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CA gas prices could start falling
Some good news: Gas prices could start falling. Six weeks ago gasoline in California averaged about $2.25 a gallon, the lowest price in years. Then prices zoomed up a buck and more. Today, according to GasBuddy.com, the average price in
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Lawsuit over Harvard admissions has CA overtones
Harvard University is facing a well-financed lawsuit over its admissions practices, with plaintiffs arguing that the nation’s oldest, richest and most admired college enforces an anti-Asian bias every bit as real as the anti-Jewish bias seen in Cambridge and at
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Top 5 taxes you may see on the 2016 ballot
Last June, I wrote a column forecasting which tax increase measures might be on the Nov. 2016 ballot given the conversations going on then. Time for an update. As is nearly always the case in the political world, situations and
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Job cuts precede Seattle minimum-wage hike
In the past couple of years, many states and localities have been increasing minimum wages. It’s part of the American federalist system in which the 50 states are the “crucibles of democracy,” trying different things to see what happens. Seattle’s
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High-speed rail Legislative Report lists some, but not all controversies
Risk, time and money remain the major problems for the construction of California’s high-speed rail project. That’s seen in the biannual Legislative Report of the California High-Speed Rail Authority released this month, as required by law. The report is a serious
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DeMaio, Reed team up for 2016 pension fight
The dynamic duo of California pension reform are teaming up in 2016. Former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio and former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, both of whom successfully passed pension reform in their respective cities during their time
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Alternative fuel companies cheer, oil industry questions CA carbon regulations
The California Air Resources Board’s plan to renew the Low Carbon Fuel Standard elicited cheers at a recent Board meeting from its main beneficiary: alternative fuel companies. More lukewarm was the petroleum industry, which could lose billions of dollars as it transitions
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CA drought spurs painful rate hikes
Faced with a drought that won’t quit, officials have taken new steps to add to Californians’ discomfort — a fresh round of rate hikes. Regulators in the San Francisco Bay Area have begun the march toward charging significantly more for water, pleading
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CA “community solar” fight looms on subsidy issue
Hawaii’s boom in residential solar power is inspiring advocates of the alternative energy resource to push hard in states across the U.S. for rooftop solar power, both for personal use and as part of the larger electricity grid. One in
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CA GOP’s acceptance of Log Cabin Club a major culture war win — reflects 4-decade battle
California’s gay Republicans, after four decades at the margins, finally have won recognition from their party. At this month’s state GOP convention in Sacramento, the California Republican Party approved the charter of the Log Cabin Republicans of California by an 861-293
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