KQED-c0067815-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kiwan Gore gives her public comment at the AC Transit headquarters on Oct. 14, 2026, in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Kiwan Gore of Berkeley encouraged the board to reduce rather than eliminate weekend transbay service in its contingency plan. Born with cerebral palsy, she said she relies on AC Transit “big time,” and that other transit agencies, like BART, are “financially out of reach” for her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m in the city a lot, especially on the weekends. So for me, cutting transbay service on weekends is drastic,” Gore said. “ I’m anxious about it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coltes was also concerned that the proposed cuts would affect not only her own quality of life, but also seniors, parents and working people who struggle to afford the Bay Area’s high cost of living.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can’t get a paycheck if you can’t even get to work, and if your means of transportation is public transportation and it’s constantly decreasing, then you see where that goes,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip",
"title": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip",
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"headTitle": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "During the first day of testimony in the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her former chief of staff also testified about her concerns over the role Thao’s romantic partner held in her office and criticisms of her staffing picks. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-berkeley-bird-festival-might-be-calling-you-this-weekend-and-its-free",
"title": "The Berkeley Bird Festival Might Be Calling You This Weekend (and It’s Free)",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Still looking for weekend plans (and want to avoid the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103119/half-moon-bay-pumpkin-festival-traffic-tips-2026\">chaos of the coast during the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival\u003c/a>)? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You could head east instead and check out the \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/\">Berkeley Bird Festival\u003c/a> on Sunday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This free annual event is back with a packed schedule of guided birding tours, performances, arts and crafts and presentations on topics from birdsong to bird-inspired folklore.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year’s theme is “myth and memory,” said Ryan Nakano, communications director for the \u003ca href=\"https://goldengatebirdalliance.org/\">Golden Gate Bird Alliance\u003c/a>, which is hosting the event alongside the \u003ca href=\"https://californiaican.org/\">California Institute for Community, Arts, and Nature.\u003c/a> With the exception of the birding walks, the event will mostly be held in or near the David Brower Center adjacent to the UC Berkeley campus. Allston Way will be closed this weekend for one block between Oxford and Shattuck streets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The idea behind it was to try to address the fact that our relationship to birds can be very personal, but they can also be very community-based,” he said. “Different communities have different relationships to birds, and oftentimes, it’s through the stories we’re told, or we grow up with.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The big events during the Berkeley Bird Festival on Sunday\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For birders especially interested in exploring those themes of myth and memory, Nakano suggested checking out \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/thepeoplecouldfly/\">the hands-on writing workshop\u003c/a> with author Ashia Ajani, scheduled for 1:25 p.m. in the Goldman Theater. Here, participants will discuss African storytelling and come ready to creatively write.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nakano also suggested a \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/sunbird-songs-of-nectar-hanan-masri-walter-brents-iii/\">12:30 p.m. presentation\u003c/a> from Berkeley poet laureate Hanan Masri and educator Walker Brents III, who plan to discuss the poem “Sunbird,” by Fady Joudah in the Tamalpais Room. Plus, the 4:15 \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/wild-parrots-myths-and-memories/\">talk on wild parrots in San Francisco\u003c/a> is sure to attract a crowd, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104622\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A birding tour at the Berkeley Bird Festival. (Courtesy of Xiao Wan)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The biggest can’t-miss moments of the event, he said, are the 4:35 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/splitting-skies-dancing-for-the-birds-and-our-future/\">“Splitting Skies” dance performance\u003c/a> and the 3:15 keynote conversation between \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/3804/\">authors Ed Yong and Lauren Markham. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The conversation “will be focused on the climate crisis and how we reckon with that on an interpersonal, inter-communal level,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I’m new to birding. What festival events should I see? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For those who aren’t already hooked on birding, Nakano suggested taking advantage of all the local birding groups that will be tabling there, like the American Birding Association and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043590/pride-2025-outdoor-meetups-lgbtq-hiking-bay-area#BirdwatchwithQueerBirdersBayArea\">Queer Birders Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, while many of the birding walks are already at capacity, more \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/birding-on-campus/\">free tours will be running all afternoon on campus\u003c/a>, guided by Bears for Birds, the Cal birding club. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Meeting birds at the Berkeley Bird Festival.\u003cbr> (Courtesy of Ryan Nakano)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And don’t miss the afternoon \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/tour-the-museum-of-vertebrate-zoology/\">tours of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology\u003c/a>, where you look at bird specimens up close.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Obviously it’s a little bit macabre, but it’s science,” Nakano said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The entire event is free, and most of its talks and workshops don’t require any registration. There won’t be food at the event, but a few local Berkeley restaurants will be offering attendees discounts during the festival.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’ll also be a raffle where participants can win birding gear and merchandise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the less experienced birders or birding-curious attendees, Nakano said to come with an open mind, ready to learn about the breadth of species of birds and habitat here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You may even learn a thing or two about how to help protect birds, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Really, you can kind of find birds everywhere, even in your own neighborhoods and backyards,” he said, “but also just in these very surprising locations that unless you were birding, you might not even really go out there.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It gives you this fun excuse to explore the Bay in a completely different way,” Nakano said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This year’s theme is “myth and memory,” said Ryan Nakano, communications director for the \u003ca href=\"https://goldengatebirdalliance.org/\">Golden Gate Bird Alliance\u003c/a>, which is hosting the event alongside the \u003ca href=\"https://californiaican.org/\">California Institute for Community, Arts, and Nature.\u003c/a> With the exception of the birding walks, the event will mostly be held in or near the David Brower Center adjacent to the UC Berkeley campus. Allston Way will be closed this weekend for one block between Oxford and Shattuck streets.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The idea behind it was to try to address the fact that our relationship to birds can be very personal, but they can also be very community-based,” he said. “Different communities have different relationships to birds, and oftentimes, it’s through the stories we’re told, or we grow up with.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For birders especially interested in exploring those themes of myth and memory, Nakano suggested checking out \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/thepeoplecouldfly/\">the hands-on writing workshop\u003c/a> with author Ashia Ajani, scheduled for 1:25 p.m. in the Goldman Theater. Here, participants will discuss African storytelling and come ready to creatively write.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nakano also suggested a \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/sunbird-songs-of-nectar-hanan-masri-walter-brents-iii/\">12:30 p.m. presentation\u003c/a> from Berkeley poet laureate Hanan Masri and educator Walker Brents III, who plan to discuss the poem “Sunbird,” by Fady Joudah in the Tamalpais Room. Plus, the 4:15 \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/wild-parrots-myths-and-memories/\">talk on wild parrots in San Francisco\u003c/a> is sure to attract a crowd, he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nakano also suggested a \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/sunbird-songs-of-nectar-hanan-masri-walter-brents-iii/\">12:30 p.m. presentation\u003c/a> from Berkeley poet laureate Hanan Masri and educator Walker Brents III, who plan to discuss the poem “Sunbird,” by Fady Joudah in the Tamalpais Room. Plus, the 4:15 \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/wild-parrots-myths-and-memories/\">talk on wild parrots in San Francisco\u003c/a> is sure to attract a crowd, he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104622\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A birding tour at the Berkeley Bird Festival.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Xiao Wan)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The biggest can’t-miss moments of the event, he said, are the 4:35 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/splitting-skies-dancing-for-the-birds-and-our-future/\">“Splitting Skies” dance performance\u003c/a> and the 3:15 keynote conversation between \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/3804/\">authors Ed Yong and Lauren Markham. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The conversation “will be focused on the climate crisis and how we reckon with that on an interpersonal, inter-communal level,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For those who aren’t already hooked on birding, Nakano suggested taking advantage of all the local birding groups that will be tabling there, like the American Birding Association and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043590/pride-2025-outdoor-meetups-lgbtq-hiking-bay-area#BirdwatchwithQueerBirdersBayArea\">Queer Birders Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plus, while many of the birding walks are already at capacity, more \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/birding-on-campus/\">free tours will be running all afternoon on campus\u003c/a>, guided by Bears for Birds, the Cal birding club. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The entire event is free, and most of its talks and workshops don’t require any registration. There won’t be food at the event, but a few local Berkeley restaurants will be offering attendees discounts during the festival.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’ll also be a raffle where participants can win birding gear and merchandise.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the less experienced birders or birding-curious attendees, Nakano said to come with an open mind, ready to learn about the breadth of species of birds and habitat here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Really, you can kind of find birds everywhere, even in your own neighborhoods and backyards,” he said, “but also just in these very surprising locations that unless you were birding, you might not even really go out there.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "If you’re still in need of weekend plans, this free day is packed with tours, workshops and hands-on activities to bring out your inner birder.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Still looking for weekend plans (and want to avoid the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103119/half-moon-bay-pumpkin-festival-traffic-tips-2026\">chaos of the coast during the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival\u003c/a>)? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You could head east instead and check out the \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/\">Berkeley Bird Festival\u003c/a> on Sunday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This free annual event is back with a packed schedule of guided birding tours, performances, arts and crafts and presentations on topics from birdsong to bird-inspired folklore.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year’s theme is “myth and memory,” said Ryan Nakano, communications director for the \u003ca href=\"https://goldengatebirdalliance.org/\">Golden Gate Bird Alliance\u003c/a>, which is hosting the event alongside the \u003ca href=\"https://californiaican.org/\">California Institute for Community, Arts, and Nature.\u003c/a> With the exception of the birding walks, the event will mostly be held in or near the David Brower Center adjacent to the UC Berkeley campus. Allston Way will be closed this weekend for one block between Oxford and Shattuck streets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The idea behind it was to try to address the fact that our relationship to birds can be very personal, but they can also be very community-based,” he said. “Different communities have different relationships to birds, and oftentimes, it’s through the stories we’re told, or we grow up with.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The big events during the Berkeley Bird Festival on Sunday\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For birders especially interested in exploring those themes of myth and memory, Nakano suggested checking out \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/thepeoplecouldfly/\">the hands-on writing workshop\u003c/a> with author Ashia Ajani, scheduled for 1:25 p.m. in the Goldman Theater. Here, participants will discuss African storytelling and come ready to creatively write.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nakano also suggested a \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/sunbird-songs-of-nectar-hanan-masri-walter-brents-iii/\">12:30 p.m. presentation\u003c/a> from Berkeley poet laureate Hanan Masri and educator Walker Brents III, who plan to discuss the poem “Sunbird,” by Fady Joudah in the Tamalpais Room. Plus, the 4:15 \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/wild-parrots-myths-and-memories/\">talk on wild parrots in San Francisco\u003c/a> is sure to attract a crowd, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104622\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Field-Trip-by-Xiao-Wan-8619981a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A birding tour at the Berkeley Bird Festival. (Courtesy of Xiao Wan)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The biggest can’t-miss moments of the event, he said, are the 4:35 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/splitting-skies-dancing-for-the-birds-and-our-future/\">“Splitting Skies” dance performance\u003c/a> and the 3:15 keynote conversation between \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/3804/\">authors Ed Yong and Lauren Markham. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The conversation “will be focused on the climate crisis and how we reckon with that on an interpersonal, inter-communal level,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I’m new to birding. What festival events should I see? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For those who aren’t already hooked on birding, Nakano suggested taking advantage of all the local birding groups that will be tabling there, like the American Birding Association and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043590/pride-2025-outdoor-meetups-lgbtq-hiking-bay-area#BirdwatchwithQueerBirdersBayArea\">Queer Birders Bay Area\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, while many of the birding walks are already at capacity, more \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/birding-on-campus/\">free tours will be running all afternoon on campus\u003c/a>, guided by Bears for Birds, the Cal birding club. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80.JPG\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104626\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80.JPG 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/DSC_0660-c2a90a80-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Meeting birds at the Berkeley Bird Festival.\u003cbr> (Courtesy of Ryan Nakano)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And don’t miss the afternoon \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleybirdfestival.org/bbf-events/tour-the-museum-of-vertebrate-zoology/\">tours of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology\u003c/a>, where you look at bird specimens up close.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Obviously it’s a little bit macabre, but it’s science,” Nakano said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The entire event is free, and most of its talks and workshops don’t require any registration. There won’t be food at the event, but a few local Berkeley restaurants will be offering attendees discounts during the festival.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’ll also be a raffle where participants can win birding gear and merchandise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the less experienced birders or birding-curious attendees, Nakano said to come with an open mind, ready to learn about the breadth of species of birds and habitat here in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You may even learn a thing or two about how to help protect birds, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Really, you can kind of find birds everywhere, even in your own neighborhoods and backyards,” he said, “but also just in these very surprising locations that unless you were birding, you might not even really go out there.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It gives you this fun excuse to explore the Bay in a completely different way,” Nakano said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "88000-pge-customers-could-lose-power-including-in-5-bay-area-counties",
