Mayor and City Council: This is the weekly report for the two weeks ending August 9th, 2013. Meeting Notes The City Council is on meeting hiatus during the month of August. The next City Council meeting is currently scheduled for Tuesday, September 10th. In the...

Here are some interesting articles pertinent to Richmond’s plan to rescue underwater mortgages by eminent domain. The bank’s efforts to stop the plan may be just posturing that will last only until discovery starts in the lawsuit, which is something the banks will not...

Chevron refinery fire one year later: Fallout, impact show no signs of waning By Robert Rogers Contra Costa Times Posted: 08/10/2013 04:00:00 PM PDT RICHMOND -- When the No. 4 crude unit at Chevron's century-old waterfront oil refinery burst into flames and sent black...

For better or worse, Jovanka Beckles and I appeared on Fox News this morning to discuss “Ban the Box.” We got our approximately five minutes of fame in front of an audience of 2 million viewers then went home to catch upon sleep. I don’t know anyone who watches Fox...

JOIN THE CONTRA COSTA CHORALE! First rehearsal 8/26/13. This is a non-auditioning chorus, and all are welcome. Join the Contra Costa Chorale! Click to view this email in a browser If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with...

On Saturday, August 17, Academy Award-nominated director Mark Kitchell ("Berkeley in the Sixties") will appear in person at the Magick Lantern following the 5 pm and 8 pm screenings of his new eco-documentary A FIERCE GREEN FIRE. Kitchell will discuss the making of...

Greetings, What follows are some highlights of department activity over the last several days. As you can see, the idea that summer is a “slow” time doesn’t seem to apply to the Police Department! That said, a lot of what’s been happening are actually positive...

A complaint has been filed in Northern District Federal Court by Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank against the City and MRP over the proposed acquisition of underwater mortgages. Pursuant to the agreement with MRP, the City is indemnified and held harmless for such...

Former City Council member Gary Bell dies in California By Beccy Tanner The Wichita Eagle Published Wednesday, August 7, 2013, at 9:59 a.m. One of the first African-Americans and youngest member at that time to ever sit on Wichita’s City Council has died. Native...

Global warming already having dramatic impacts in California, new report says By Paul Rogers progers@mercurynews.com Posted: 08/08/2013 12:01:00 AM PDT | Updated: about 3 hours ago Rising ocean waters. Bigger and more frequent forest fires. More brutally hot summer...

Banks sue Richmond to halt plan to seize mortgages By Robert Rogers Contra Costa Times Posted: 08/08/2013 12:06:27 PM PDT Updated: 08/08/2013 06:06:21 PM PDT RICHMOND -- Major banks on Wednesday sued Richmond and its investment firm partners in an effort to thwart...

August 8, 2013, 10:24 AM Is Mortgage Seizure Plan a Win-Win or Lose-Win? By Jacob Gershman Bloomberg News Is using eminent domain to pare back underwater mortgage debt a win-win or a lose-win? It’s a question at the heart of the battle of Richmond, the California city...

Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Point Richmond Music Presents The Rusty String Express & Jenny Kerr on Friday, 8/9 Point Richmond Music (PRM) continues its 2013 season on Friday, August 9th with two Bay Area favorites, The Rusty...

The following item came out today. Mayor McLaughlin and I will be sponsoring a resolution for the September 10 City Council meeting that will set Richmond’s solar fee at $100 and require over-the-counter processing. East Bay cities announce streamlined process for...

We are proud to announce the release of the newly redesigned Rosie the Riveter Trust website with a fresher new look and feel, improved navigation, and enhanced content focused on our mission! Visit and explore our new site by clicking on the link below:...

See from Michael Bukay a Video of Human Energy at the Chevron Protest Rally Last Saturday. During the nonviolent demonstration Michael wandered through the crowd and captured some of the Human Energy of the participants. Check out the video at...

Click here for Democracy Now. http://www.democracynow.org/2013/8/6/chevron_to_pay_2_million_for Click here for Rachael maddow Show on MSNBC: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/rachel-maddow/52681567/#52681567. Chevron to Pay $2 Million for 2012 Refinery Fire in Richmond, CA;...

Chevron agrees to pay $2M for Richmond refinery fire Photo by KTVU viewer M. Cox Chevron refinery fire smoke plume KTVU-AP RICHMOND, Calif. — Chevron on Monday agreed to pay $2 million in fines and restitution and pleaded no contest to six charges in connection with a...

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Robin Wilkey robin.wilkey@huffingtonpost.com 'Ban The Box' Ordinance In California City Is Landmark Move For Former Inmates On Job Hunt Posted: 08/05/2013 4:56 pm EDT 0 Officials in Richmond, Calif., have approved an ordinance that forbids employers from requiring...