"title": "88,000 PG&E Customers Could Lose Power — Including in 5 Bay Area Counties",
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"headTitle": "88,000 PG&E Customers Could Lose Power — Including in 5 Bay Area Counties | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pge\">PG&E\u003c/a> has warned nearly 88,000 customers, including 11,000 in the Bay Area, that they could lose power as early as Wednesday evening.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The move would be part of a “public safety power shutoff,” a last resort to prevent utility lines from causing wildfires, due to the upcoming “statewide fire weather event,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">press release\u003c/a> on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cutoff could impact customers in 29 counties — including roughly 11,000 customers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, the press release said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Joe Merchant, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that while they will be messaging “elevated to near-critical fire weather concerns,” he does not anticipate NWS issuing red flag warnings for most of the Bay Area, due to a lack of strong winds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire warning signs in the Berkeley and Oakland Hills. (Mark Andrew Boyer/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Merchant said that conditions remain dry across the Bay. Fire risk will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=fwfmtr\">elevated\u003c/a> in the East Bay Hills and the North Bay Mountains, with winds around 25 to 35 mph. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tamar Sarkissian, a spokesperson for PG&E, said that if they do decide to shut off the power, “all hands are on deck.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E is also working with over 40 community resource centers in 23 of the impacted counties to provide device charging, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and other supplies, according to their \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">latest\u003c/a> press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sarkissian said that they are working closely with the NWS as well as PG&E’s internal weather team to make final calls on whether or not to shut off power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have weather stations in the field that send back data and information. We also have, you know, folks in the fields who are our eyes and ears of what’s really going on,” Sarkissian said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents can look up their address \u003ca href=\"https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates/?WT.mc_id=Vanity_pspsupdates-a\">online\u003c/a> to see if they might be impacted and prepare for potential power loss.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We really encourage those customers who’ve received notifications that they’re in scope to start preparing now,” Sarkissian said, who also advised people to charge their devices and to fill their freezers with ice packs and water bottles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that public safety power shutoffs can last longer than standard power shutoffs. Instead of fixing one issue, as they would with a standard outage, they have to wait for the weather event to end before going out and patrolling all of the lines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We start going out and patrolling both by foot and helicopter to make sure that there is nothing on our lines, no vegetation, no debris, nothing that could spark an issue,” Sarkissian said. “If there is damage, we have to make repairs to it. Once all of that is done, that’s when we’re able to turn our customers back on safely.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If this shutoff happens, it would be the sixth shutoff of the year, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E’s utility lines have caused \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094546/pge-will-pay-22-million-for-mosquito-fire-biggest-blaze-of-2022\">numerous\u003c/a> deadly fires in the past decade. Earlier this month, they \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/PGE-Files-10-Year-Electrical-Undergrounding-Plan-to-Deliver-Permanent-Wildfire-Protection-and-Improve-Safety-Reliability-and-Affordability/default.aspx\">filed\u003c/a> a 10-year plan to put nearly 5,000 miles of utility lines underground to reduce the risk of wildfire during events like this one.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pge\">PG&E\u003c/a> has warned nearly 88,000 customers, including 11,000 in the Bay Area, that they could lose power as early as Wednesday evening.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pge\">PG&E\u003c/a> has warned nearly 88,000 customers, including 11,000 in the Bay Area, that they could lose power as early as Wednesday evening.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The move would be part of a “public safety power shutoff,” a last resort to prevent utility lines from causing wildfires, due to the upcoming “statewide fire weather event,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">press release\u003c/a> on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The move would be part of a “public safety power shutoff,” a last resort to prevent utility lines from causing wildfires, due to the upcoming “statewide fire weather event,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">press release\u003c/a> on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cutoff could impact customers in 29 counties — including roughly 11,000 customers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, the press release said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The cutoff could impact customers in 29 counties — including roughly 11,000 customers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, the press release said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Joe Merchant, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that while they will be messaging “elevated to near-critical fire weather concerns,” he does not anticipate NWS issuing red flag warnings for most of the Bay Area, due to a lack of strong winds. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Merchant said that conditions remain dry across the Bay. Fire risk will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=fwfmtr\">elevated\u003c/a> in the East Bay Hills and the North Bay Mountains, with winds around 25 to 35 mph. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Merchant said that conditions remain dry across the Bay. Fire risk will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=fwfmtr\">elevated\u003c/a> in the East Bay Hills and the North Bay Mountains, with winds around 25 to 35 mph. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tamar Sarkissian, a spokesperson for PG&E, said that if they do decide to shut off the power, “all hands are on deck.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>PG&E is also working with over 40 community resource centers in 23 of the impacted counties to provide device charging, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and other supplies, according to their \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">latest\u003c/a> press release. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sarkissian said that they are working closely with the NWS as well as PG&E’s internal weather team to make final calls on whether or not to shut off power. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have weather stations in the field that send back data and information. We also have, you know, folks in the fields who are our eyes and ears of what’s really going on,” Sarkissian said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Residents can look up their address \u003ca href=\"https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates/?WT.mc_id=Vanity_pspsupdates-a\">online\u003c/a> to see if they might be impacted and prepare for potential power loss.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We really encourage those customers who’ve received notifications that they’re in scope to start preparing now,” Sarkissian said, who also advised people to charge their devices and to fill their freezers with ice packs and water bottles.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We really encourage those customers who’ve received notifications that they’re in scope to start preparing now,” Sarkissian said, who also advised people to charge their devices and to fill their freezers with ice packs and water bottles.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said that public safety power shutoffs can last longer than standard power shutoffs. Instead of fixing one issue, as they would with a standard outage, they have to wait for the weather event to end before going out and patrolling all of the lines. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said that public safety power shutoffs can last longer than standard power shutoffs. Instead of fixing one issue, as they would with a standard outage, they have to wait for the weather event to end before going out and patrolling all of the lines. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We start going out and patrolling both by foot and helicopter to make sure that there is nothing on our lines, no vegetation, no debris, nothing that could spark an issue,” Sarkissian said. “If there is damage, we have to make repairs to it. Once all of that is done, that’s when we’re able to turn our customers back on safely.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We start going out and patrolling both by foot and helicopter to make sure that there is nothing on our lines, no vegetation, no debris, nothing that could spark an issue,” Sarkissian said. “If there is damage, we have to make repairs to it. Once all of that is done, that’s when we’re able to turn our customers back on safely.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If this shutoff happens, it would be the sixth shutoff of the year, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>PG&E’s utility lines have caused \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094546/pge-will-pay-22-million-for-mosquito-fire-biggest-blaze-of-2022\">numerous\u003c/a> deadly fires in the past decade. Earlier this month, they \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/PGE-Files-10-Year-Electrical-Undergrounding-Plan-to-Deliver-Permanent-Wildfire-Protection-and-Improve-Safety-Reliability-and-Affordability/default.aspx\">filed\u003c/a> a 10-year plan to put nearly 5,000 miles of utility lines underground to reduce the risk of wildfire during events like this one.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>PG&E’s utility lines have caused \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094546/pge-will-pay-22-million-for-mosquito-fire-biggest-blaze-of-2022\">numerous\u003c/a> deadly fires in the past decade. Earlier this month, they \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/PGE-Files-10-Year-Electrical-Undergrounding-Plan-to-Deliver-Permanent-Wildfire-Protection-and-Improve-Safety-Reliability-and-Affordability/default.aspx\">filed\u003c/a> a 10-year plan to put nearly 5,000 miles of utility lines underground to reduce the risk of wildfire during events like this one.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "PG&E may cut power to reduce wildfire risk as strong winds and warm weather pick up across the state. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pge\">PG&E\u003c/a> has warned nearly 88,000 customers, including 11,000 in the Bay Area, that they could lose power as early as Wednesday evening.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The move would be part of a “public safety power shutoff,” a last resort to prevent utility lines from causing wildfires, due to the upcoming “statewide fire weather event,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">press release\u003c/a> on Wednesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cutoff could impact customers in 29 counties — including roughly 11,000 customers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, the press release said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Joe Merchant, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that while they will be messaging “elevated to near-critical fire weather concerns,” he does not anticipate NWS issuing red flag warnings for most of the Bay Area, due to a lack of strong winds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/drought_1_140115_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire warning signs in the Berkeley and Oakland Hills. (Mark Andrew Boyer/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Merchant said that conditions remain dry across the Bay. Fire risk will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProduct?product=fwfmtr\">elevated\u003c/a> in the East Bay Hills and the North Bay Mountains, with winds around 25 to 35 mph. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tamar Sarkissian, a spokesperson for PG&E, said that if they do decide to shut off the power, “all hands are on deck.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E is also working with over 40 community resource centers in 23 of the impacted counties to provide device charging, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and other supplies, according to their \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/press-release-details.ae941ed4-6671-4763-acbe-56caae753a81.html\">latest\u003c/a> press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sarkissian said that they are working closely with the NWS as well as PG&E’s internal weather team to make final calls on whether or not to shut off power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have weather stations in the field that send back data and information. We also have, you know, folks in the fields who are our eyes and ears of what’s really going on,” Sarkissian said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents can look up their address \u003ca href=\"https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates/?WT.mc_id=Vanity_pspsupdates-a\">online\u003c/a> to see if they might be impacted and prepare for potential power loss.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We really encourage those customers who’ve received notifications that they’re in scope to start preparing now,” Sarkissian said, who also advised people to charge their devices and to fill their freezers with ice packs and water bottles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said that public safety power shutoffs can last longer than standard power shutoffs. Instead of fixing one issue, as they would with a standard outage, they have to wait for the weather event to end before going out and patrolling all of the lines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We start going out and patrolling both by foot and helicopter to make sure that there is nothing on our lines, no vegetation, no debris, nothing that could spark an issue,” Sarkissian said. “If there is damage, we have to make repairs to it. Once all of that is done, that’s when we’re able to turn our customers back on safely.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If this shutoff happens, it would be the sixth shutoff of the year, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>PG&E’s utility lines have caused \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094546/pge-will-pay-22-million-for-mosquito-fire-biggest-blaze-of-2022\">numerous\u003c/a> deadly fires in the past decade. Earlier this month, they \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/PGE-Files-10-Year-Electrical-Undergrounding-Plan-to-Deliver-Permanent-Wildfire-Protection-and-Improve-Safety-Reliability-and-Affordability/default.aspx\">filed\u003c/a> a 10-year plan to put nearly 5,000 miles of utility lines underground to reduce the risk of wildfire during events like this one.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know",
"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know",
"publishDate": 1791908999,
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"headTitle": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y907VV5aF78&t=1s\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-id=\"12103337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" data-id=\"12103161\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"577\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e-160x122.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A text message exchange between Andy Duong and Mario Juarez, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, according to the federal indictment against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their behest, prosecutors say Thao pressured the interim city administrator to appoint Gallegos. Despite the city administrator believing Gallegos didn’t have enough experience for the job, prosecutors say he appointed him interim deputy director of the department the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTRnkCBK8-xyeC_U6_qwyM9Es3WzLEpRhXB-1oELWuROivaP70Gkh-ll0Dw4g8nEJIEUkVN774ITfpE&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&width=100%25&height=650\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several weeks later, prosecutors allege, David Duong, Andy Duong and Juarez met with an associate of the reporter at a restaurant in Livermore and gave the associate a check for $10,000, drawn from California Waste Solutions’ bank account, to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The defense’s case\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High-profile officials caught in defendants’ orbit\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other allegations \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQfb9Mw6Qsc\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n"
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e-160x122.png 160w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A text message exchange between Andy Duong and Mario Juarez, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, according to the federal indictment against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of U.S. District Court)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At their behest, prosecutors say Thao pressured the interim city administrator to appoint Gallegos. Despite the city administrator believing Gallegos didn’t have enough experience for the job, prosecutors say he appointed him interim deputy director of the department the following day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Several weeks later, prosecutors allege, David Duong, Andy Duong and Juarez met with an associate of the reporter at a restaurant in Livermore and gave the associate a check for $10,000, drawn from California Waste Solutions’ bank account, to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Prosecutors say Thao used her position to benefit the city’s recycling contractor in exchange for money and negative political mailers.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/y907VV5aF78'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/y907VV5aF78'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-id=\"12103337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" data-id=\"12103161\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"577\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e-160x122.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A text message exchange between Andy Duong and Mario Juarez, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, according to the federal indictment against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their behest, prosecutors say Thao pressured the interim city administrator to appoint Gallegos. Despite the city administrator believing Gallegos didn’t have enough experience for the job, prosecutors say he appointed him interim deputy director of the department the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTRnkCBK8-xyeC_U6_qwyM9Es3WzLEpRhXB-1oELWuROivaP70Gkh-ll0Dw4g8nEJIEUkVN774ITfpE&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&width=100%25&height=650\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several weeks later, prosecutors allege, David Duong, Andy Duong and Juarez met with an associate of the reporter at a restaurant in Livermore and gave the associate a check for $10,000, drawn from California Waste Solutions’ bank account, to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The defense’s case\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High-profile officials caught in defendants’ orbit\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other allegations \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The Oakland Coliseum, Now 60, Did More Than House Great Teams",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>In the two years since the A’s left Oakland for West Sacramento, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-coliseum\">Coliseum\u003c/a> hasn’t been empty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Major League Cricket held its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091405/oakland-coliseum-welcomes-bay-area-fans-for-major-league-cricket-final\">championship round\u003c/a> there this summer, and the Oakland Roots will close out their season there on Saturday, Oct. 10. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The stadium has been jointly owned and operated by the city of Oakland and Alameda County since it opened on Sept. 18, 1966 — but they’re now in the final stages of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090665/oakland-approves-125-million-coliseum-sale-clearing-way-for-irving-azoff-overhaul\">$125 million deal\u003c/a> to sell it to private developers. The Oakland Acquisition Company, an affiliate of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, has ambitious plans to remake the site and revitalize East Oakland with housing, entertainment and commercial space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the past six decades, the Oakland Coliseum has hosted major moments in sports, music, and civic life. The stadium has held crowds of up to 60,000 people at 7000 Coliseum Way and has its own BART and Amtrak stations. Two major movies — \u003cem>Moneyball \u003c/em>and \u003cem>Angels in the Outfield\u003c/em> — were filmed on the field. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a community unlike any other in sports,” said Casey Pratt, former sports journalist and current vice president of the Oakland Ballers. He was a baby when he attended his first game at the Coliseum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In light of the stadium’s 60th birthday, here are six moments that have defined its history: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dec. 21, 1974\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103190\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED-1536x1013.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A dramatic play with 35 seconds left on the clock of the AFC Divisional game between the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins is now known as the ‘Sea of Hands’ catch. Raiders running back Clarence Davis (28) caught the ball and ran it in for a touchdown at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland on Dec. 21, 1974. The Oakland Raiders won 28-26. (MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The Oakland Raiders — the “bad boys” of the National Football League — were the first team to call the Coliseum home. Two years later, in 1968, the A’s relocated from Kansas City and joined them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the greatest moments in NFL history — a game-winning touchdown play known as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-100-greatest-no-17-the-sea-of-hands\">“Sea of Hands”\u003c/a> — happened at the Coliseum in 1974, when the Oakland Raiders beat the Miami Dolphins, which were the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oct. 15, 1981\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>George Henderson, also known as “Krazy George,” is widely credited with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10608660/the-wave-was-born-in-oakland-and-some-giants-fans-want-it-dead\">invention of “The Wave”\u003c/a> at the Coliseum, during a 1981 playoff game between the Oakland A’s and the New York Yankees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://player.vimeo.com/video/134024146?h=60fb3a87da\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tonight is the perfect example of what the Oakland Coliseum has meant this year: Everybody having a great time,” A’s broadcaster Bill King said during the game telecast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">May 27, 1989\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Coliseum may have been billed as an all-purpose sports complex, but its spacious dimensions and easy access by public transit or car also made it a natural choice for concerts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 1973, Bill Graham began staging rock concerts, called Day on the Green, during weekend afternoons with all-star lineups at the Coliseum. Corry Arnold, who chronicles late 20th-century Bay Area music history, said that for a lot of people, this event was their first rock concert.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pp4YsXyZns&t=39s\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You didn’t have to be special or know when tickets went on sale or know somebody or something. There were no reserved seats. You’d bump into half your high school,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over 20 years, Graham and other presenters brought acts, including the Rolling Stones, The Who, Dolly Parton and Black Sabbath to play on the field. Local heroes, such as John Fogerty, appeared at a May 1989 show that benefited AIDS research with members of the Grateful Dead as his backup band. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The East Bay’s biggest rock star in center field of the Oakland Coliseum singing ‘Centerfield’ — it’s a big deal,” Arnold said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">June 30, 1990\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the largest crowds in Coliseum history — around 60,000 people — packed the place in 1990 to see \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/101013/do-not-post-nelson-mandela\">Nelson Mandela\u003c/a>, who had just been released after 27 years as a political prisoner in South Africa. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1272\" height=\"800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-4-KQED.jpg 1272w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-4-KQED-160x101.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1272px) 100vw, 1272px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nelson Mandela stopped at the Oakland Coliseum during his trip to the United States, where he visited eight cities after being released from prison. (Reginald Pearman/MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUcvjm9D2M4\">He toured various cities in the U.S.\u003c/a> to thank the many Americans who had helped push for his release and for an end to apartheid.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We had people in all the seats, but also on the playing field,” said Sandre Swanson, an aide to then-Congressman Ron Dellums. “The churches played a big role in filling up a lot of those seats, as well as labor unions [and] community-based organizations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">May 9, 2010\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of Major League Baseball’s 24 perfect games were hurled by A’s pitchers at the Coliseum: Catfish Hunter on May 8, 1968, and Dallas Braden on May 9, 2010. Braden, a native of Stockton, is now one of the A’s broadcasters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Casey Pratt attended one of those perfect games. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103182\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics celebrates his perfect game with his grandmother Peggy Lindsey after the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, May 9, 2010, at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland. Dallas Braden pitched the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. The Athletics defeated the Rays 4-0. (Brad Mangin/MLB via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the third inning, I noticed that Dallas Braden had a perfect game going,” he said. “And a few seats down from me, this lady was also noticing it and just going crazy. And then, come the ninth inning, he completes the perfect game, and she jumps up and runs down, gets pulled down on the field, and embraces Dallas as he runs off the mound.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He realized that the woman was Peggy Lindsay, Braden’s grandma.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Feb. 10, 2021 \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Coliseum closed to the public in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and reopened in February 2021 as a mass \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11860650/new-federal-state-mass-vaccination-site-opens-at-oakland-coliseum\">vaccination site.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1202\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED-1536x923.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire employee, center, vaccinates a woman, right, at the Oakland Arena/RingCentral Coliseum COVID-19 community vaccination site in Oakland on Feb. 16, 2021. (Aric Crabb/MediaNews Group/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>It was jointly operated by FEMA and the California Department of Emergency Services and served as a model for similar efforts around the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In tents and trailers in the parking lot, health care workers dispensed up to 6,000 vaccinations a day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By April, the majority of Alameda County residents had been vaccinated, and the A’s opened the season with fans in the stands — as long as they were masked and observed social distancing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The stadium has been jointly owned and operated by the city of Oakland and Alameda County since it opened on Sept. 18, 1966 — but they’re now in the final stages of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090665/oakland-approves-125-million-coliseum-sale-clearing-way-for-irving-azoff-overhaul\">$125 million deal\u003c/a> to sell it to private developers. The Oakland Acquisition Company, an affiliate of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, has ambitious plans to remake the site and revitalize East Oakland with housing, entertainment and commercial space.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the past six decades, the Oakland Coliseum has hosted major moments in sports, music, and civic life. The stadium has held crowds of up to 60,000 people at 7000 Coliseum Way and has its own BART and Amtrak stations. Two major movies — \u003cem>Moneyball \u003c/em>and \u003cem>Angels in the Outfield\u003c/em> — were filmed on the field. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Over the past six decades, the Oakland Coliseum has hosted major moments in sports, music, and civic life. The stadium has held crowds of up to 60,000 people at 7000 Coliseum Way and has its own BART and Amtrak stations. Two major movies — \u003cem>Moneyball \u003c/em>and \u003cem>Angels in the Outfield\u003c/em> — were filmed on the field. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was a community unlike any other in sports,” said Casey Pratt, former sports journalist and current vice president of the Oakland Ballers. He was a baby when he attended his first game at the Coliseum.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was a community unlike any other in sports,” said Casey Pratt, former sports journalist and current vice president of the Oakland Ballers. He was a baby when he attended his first game at the Coliseum.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In light of the stadium’s 60th birthday, here are six moments that have defined its history: \u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Dec. 21, 1974",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dec. 21, 1974\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dec. 21, 1974\u003c/h2>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED-1536x1013.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103190\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED-1536x1013.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A dramatic play with 35 seconds left on the clock of the AFC Divisional game between the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins is now known as the ‘Sea of Hands’ catch. Raiders running back Clarence Davis (28) caught the ball and ran it in for a touchdown at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland on Dec. 21, 1974. The Oakland Raiders won 28-26.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103190\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A dramatic play with 35 seconds left on the clock of the AFC Divisional game between the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins is now known as the ‘Sea of Hands’ catch. Raiders running back Clarence Davis (28) caught the ball and ran it in for a touchdown at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland on Dec. 21, 1974. The Oakland Raiders won 28-26.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Oakland Raiders — the “bad boys” of the National Football League — were the first team to call the Coliseum home. Two years later, in 1968, the A’s relocated from Kansas City and joined them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Oakland Raiders — the “bad boys” of the National Football League — were the first team to call the Coliseum home. Two years later, in 1968, the A’s relocated from Kansas City and joined them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the greatest moments in NFL history — a game-winning touchdown play known as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-100-greatest-no-17-the-sea-of-hands\">“Sea of Hands”\u003c/a> — happened at the Coliseum in 1974, when the Oakland Raiders beat the Miami Dolphins, which were the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of the greatest moments in NFL history — a game-winning touchdown play known as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-100-greatest-no-17-the-sea-of-hands\">“Sea of Hands”\u003c/a> — happened at the Coliseum in 1974, when the Oakland Raiders beat the Miami Dolphins, which were the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tonight is the perfect example of what the Oakland Coliseum has meant this year: Everybody having a great time,” A’s broadcaster Bill King said during the game telecast.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 1973, Bill Graham began staging rock concerts, called Day on the Green, during weekend afternoons with all-star lineups at the Coliseum. Corry Arnold, who chronicles late 20th-century Bay Area music history, said that for a lot of people, this event was their first rock concert.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You didn’t have to be special or know when tickets went on sale or know somebody or something. There were no reserved seats. You’d bump into half your high school,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over 20 years, Graham and other presenters brought acts, including the Rolling Stones, The Who, Dolly Parton and Black Sabbath to play on the field. Local heroes, such as John Fogerty, appeared at a May 1989 show that benefited AIDS research with members of the Grateful Dead as his backup band. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The East Bay’s biggest rock star in center field of the Oakland Coliseum singing ‘Centerfield’ — it’s a big deal,” Arnold said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the largest crowds in Coliseum history — around 60,000 people — packed the place in 1990 to see \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/101013/do-not-post-nelson-mandela\">Nelson Mandela\u003c/a>, who had just been released after 27 years as a political prisoner in South Africa. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUcvjm9D2M4\">He toured various cities in the U.S.\u003c/a> to thank the many Americans who had helped push for his release and for an end to apartheid.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We had people in all the seats, but also on the playing field,” said Sandre Swanson, an aide to then-Congressman Ron Dellums. “The churches played a big role in filling up a lot of those seats, as well as labor unions [and] community-based organizations.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two of Major League Baseball’s 24 perfect games were hurled by A’s pitchers at the Coliseum: Catfish Hunter on May 8, 1968, and Dallas Braden on May 9, 2010. Braden, a native of Stockton, is now one of the A’s broadcasters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103182\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics celebrates his perfect game with his grandmother Peggy Lindsey after the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, May 9, 2010, at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland. Dallas Braden pitched the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. The Athletics defeated the Rays 4-0.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brad Mangin/MLB via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In the third inning, I noticed that Dallas Braden had a perfect game going,” he said. “And a few seats down from me, this lady was also noticing it and just going crazy. And then, come the ninth inning, he completes the perfect game, and she jumps up and runs down, gets pulled down on the field, and embraces Dallas as he runs off the mound.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Coliseum closed to the public in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and reopened in February 2021 as a mass \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11860650/new-federal-state-mass-vaccination-site-opens-at-oakland-coliseum\">vaccination site.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED-1536x923.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire employee, center, vaccinates a woman, right, at the Oakland Arena/RingCentral Coliseum COVID-19 community vaccination site in Oakland on Feb. 16, 2021. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Aric Crabb/MediaNews Group/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"excerpt": "The stadium, which opened in 1966, faces a turning point — its historical significance goes beyond sports.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In the two years since the A’s left Oakland for West Sacramento, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-coliseum\">Coliseum\u003c/a> hasn’t been empty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Major League Cricket held its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091405/oakland-coliseum-welcomes-bay-area-fans-for-major-league-cricket-final\">championship round\u003c/a> there this summer, and the Oakland Roots will close out their season there on Saturday, Oct. 10. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The stadium has been jointly owned and operated by the city of Oakland and Alameda County since it opened on Sept. 18, 1966 — but they’re now in the final stages of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12090665/oakland-approves-125-million-coliseum-sale-clearing-way-for-irving-azoff-overhaul\">$125 million deal\u003c/a> to sell it to private developers. The Oakland Acquisition Company, an affiliate of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, has ambitious plans to remake the site and revitalize East Oakland with housing, entertainment and commercial space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the past six decades, the Oakland Coliseum has hosted major moments in sports, music, and civic life. The stadium has held crowds of up to 60,000 people at 7000 Coliseum Way and has its own BART and Amtrak stations. Two major movies — \u003cem>Moneyball \u003c/em>and \u003cem>Angels in the Outfield\u003c/em> — were filmed on the field. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a community unlike any other in sports,” said Casey Pratt, former sports journalist and current vice president of the Oakland Ballers. He was a baby when he attended his first game at the Coliseum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In light of the stadium’s 60th birthday, here are six moments that have defined its history: \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dec. 21, 1974\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103190\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-10-KQED-1536x1013.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A dramatic play with 35 seconds left on the clock of the AFC Divisional game between the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins is now known as the ‘Sea of Hands’ catch. Raiders running back Clarence Davis (28) caught the ball and ran it in for a touchdown at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland on Dec. 21, 1974. The Oakland Raiders won 28-26. (MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The Oakland Raiders — the “bad boys” of the National Football League — were the first team to call the Coliseum home. Two years later, in 1968, the A’s relocated from Kansas City and joined them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the greatest moments in NFL history — a game-winning touchdown play known as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-100-greatest-no-17-the-sea-of-hands\">“Sea of Hands”\u003c/a> — happened at the Coliseum in 1974, when the Oakland Raiders beat the Miami Dolphins, which were the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oct. 15, 1981\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>George Henderson, also known as “Krazy George,” is widely credited with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10608660/the-wave-was-born-in-oakland-and-some-giants-fans-want-it-dead\">invention of “The Wave”\u003c/a> at the Coliseum, during a 1981 playoff game between the Oakland A’s and the New York Yankees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://player.vimeo.com/video/134024146?h=60fb3a87da\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tonight is the perfect example of what the Oakland Coliseum has meant this year: Everybody having a great time,” A’s broadcaster Bill King said during the game telecast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">May 27, 1989\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Coliseum may have been billed as an all-purpose sports complex, but its spacious dimensions and easy access by public transit or car also made it a natural choice for concerts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 1973, Bill Graham began staging rock concerts, called Day on the Green, during weekend afternoons with all-star lineups at the Coliseum. Corry Arnold, who chronicles late 20th-century Bay Area music history, said that for a lot of people, this event was their first rock concert.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/0Pp4YsXyZns'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/0Pp4YsXyZns'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You didn’t have to be special or know when tickets went on sale or know somebody or something. There were no reserved seats. You’d bump into half your high school,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over 20 years, Graham and other presenters brought acts, including the Rolling Stones, The Who, Dolly Parton and Black Sabbath to play on the field. Local heroes, such as John Fogerty, appeared at a May 1989 show that benefited AIDS research with members of the Grateful Dead as his backup band. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The East Bay’s biggest rock star in center field of the Oakland Coliseum singing ‘Centerfield’ — it’s a big deal,” Arnold said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">June 30, 1990\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the largest crowds in Coliseum history — around 60,000 people — packed the place in 1990 to see \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/101013/do-not-post-nelson-mandela\">Nelson Mandela\u003c/a>, who had just been released after 27 years as a political prisoner in South Africa. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1272\" height=\"800\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-4-KQED.jpg 1272w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-4-KQED-160x101.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1272px) 100vw, 1272px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nelson Mandela stopped at the Oakland Coliseum during his trip to the United States, where he visited eight cities after being released from prison. (Reginald Pearman/MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUcvjm9D2M4\">He toured various cities in the U.S.\u003c/a> to thank the many Americans who had helped push for his release and for an end to apartheid.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We had people in all the seats, but also on the playing field,” said Sandre Swanson, an aide to then-Congressman Ron Dellums. “The churches played a big role in filling up a lot of those seats, as well as labor unions [and] community-based organizations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">May 9, 2010\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of Major League Baseball’s 24 perfect games were hurled by A’s pitchers at the Coliseum: Catfish Hunter on May 8, 1968, and Dallas Braden on May 9, 2010. Braden, a native of Stockton, is now one of the A’s broadcasters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Casey Pratt attended one of those perfect games. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103182\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics celebrates his perfect game with his grandmother Peggy Lindsey after the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, May 9, 2010, at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland. Dallas Braden pitched the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. The Athletics defeated the Rays 4-0. (Brad Mangin/MLB via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the third inning, I noticed that Dallas Braden had a perfect game going,” he said. “And a few seats down from me, this lady was also noticing it and just going crazy. And then, come the ninth inning, he completes the perfect game, and she jumps up and runs down, gets pulled down on the field, and embraces Dallas as he runs off the mound.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He realized that the woman was Peggy Lindsay, Braden’s grandma.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Feb. 10, 2021 \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Coliseum closed to the public in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and reopened in February 2021 as a mass \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11860650/new-federal-state-mass-vaccination-site-opens-at-oakland-coliseum\">vaccination site.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1202\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ColiseumGoodbye-6-KQED-1536x923.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Cal Fire employee, center, vaccinates a woman, right, at the Oakland Arena/RingCentral Coliseum COVID-19 community vaccination site in Oakland on Feb. 16, 2021. (Aric Crabb/MediaNews Group/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>It was jointly operated by FEMA and the California Department of Emergency Services and served as a model for similar efforts around the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In tents and trailers in the parking lot, health care workers dispensed up to 6,000 vaccinations a day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By April, the majority of Alameda County residents had been vaccinated, and the A’s opened the season with fans in the stands — as long as they were masked and observed social distancing.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "in-laws-of-slain-new-york-times-executive-charged-with-his-murder",
"title": "In-Laws of Slain New York Times Executive Charged With His Murder",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The parents-in-law of a \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> executive were charged with his murder on Wednesday, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/alameda-county\">Alameda County\u003c/a> District Attorney’s Office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, are accused of developing a plan to shoot 40-year-old Jonathan McKinsey in a parking lot near a Dublin park on Sept. 26. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police officials located McKinsey lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds near the Dublin Sports Grounds just after 3 p.m. He was declared deceased on the scene.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zhang and Chen, a husband and wife whose daughter, Candace Jang, was married to McKinsey, are accused of shooting him “in concert,” according to witness reports and surveillance footage obtained by the district attorney’s office. They also face multiple special enhancements — which could add extra prison time or penalties to a sentence — one on the grounds of “lying in wait,” which means that they premeditated the killing and waited for the moment to act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102244\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The East County Hall of Justice in Dublin on Sept. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court documents said the couple fled the scene in a black Honda Civic, driven by Chen. They were detained after being pulled over while traveling westbound through the Dublin Sports Ground parking lot, toward Civic Plaza.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Officers later located a firearm in Chen’s possession. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If found guilty, the couple could face lifetime prison sentences without the opportunity for parole.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chen and Zhang were due in Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice on Wednesday morning to make their initial appearance in the case. They are currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have not yet revealed a motive for the killing, but court records show that family dynamics were fraught between Jang, her parents and McKinsey, who worked as the director of engineering for \u003cem>The New York Times’ \u003c/em>games department.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In December, McKinsey filed for divorce after he and Jang had exchanged restraining orders, both alleging domestic violence in the months prior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Oct. 23, Jang requested a restraining order against McKinsey, and he responded with his own on Dec. 11.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show they were also in the midst of a custody dispute over their three young children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to court documents \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/us/jonathan-mckinsey-shooting-california-charges.html\">obtained by the \u003cem>Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>,\u003c/em> McKinsey, who was transgender, had accused Jang and her parents of abusing him because of his identity. Jang alleged that McKinsey had abused her and the children.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the time of his death, McKinsey was out of custody pending separate misdemeanor child abuse charges, which he pled not guilty to last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prior to McKinsey’s death, he and Jang were due in court on Friday for a status conference.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, are accused of developing a plan to shoot 40-year-old Jonathan McKinsey in a parking lot near a Dublin park on Sept. 26. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Police officials located McKinsey lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds near the Dublin Sports Grounds just after 3 p.m. He was declared deceased on the scene.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Zhang and Chen, a husband and wife whose daughter, Candace Jang, was married to McKinsey, are accused of shooting him “in concert,” according to witness reports and surveillance footage obtained by the district attorney’s office. They also face multiple special enhancements — which could add extra prison time or penalties to a sentence — one on the grounds of “lying in wait,” which means that they premeditated the killing and waited for the moment to act.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Zhang and Chen, a husband and wife whose daughter, Candace Jang, was married to McKinsey, are accused of shooting him “in concert,” according to witness reports and surveillance footage obtained by the district attorney’s office. They also face multiple special enhancements — which could add extra prison time or penalties to a sentence — one on the grounds of “lying in wait,” which means that they premeditated the killing and waited for the moment to act.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102244\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The East County Hall of Justice in Dublin on Sept. 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court documents said the couple fled the scene in a black Honda Civic, driven by Chen. They were detained after being pulled over while traveling westbound through the Dublin Sports Ground parking lot, toward Civic Plaza.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If found guilty, the couple could face lifetime prison sentences without the opportunity for parole.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chen and Zhang were due in Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice on Wednesday morning to make their initial appearance in the case. They are currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chen and Zhang were due in Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice on Wednesday morning to make their initial appearance in the case. They are currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have not yet revealed a motive for the killing, but court records show that family dynamics were fraught between Jang, her parents and McKinsey, who worked as the director of engineering for \u003cem>The New York Times’ \u003c/em>games department.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In December, McKinsey filed for divorce after he and Jang had exchanged restraining orders, both alleging domestic violence in the months prior. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Oct. 23, Jang requested a restraining order against McKinsey, and he responded with his own on Dec. 11.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to court documents \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/us/jonathan-mckinsey-shooting-california-charges.html\">obtained by the \u003cem>Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>,\u003c/em> McKinsey, who was transgender, had accused Jang and her parents of abusing him because of his identity. Jang alleged that McKinsey had abused her and the children.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the time of his death, McKinsey was out of custody pending separate misdemeanor child abuse charges, which he pled not guilty to last year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prior to McKinsey’s death, he and Jang were due in court on Friday for a status conference.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The slain executive was previously due for a court appearance with his ex-wife this week amid a custody dispute.",
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"title": "In-Laws of Slain New York Times Executive Charged With His Murder | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The parents-in-law of a \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> executive were charged with his murder on Wednesday, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/alameda-county\">Alameda County\u003c/a> District Attorney’s Office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, are accused of developing a plan to shoot 40-year-old Jonathan McKinsey in a parking lot near a Dublin park on Sept. 26. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police officials located McKinsey lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds near the Dublin Sports Grounds just after 3 p.m. He was declared deceased on the scene.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zhang and Chen, a husband and wife whose daughter, Candace Jang, was married to McKinsey, are accused of shooting him “in concert,” according to witness reports and surveillance footage obtained by the district attorney’s office. They also face multiple special enhancements — which could add extra prison time or penalties to a sentence — one on the grounds of “lying in wait,” which means that they premeditated the killing and waited for the moment to act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102244\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260930-DUBLINARRAIGNMENT-00106_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The East County Hall of Justice in Dublin on Sept. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court documents said the couple fled the scene in a black Honda Civic, driven by Chen. They were detained after being pulled over while traveling westbound through the Dublin Sports Ground parking lot, toward Civic Plaza.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Officers later located a firearm in Chen’s possession. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If found guilty, the couple could face lifetime prison sentences without the opportunity for parole.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chen and Zhang were due in Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice on Wednesday morning to make their initial appearance in the case. They are currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have not yet revealed a motive for the killing, but court records show that family dynamics were fraught between Jang, her parents and McKinsey, who worked as the director of engineering for \u003cem>The New York Times’ \u003c/em>games department.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In December, McKinsey filed for divorce after he and Jang had exchanged restraining orders, both alleging domestic violence in the months prior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Oct. 23, Jang requested a restraining order against McKinsey, and he responded with his own on Dec. 11.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show they were also in the midst of a custody dispute over their three young children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to court documents \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/us/jonathan-mckinsey-shooting-california-charges.html\">obtained by the \u003cem>Times\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>,\u003c/em> McKinsey, who was transgender, had accused Jang and her parents of abusing him because of his identity. Jang alleged that McKinsey had abused her and the children.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the time of his death, McKinsey was out of custody pending separate misdemeanor child abuse charges, which he pled not guilty to last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prior to McKinsey’s death, he and Jang were due in court on Friday for a status conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "east-bay-regional-parks-district-settles-with-family-of-man-tased-and-left-comatose",
"title": "East Bay Regional Parks District Settles With Family of Man Tased and Left Comatose",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The East Bay Regional Parks District has agreed to settle a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010629/family-of-man-tased-by-east-bay-park-police-and-left-comatose-files-federal-lawsuit\">lawsuit brought by the family\u003c/a> of a man who remains on life support — two years after a parks police officer tased him five times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorneys in the case confirmed the settlement had been reached just hours before opening statements and jury selection — which were scheduled to begin Tuesday in a Phillip Burton Federal Building courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On April 5, 2024, park district police officers Jonathan Knea and Roberto Filice approached Deontae Charles Faison while he was in the driver’s seat of a gold F-150 pickup truck, citing expired tags. Soon, Faison fled, eventually into the estuary off Oakland’s Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZBWQd-P_buMa0meUSS2HlZeWfS-lMn_w/view\">Edited body camera footage\u003c/a> released by Faison’s attorneys shows Knea approaching Faison with a weapon pointed at him. Faison, who was with an undisclosed female companion, gave them an alias. When the officers couldn’t find him in their database, Faison fled on foot and began wading in the estuary at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2788\" height=\"1682\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12010640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM.png 2788w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-800x483.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-1020x615.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-160x97.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-1536x927.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-2048x1236.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-1920x1158.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2788px) 100vw, 2788px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Body cam footage of East Bay Regional Parks officer Jonathan Knea aiming a Taser at Deontae as Deontae wades into the estuary at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland, on April 5, 2024. (Courtesy of the Faison family, via the EBRPD Police Department)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s where Knea tased Faison five times as Faison called for help before losing consciousness. Neither officer administered any aid to Faison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faison’s lawsuit claims Knea used excessive force by tasing him while he was in the water and also alleges that the EBRP failed to properly train Knea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who was set to preside over the trial, had already ruled that Knea’s first and second times tasing Faison were covered by qualified immunity — the legal protections afforded to government workers in the course of doing their jobs. She also previously dismissed punitive damages against the park district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faison’s family alleged that his female companion received better treatment from the officers because she is white. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The case would have tasked a jury of eight people with determining whether the subsequent third, fourth and fifth taser deployments while Faison was at or near the shore’s edge violated his civil rights. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury would also be asked to decide possible punitive damages against Knea, if it found that he acted with something beyond simple indifference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faison was left with barely any neurological function and is expected to live only a few more years, according to court filings. He has two sons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faison’s attorney wanted the contents of the truck and Faison’s criminal record excluded from trial, arguing that it was irrelevant — on the grounds that it couldn’t have informed Knea’s conduct, because he wasn’t aware of those details before tasing Faison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The day of the incident, police found, among other things, six laptops, several credit and debit cards, two pellet guns, a folding knife, and an unmarked bottle of anxiety medication. There was also an active felony warrant out for Faison for missing a hearing on a prior felony conviction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260929-phillipburtonfederalbuilding-00127_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101965\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260929-phillipburtonfederalbuilding-00127_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260929-phillipburtonfederalbuilding-00127_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260929-phillipburtonfederalbuilding-00127_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Phillip Burton Federal Building and United States Courthouse in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corley ruled some of that information was relevant, because it further explained why Faison would run from the officers, not merely a fear of being tased. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorneys for EBRPD and Knea moved to limit Faison’s presence in the courtroom, which his attorneys argued would only be there for the beginning and ending of trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before the settlement was reached, Corley had limited the trial to 12 hours for each side, excluding opening statements and closing arguments, with an end date of Oct. 7.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorneys in the case said they plan to issue a joint press release on the development.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On April 5, 2024, park district police officers Jonathan Knea and Roberto Filice approached Deontae Charles Faison while he was in the driver’s seat of a gold F-150 pickup truck, citing expired tags. Soon, Faison fled, eventually into the estuary off Oakland’s Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZBWQd-P_buMa0meUSS2HlZeWfS-lMn_w/view\">Edited body camera footage\u003c/a> released by Faison’s attorneys shows Knea approaching Faison with a weapon pointed at him. Faison, who was with an undisclosed female companion, gave them an alias. When the officers couldn’t find him in their database, Faison fled on foot and began wading in the estuary at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12010640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM.png 2788w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-800x483.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-1020x615.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-160x97.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-1536x927.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-2048x1236.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-1920x1158.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Body cam footage of East Bay Regional Parks officer Jonathan Knea aiming a Taser at Deontae as Deontae wades into the estuary at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland, on April 5, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of the Faison family, via the EBRPD Police Department)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12010640\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Body cam footage of East Bay Regional Parks officer Jonathan Knea aiming a Taser at Deontae as Deontae wades into the estuary at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland, on April 5, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of the Faison family, via the EBRPD Police Department)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s where Knea tased Faison five times as Faison called for help before losing consciousness. Neither officer administered any aid to Faison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Faison’s lawsuit claims Knea used excessive force by tasing him while he was in the water and also alleges that the EBRP failed to properly train Knea.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who was set to preside over the trial, had already ruled that Knea’s first and second times tasing Faison were covered by qualified immunity — the legal protections afforded to government workers in the course of doing their jobs. She also previously dismissed punitive damages against the park district.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Faison’s family alleged that his female companion received better treatment from the officers because she is white. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The case would have tasked a jury of eight people with determining whether the subsequent third, fourth and fifth taser deployments while Faison was at or near the shore’s edge violated his civil rights. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The jury would also be asked to decide possible punitive damages against Knea, if it found that he acted with something beyond simple indifference. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Faison was left with barely any neurological function and is expected to live only a few more years, according to court filings. He has two sons. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Faison’s attorney wanted the contents of the truck and Faison’s criminal record excluded from trial, arguing that it was irrelevant — on the grounds that it couldn’t have informed Knea’s conduct, because he wasn’t aware of those details before tasing Faison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The day of the incident, police found, among other things, six laptops, several credit and debit cards, two pellet guns, a folding knife, and an unmarked bottle of anxiety medication. There was also an active felony warrant out for Faison for missing a hearing on a prior felony conviction. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Corley ruled some of that information was relevant, because it further explained why Faison would run from the officers, not merely a fear of being tased. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Attorneys for EBRPD and Knea moved to limit Faison’s presence in the courtroom, which his attorneys argued would only be there for the beginning and ending of trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before the settlement was reached, Corley had limited the trial to 12 hours for each side, excluding opening statements and closing arguments, with an end date of Oct. 7.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Attorneys in the case said they plan to issue a joint press release on the development.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Attorneys did not confirm the exact details surrounding the settlement, but said they plan to release a joint press release soon.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The East Bay Regional Parks District has agreed to settle a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010629/family-of-man-tased-by-east-bay-park-police-and-left-comatose-files-federal-lawsuit\">lawsuit brought by the family\u003c/a> of a man who remains on life support — two years after a parks police officer tased him five times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorneys in the case confirmed the settlement had been reached just hours before opening statements and jury selection — which were scheduled to begin Tuesday in a Phillip Burton Federal Building courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On April 5, 2024, park district police officers Jonathan Knea and Roberto Filice approached Deontae Charles Faison while he was in the driver’s seat of a gold F-150 pickup truck, citing expired tags. Soon, Faison fled, eventually into the estuary off Oakland’s Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZBWQd-P_buMa0meUSS2HlZeWfS-lMn_w/view\">Edited body camera footage\u003c/a> released by Faison’s attorneys shows Knea approaching Faison with a weapon pointed at him. Faison, who was with an undisclosed female companion, gave them an alias. When the officers couldn’t find him in their database, Faison fled on foot and began wading in the estuary at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2788\" height=\"1682\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12010640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM.png 2788w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-800x483.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-1020x615.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-160x97.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-1536x927.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-2048x1236.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Screen-Shot-2024-10-22-at-5.35.48-PM-1920x1158.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2788px) 100vw, 2788px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Body cam footage of East Bay Regional Parks officer Jonathan Knea aiming a Taser at Deontae as Deontae wades into the estuary at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland, on April 5, 2024. (Courtesy of the Faison family, via the EBRPD Police Department)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s where Knea tased Faison five times as Faison called for help before losing consciousness. Neither officer administered any aid to Faison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faison’s lawsuit claims Knea used excessive force by tasing him while he was in the water and also alleges that the EBRP failed to properly train Knea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who was set to preside over the trial, had already ruled that Knea’s first and second times tasing Faison were covered by qualified immunity — the legal protections afforded to government workers in the course of doing their jobs. She also previously dismissed punitive damages against the park district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faison’s family alleged that his female companion received better treatment from the officers because she is white. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The case would have tasked a jury of eight people with determining whether the subsequent third, fourth and fifth taser deployments while Faison was at or near the shore’s edge violated his civil rights. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury would also be asked to decide possible punitive damages against Knea, if it found that he acted with something beyond simple indifference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faison was left with barely any neurological function and is expected to live only a few more years, according to court filings. He has two sons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faison’s attorney wanted the contents of the truck and Faison’s criminal record excluded from trial, arguing that it was irrelevant — on the grounds that it couldn’t have informed Knea’s conduct, because he wasn’t aware of those details before tasing Faison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The day of the incident, police found, among other things, six laptops, several credit and debit cards, two pellet guns, a folding knife, and an unmarked bottle of anxiety medication. There was also an active felony warrant out for Faison for missing a hearing on a prior felony conviction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260929-phillipburtonfederalbuilding-00127_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101965\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260929-phillipburtonfederalbuilding-00127_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260929-phillipburtonfederalbuilding-00127_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260929-phillipburtonfederalbuilding-00127_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Phillip Burton Federal Building and United States Courthouse in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corley ruled some of that information was relevant, because it further explained why Faison would run from the officers, not merely a fear of being tased. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorneys for EBRPD and Knea moved to limit Faison’s presence in the courtroom, which his attorneys argued would only be there for the beginning and ending of trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before the settlement was reached, Corley had limited the trial to 12 hours for each side, excluding opening statements and closing arguments, with an end date of Oct. 7.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorneys in the case said they plan to issue a joint press release on the development.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-police-could-finally-emerge-from-oversight-23-years-after-riders",
"title": "Oakland Police Could Finally Emerge From Oversight, 23 Years After ‘Riders’",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-police-department\">Oakland’s police force\u003c/a> could emerge Tuesday from more than two decades of federal court oversight following a major brutality and corruption scandal in 2000.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At a long-awaited hearing, the city plans to argue that the Oakland Police Department is reformed and ask federal Judge William Orrick for full independence. But a monitoring report this month showing the department is failing to perform internal investigations quickly enough could leave it in limbo for longer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OPD has spent the last 23 years under a federally mandated consent decree following a class-action civil rights lawsuit brought by 119 residents. They alleged that a group of officers known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101891855/oakland-police-departments-brutality-corruption-and-cover-up-and-long-road-toward-reform\">the Riders\u003c/a> planted evidence and falsely arrested them, and engaged in intimidation, beatings, kidnapping and racial discrimination. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2003, the parties reached a settlement that required OPD to pay $11 million in restitution and implement 51 operational reforms related to the use of force, discipline, supervision, training and internal affairs investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12017328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Oakland Police Department on Nov. 12, 2016. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The Riders scandal sowed deep mistrust toward Oakland law enforcement, as OPD worked to reform its culture amid repeated \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/04/10/high-ranking-oakland-cops-including-deputy-chief-face-serious-discipline-for-allegedly-botching-investigation/\">missteps\u003c/a>, backsliding, a revolving door of police chiefs and multiple city administrations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After finally \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085228/oakland-police-judge-clears-path-for-possible-end-to-federal-oversight\">coming into compliance\u003c/a> with all 51 tasks in May, it appeared that OPD was on track to be released from oversight this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the first time in 23 years that OPD has achieved each of the 51 tasks in the [settlement agreement],” Orrick said during the spring hearing. “No one can say, ‘mission accomplished.’ But I do congratulate the city and OPD for getting this far.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But court-appointed monitor Robert S. Warshaw’s progress report earlier this month found that OPD had again fallen below the threshold for timely investigations into severe misconduct violations, threatening that decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The settlement requires that at least 85% of internal affairs investigations related to “the most serious allegations of misconduct” should be completed within 180 days of reporting. Between January and March of this year, 77 of 93, or 83%, of these investigations were completed in time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The timeliness of [Internal Affairs Bureau] investigations is an important issue in the [negotiated settlement agreement],” Warshaw wrote. “Members of the public, as well as sworn and non-sworn employees of the Department, are entitled to learn of the results of investigations that are overseen by the Internal Affairs Bureau.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response to the report, Oakland’s Coalition for Police Accountability, a civilian-led advocacy group, submitted a \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4496116/1767/allen-v-city-of-oakland/\">letter\u003c/a> to Orrick, urging him not to release the department from oversight or add additional conditions to its decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Other cities have exited federal oversight only to back-slide,” the letter reads. “OPD did not bother to prioritize compliance at such a critical juncture; it seems naively optimistic to expect more energetic efforts if they are left to answer to no one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the letter, the coalition accused the city of underfunding its police commission, an independent oversight body, which will assume responsibility for auditing OPD’s accountability to reforms if court oversight ends. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If OPD is released this week, the coalition argued, it should require that the city provide funding to fully staff the Office of the Inspector General, the police commission’s monitoring arm. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The [negotiated settlement agreement] has been a 23-year project that represents an enormous amount of time and money for the City, and decades-long commitment by plaintiffs, and the Court,” the letter reads. “To terminate now, without necessary funding for independent civilian oversight, would jeopardize all that work.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The commission wrote in its \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.41858/gov.uscourts.cand.41858.1768.0.pdf\">own statement\u003c/a> to the court that they too believe their funding levels “do not provide the institutional resources the work demands.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, other activist groups have urged the court to end its oversight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046794\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Oakland Police Department Vehicle in Oakland on July 1, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Safe Oakland, a coalition of Oakland civil rights, faith, business and neighborhood leaders, wrote its own letter expressing “strong support” for concluding the settlement agreement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For twenty-three years, a federal court has held Oakland to the standard of constitutional policing,” Safe Oakland wrote. “The time has come for Oakland to hold itself to that standard, and for the community to share in that responsibility. We stand ready to do our part.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Warshaw also expressed confidence in the city, despite the recent backslide: “Mayor [Barbara] Lee and her administration, as well as Chief [James] Beere, who is now the permanent Chief of Police, and OPD’s executive team, have worked diligently to foster a culture of accountability,” he wrote in his September report. “City leadership remains an imperative part of the sustainability process, and we are encouraged by the commitment of the Mayor and her team.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In their statement to the court, attorneys for the plaintiffs John Burris and James Chanin harshly criticized the department for falling behind in compliance, calling it “incomprehensible and bitterly disappointing that OPD is once again in this position.” However, they acknowledged a transformation of the department and strides made, and urged the court to end the settlement agreement in its current form. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They have asked the court to end their role in the case, and for Orrick and Warshaw to continue their oversight for one more year, without them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Burris told KQED that while personally, he hasn’t come to a conclusion about whether he thinks OPD should be released Tuesday, he’s hopeful that the city now has the right people in place to hold the department accountable without outside interference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I will say this: At some point, the department has to run itself, and the city has to be responsible,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Riders scandal sowed deep mistrust toward Oakland law enforcement, as OPD worked to reform its culture amid repeated \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/04/10/high-ranking-oakland-cops-including-deputy-chief-face-serious-discipline-for-allegedly-botching-investigation/\">missteps\u003c/a>, backsliding, a revolving door of police chiefs and multiple city administrations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is the first time in 23 years that OPD has achieved each of the 51 tasks in the [settlement agreement],” Orrick said during the spring hearing. “No one can say, ‘mission accomplished.’ But I do congratulate the city and OPD for getting this far.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But court-appointed monitor Robert S. Warshaw’s progress report earlier this month found that OPD had again fallen below the threshold for timely investigations into severe misconduct violations, threatening that decision. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The settlement requires that at least 85% of internal affairs investigations related to “the most serious allegations of misconduct” should be completed within 180 days of reporting. Between January and March of this year, 77 of 93, or 83%, of these investigations were completed in time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The timeliness of [Internal Affairs Bureau] investigations is an important issue in the [negotiated settlement agreement],” Warshaw wrote. “Members of the public, as well as sworn and non-sworn employees of the Department, are entitled to learn of the results of investigations that are overseen by the Internal Affairs Bureau.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response to the report, Oakland’s Coalition for Police Accountability, a civilian-led advocacy group, submitted a \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4496116/1767/allen-v-city-of-oakland/\">letter\u003c/a> to Orrick, urging him not to release the department from oversight or add additional conditions to its decision. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Other cities have exited federal oversight only to back-slide,” the letter reads. “OPD did not bother to prioritize compliance at such a critical juncture; it seems naively optimistic to expect more energetic efforts if they are left to answer to no one.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the letter, the coalition accused the city of underfunding its police commission, an independent oversight body, which will assume responsibility for auditing OPD’s accountability to reforms if court oversight ends. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If OPD is released this week, the coalition argued, it should require that the city provide funding to fully staff the Office of the Inspector General, the police commission’s monitoring arm. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If OPD is released this week, the coalition argued, it should require that the city provide funding to fully staff the Office of the Inspector General, the police commission’s monitoring arm. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The [negotiated settlement agreement] has been a 23-year project that represents an enormous amount of time and money for the City, and decades-long commitment by plaintiffs, and the Court,” the letter reads. “To terminate now, without necessary funding for independent civilian oversight, would jeopardize all that work.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The commission wrote in its \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.41858/gov.uscourts.cand.41858.1768.0.pdf\">own statement\u003c/a> to the court that they too believe their funding levels “do not provide the institutional resources the work demands.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, other activist groups have urged the court to end its oversight. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046794\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Oakland Police Department Vehicle in Oakland on July 1, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Safe Oakland, a coalition of Oakland civil rights, faith, business and neighborhood leaders, wrote its own letter expressing “strong support” for concluding the settlement agreement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“For twenty-three years, a federal court has held Oakland to the standard of constitutional policing,” Safe Oakland wrote. “The time has come for Oakland to hold itself to that standard, and for the community to share in that responsibility. We stand ready to do our part.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“For twenty-three years, a federal court has held Oakland to the standard of constitutional policing,” Safe Oakland wrote. “The time has come for Oakland to hold itself to that standard, and for the community to share in that responsibility. We stand ready to do our part.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Warshaw also expressed confidence in the city, despite the recent backslide: “Mayor [Barbara] Lee and her administration, as well as Chief [James] Beere, who is now the permanent Chief of Police, and OPD’s executive team, have worked diligently to foster a culture of accountability,” he wrote in his September report. “City leadership remains an imperative part of the sustainability process, and we are encouraged by the commitment of the Mayor and her team.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In their statement to the court, attorneys for the plaintiffs John Burris and James Chanin harshly criticized the department for falling behind in compliance, calling it “incomprehensible and bitterly disappointing that OPD is once again in this position.” However, they acknowledged a transformation of the department and strides made, and urged the court to end the settlement agreement in its current form. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In their statement to the court, attorneys for the plaintiffs John Burris and James Chanin harshly criticized the department for falling behind in compliance, calling it “incomprehensible and bitterly disappointing that OPD is once again in this position.” However, they acknowledged a transformation of the department and strides made, and urged the court to end the settlement agreement in its current form. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They have asked the court to end their role in the case, and for Orrick and Warshaw to continue their oversight for one more year, without them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Burris told KQED that while personally, he hasn’t come to a conclusion about whether he thinks OPD should be released Tuesday, he’s hopeful that the city now has the right people in place to hold the department accountable without outside interference. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Burris told KQED that while personally, he hasn’t come to a conclusion about whether he thinks OPD should be released Tuesday, he’s hopeful that the city now has the right people in place to hold the department accountable without outside interference. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I will say this: At some point, the department has to run itself, and the city has to be responsible,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A federal judge will decide whether the Oakland law enforcement agency can come under local control again, after a recent setback on court-ordered reforms.",
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"title": "Oakland Police Could Finally Emerge From Oversight, 23 Years After ‘Riders’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-police-department\">Oakland’s police force\u003c/a> could emerge Tuesday from more than two decades of federal court oversight following a major brutality and corruption scandal in 2000.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At a long-awaited hearing, the city plans to argue that the Oakland Police Department is reformed and ask federal Judge William Orrick for full independence. But a monitoring report this month showing the department is failing to perform internal investigations quickly enough could leave it in limbo for longer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OPD has spent the last 23 years under a federally mandated consent decree following a class-action civil rights lawsuit brought by 119 residents. They alleged that a group of officers known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101891855/oakland-police-departments-brutality-corruption-and-cover-up-and-long-road-toward-reform\">the Riders\u003c/a> planted evidence and falsely arrested them, and engaged in intimidation, beatings, kidnapping and racial discrimination. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2003, the parties reached a settlement that required OPD to pay $11 million in restitution and implement 51 operational reforms related to the use of force, discipline, supervision, training and internal affairs investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12017328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OaklandPoliceDepartment2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Oakland Police Department on Nov. 12, 2016. (Alex Emslie/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The Riders scandal sowed deep mistrust toward Oakland law enforcement, as OPD worked to reform its culture amid repeated \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/04/10/high-ranking-oakland-cops-including-deputy-chief-face-serious-discipline-for-allegedly-botching-investigation/\">missteps\u003c/a>, backsliding, a revolving door of police chiefs and multiple city administrations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After finally \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085228/oakland-police-judge-clears-path-for-possible-end-to-federal-oversight\">coming into compliance\u003c/a> with all 51 tasks in May, it appeared that OPD was on track to be released from oversight this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the first time in 23 years that OPD has achieved each of the 51 tasks in the [settlement agreement],” Orrick said during the spring hearing. “No one can say, ‘mission accomplished.’ But I do congratulate the city and OPD for getting this far.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But court-appointed monitor Robert S. Warshaw’s progress report earlier this month found that OPD had again fallen below the threshold for timely investigations into severe misconduct violations, threatening that decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The settlement requires that at least 85% of internal affairs investigations related to “the most serious allegations of misconduct” should be completed within 180 days of reporting. Between January and March of this year, 77 of 93, or 83%, of these investigations were completed in time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The timeliness of [Internal Affairs Bureau] investigations is an important issue in the [negotiated settlement agreement],” Warshaw wrote. “Members of the public, as well as sworn and non-sworn employees of the Department, are entitled to learn of the results of investigations that are overseen by the Internal Affairs Bureau.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response to the report, Oakland’s Coalition for Police Accountability, a civilian-led advocacy group, submitted a \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4496116/1767/allen-v-city-of-oakland/\">letter\u003c/a> to Orrick, urging him not to release the department from oversight or add additional conditions to its decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Other cities have exited federal oversight only to back-slide,” the letter reads. “OPD did not bother to prioritize compliance at such a critical juncture; it seems naively optimistic to expect more energetic efforts if they are left to answer to no one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the letter, the coalition accused the city of underfunding its police commission, an independent oversight body, which will assume responsibility for auditing OPD’s accountability to reforms if court oversight ends. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If OPD is released this week, the coalition argued, it should require that the city provide funding to fully staff the Office of the Inspector General, the police commission’s monitoring arm. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The [negotiated settlement agreement] has been a 23-year project that represents an enormous amount of time and money for the City, and decades-long commitment by plaintiffs, and the Court,” the letter reads. “To terminate now, without necessary funding for independent civilian oversight, would jeopardize all that work.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The commission wrote in its \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.41858/gov.uscourts.cand.41858.1768.0.pdf\">own statement\u003c/a> to the court that they too believe their funding levels “do not provide the institutional resources the work demands.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, other activist groups have urged the court to end its oversight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046794\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OAKLAND-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Oakland Police Department Vehicle in Oakland on July 1, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Safe Oakland, a coalition of Oakland civil rights, faith, business and neighborhood leaders, wrote its own letter expressing “strong support” for concluding the settlement agreement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For twenty-three years, a federal court has held Oakland to the standard of constitutional policing,” Safe Oakland wrote. “The time has come for Oakland to hold itself to that standard, and for the community to share in that responsibility. We stand ready to do our part.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Warshaw also expressed confidence in the city, despite the recent backslide: “Mayor [Barbara] Lee and her administration, as well as Chief [James] Beere, who is now the permanent Chief of Police, and OPD’s executive team, have worked diligently to foster a culture of accountability,” he wrote in his September report. “City leadership remains an imperative part of the sustainability process, and we are encouraged by the commitment of the Mayor and her team.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In their statement to the court, attorneys for the plaintiffs John Burris and James Chanin harshly criticized the department for falling behind in compliance, calling it “incomprehensible and bitterly disappointing that OPD is once again in this position.” However, they acknowledged a transformation of the department and strides made, and urged the court to end the settlement agreement in its current form. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They have asked the court to end their role in the case, and for Orrick and Warshaw to continue their oversight for one more year, without them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Burris told KQED that while personally, he hasn’t come to a conclusion about whether he thinks OPD should be released Tuesday, he’s hopeful that the city now has the right people in place to hold the department accountable without outside interference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I will say this: At some point, the department has to run itself, and the city has to be responsible,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes",
"title": "Sheng Thao Case: Recordings Reveal Taped Phone Calls, FBI Informant Appearing to Describe Bribes",
"publishDate": 1790625699,
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"headTitle": "Sheng Thao Case: Recordings Reveal Taped Phone Calls, FBI Informant Appearing to Describe Bribes | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A video recording filed in the federal corruption case of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> shows a key FBI informant describing the owners of a major recycling contractor paying people after they won a lucrative contract with the city of Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video is part of a batch of files released this month that also includes taped phone calls with current and former elected officials. The calls, which appear to have been recorded without the politicians’ knowledge, seem to reveal close working relationships, and at times coordination, between Oakland city officials and the recycling company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors argue the video shows a critical moment in the alleged corruption scheme between their star witness, a co-conspirator turned informant, and the Duong family, owners of California Waste Solutions, the city’s curbside recycling provider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company’s CEO, David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://youtu.be/SQfb9Mw6Qsc\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/shorts/D3w672owIBs?si=t5qlWwMQGSXrJs7B\">In the video from October 2022\u003c/a>, Mario Juarez, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme, stands in front of a conference table and makes a toast, professing his loyalty to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The toast appears to celebrate Evolutionary Homes, a housing company the Duongs and Juarez co-founded around that time that is at the center of the bribery prosecution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. At one point, when Juarez describes “piranhas,” Kristina Duong, California Waste Solutions’ chief financial officer, shakes her head yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify at trial that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez’s toast to the partnership between the Duongs and Juarez took place when the alleged conspiracy was forming, prosecutors say. By professing his past and future loyalty, prosecutors say Juarez was indicating to the Duongs that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and conduct business in their interest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An attorney for David Duong declined to comment on the video and other allegations Juarez has made. Lawyers representing Andy Duong did not immediately respond. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A second video, taken shortly after the first, shows Juarez making another speech. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Minus the profanity,” someone off-camera can be heard saying, followed by another person saying, “Keep it PG, please.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The videos were retrieved from Andy Duong’s phone and are among multiple audio and video files FBI agents seized. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Azevedo, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty to accepting bribes\u003c/a> in a related case in February, is a cooperating government witness in the case involving Thao, Jones and the Duongs. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he often recorded politicians in case he needed to use it for leverage later on. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show prosecutors are now planning to use many of those recordings as evidence in the trial against the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong, who previously worked for his family’s business, is no longer actively employed by California Waste Solutions, an attorney for the company confirmed via phone on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorney said Andy Duong is “on a leave of absence” but would not say when the leave began or why. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We got the contract, here is your money’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video of Juarez talking about payments is not the only time allegations of wider public corruption have surfaced in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed last month, attorneys for David Duong described allegations Juarez made to the FBI about the Duongs, including that the family has given millions of dollars in cash to elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the motion, Juarez described seeing a line of people at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters waiting to be paid in cash by David Duong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez claimed he saw another individual — identified in the filing as Individual 2 — receive $50,000, also in a black gym bag. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the document, Juarez told federal agents he was involved in bribing a political opponent of a city official. Juarez gave the individual $20,000 in front of a Starbucks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs paid two individuals $100,000 each for being lobbyists for California Waste Solutions, but those payments were not reported, Juarez alleged. He also claimed to have seen the Duongs delete footage from a security system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The jury will ultimately decide whether Juarez’s statements reveal truth or not,” her order reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao can also be heard requesting to meet somewhere more private. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Four years later, in 2023, Thao was mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had recently returned from the trade delegation to Vietnam when the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-pham-minh-chinh-receives-politicians-of-san-francisco-post268198.vnp\">prime minister\u003c/a> visited the Bay Area and met with local elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the calls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Reached by phone, Jenkins told KQED that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the recording given that he is a government witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email, Bas told KQED the city council never voted on or addressed Duong’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As I do with all constituent matters, I forwarded this inquiry to city staff for their independent review,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The company’s CEO, David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/shorts/D3w672owIBs?si=t5qlWwMQGSXrJs7B\">In the video from October 2022\u003c/a>, Mario Juarez, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme, stands in front of a conference table and makes a toast, professing his loyalty to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The toast appears to celebrate Evolutionary Homes, a housing company the Duongs and Juarez co-founded around that time that is at the center of the bribery prosecution. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. At one point, when Juarez describes “piranhas,” Kristina Duong, California Waste Solutions’ chief financial officer, shakes her head yes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez’s toast to the partnership between the Duongs and Juarez took place when the alleged conspiracy was forming, prosecutors say. By professing his past and future loyalty, prosecutors say Juarez was indicating to the Duongs that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and conduct business in their interest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An attorney for David Duong declined to comment on the video and other allegations Juarez has made. Lawyers representing Andy Duong did not immediately respond. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A second video, taken shortly after the first, shows Juarez making another speech. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Minus the profanity,” someone off-camera can be heard saying, followed by another person saying, “Keep it PG, please.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The videos were retrieved from Andy Duong’s phone and are among multiple audio and video files FBI agents seized. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court records show prosecutors are now planning to use many of those recordings as evidence in the trial against the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong, who previously worked for his family’s business, is no longer actively employed by California Waste Solutions, an attorney for the company confirmed via phone on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘We got the contract, here is your money’ ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We got the contract, here is your money’ \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The video of Juarez talking about payments is not the only time allegations of wider public corruption have surfaced in the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a motion filed last month, attorneys for David Duong described allegations Juarez made to the FBI about the Duongs, including that the family has given millions of dollars in cash to elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the motion, Juarez described seeing a line of people at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters waiting to be paid in cash by David Duong. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez claimed he saw another individual — identified in the filing as Individual 2 — receive $50,000, also in a black gym bag. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the document, Juarez told federal agents he was involved in bribing a political opponent of a city official. Juarez gave the individual $20,000 in front of a Starbucks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Duongs paid two individuals $100,000 each for being lobbyists for California Waste Solutions, but those payments were not reported, Juarez alleged. He also claimed to have seen the Duongs delete footage from a security system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The jury will ultimately decide whether Juarez’s statements reveal truth or not,” her order reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"attrs": {
"text": "‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao can also be heard requesting to meet somewhere more private. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Four years later, in 2023, Thao was mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao had recently returned from the trade delegation to Vietnam when the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-pham-minh-chinh-receives-politicians-of-san-francisco-post268198.vnp\">prime minister\u003c/a> visited the Bay Area and met with local elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the calls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Reached by phone, Jenkins told KQED that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the recording given that he is a government witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an email, Bas told KQED the city council never voted on or addressed Duong’s request. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As I do with all constituent matters, I forwarded this inquiry to city staff for their independent review,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A batch of video and audio recordings in the federal corruption case of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao reveals taped phone calls with East Bay elected officials and a video of an FBI informant appearing to describe cash bribes. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A video recording filed in the federal corruption case of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> shows a key FBI informant describing the owners of a major recycling contractor paying people after they won a lucrative contract with the city of Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video is part of a batch of files released this month that also includes taped phone calls with current and former elected officials. The calls, which appear to have been recorded without the politicians’ knowledge, seem to reveal close working relationships, and at times coordination, between Oakland city officials and the recycling company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors argue the video shows a critical moment in the alleged corruption scheme between their star witness, a co-conspirator turned informant, and the Duong family, owners of California Waste Solutions, the city’s curbside recycling provider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company’s CEO, David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/shorts/D3w672owIBs?si=t5qlWwMQGSXrJs7B\">In the video from October 2022\u003c/a>, Mario Juarez, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme, stands in front of a conference table and makes a toast, professing his loyalty to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The toast appears to celebrate Evolutionary Homes, a housing company the Duongs and Juarez co-founded around that time that is at the center of the bribery prosecution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. At one point, when Juarez describes “piranhas,” Kristina Duong, California Waste Solutions’ chief financial officer, shakes her head yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify at trial that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez’s toast to the partnership between the Duongs and Juarez took place when the alleged conspiracy was forming, prosecutors say. By professing his past and future loyalty, prosecutors say Juarez was indicating to the Duongs that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and conduct business in their interest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An attorney for David Duong declined to comment on the video and other allegations Juarez has made. Lawyers representing Andy Duong did not immediately respond. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A second video, taken shortly after the first, shows Juarez making another speech. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Minus the profanity,” someone off-camera can be heard saying, followed by another person saying, “Keep it PG, please.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The videos were retrieved from Andy Duong’s phone and are among multiple audio and video files FBI agents seized. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Azevedo, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty to accepting bribes\u003c/a> in a related case in February, is a cooperating government witness in the case involving Thao, Jones and the Duongs. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he often recorded politicians in case he needed to use it for leverage later on. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show prosecutors are now planning to use many of those recordings as evidence in the trial against the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong, who previously worked for his family’s business, is no longer actively employed by California Waste Solutions, an attorney for the company confirmed via phone on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorney said Andy Duong is “on a leave of absence” but would not say when the leave began or why. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We got the contract, here is your money’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video of Juarez talking about payments is not the only time allegations of wider public corruption have surfaced in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed last month, attorneys for David Duong described allegations Juarez made to the FBI about the Duongs, including that the family has given millions of dollars in cash to elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the motion, Juarez described seeing a line of people at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters waiting to be paid in cash by David Duong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez claimed he saw another individual — identified in the filing as Individual 2 — receive $50,000, also in a black gym bag. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the document, Juarez told federal agents he was involved in bribing a political opponent of a city official. Juarez gave the individual $20,000 in front of a Starbucks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs paid two individuals $100,000 each for being lobbyists for California Waste Solutions, but those payments were not reported, Juarez alleged. He also claimed to have seen the Duongs delete footage from a security system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The jury will ultimately decide whether Juarez’s statements reveal truth or not,” her order reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao can also be heard requesting to meet somewhere more private. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Four years later, in 2023, Thao was mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had recently returned from the trade delegation to Vietnam when the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-pham-minh-chinh-receives-politicians-of-san-francisco-post268198.vnp\">prime minister\u003c/a> visited the Bay Area and met with local elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the calls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Reached by phone, Jenkins told KQED that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the recording given that he is a government witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email, Bas told KQED the city council never voted on or addressed Duong’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As I do with all constituent matters, I forwarded this inquiry to city staff for their independent review,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"order": 9
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"order": 15
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"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 18
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"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
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"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
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"masters-of-scale": {
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"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
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"meta": {
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"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 11
},
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"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"planet-money": {
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
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},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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