Posts From James Poulos
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Elon Musk’s Hyperloop project races ahead
Elon Musk’s most quixotic project just raced closer to reality. As the latest model of Musk’s Tesla automobile scored the highest-ever rating given by Consumer Reports (99 out of 100) his even more revolutionary Hyperloop concept gained new respect, with one firm
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CA egg prices skyrocket
For partly predictable reasons, egg prices in California have skyrocketed. An unexpected wave of disease has exacerbated increases brought on by Golden State policymakers. “While the avian flu outbreak this spring that resulted in the killing of 48 million domestic chickens
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CA gas tax showdown looms
Democratic legislators in the state Senate have brought Californians closer to new hikes on the cost of driving their cars. But the committee vote represented little more than a first step in a complex, intense negotiation between Republicans, Democrats and the
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Brown vows tighter groundwater regulations
Laboring to strengthen his aggressive anti-drought policies, Gov. Jerry Brown vowed that the historic groundwater management rules he pushed into law will be ratcheted up in coming years. In an interview on Meet the Press, Brown cautioned that he did not “rule
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CA equal pay bill nears passage
Without any significant opposition in Sacramento, a bill that would make California the toughest in the nation on gender-equitable pay is poised to clear its final vote in the Assembly and, with Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature, become law. Broad support
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CA ‘anchor baby’ debate goes national
Republican presidential candidates were drawn deeper into the immigration controversies centered on California, as Donald Trump’s leading opponents sought a way to blunt his apparent advantage among voters with his tough talk on birthright citizenship and deportation. The numbers game
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GOP presidential hopefuls hit Brown back on climate
After submitting a letter-length question to Republican candidates ahead of their first round of primary-season debates, Gov. Jerry Brown has received some responses. Heated rhetoric Pressing ahead with the environmental emphasis characterizing his final term in office, Brown asked the presidential
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Sacramento special session tackles heath care, infrastructure funding, etc.
A series of clashes marked the two special legislative sessions tacked on this summer to address some of California’s more stubborn challenges. Adding to the controversy of potential tax increases designed to fund infrastructure and health care entitlements, some lawmakers seized the
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San Jose scraps pension reform measure
In a remarkable move, the city of San Jose walked back its high-profile Measure B scheme to reform its costly public pensions commitments. Striking a deal Losing police to other jurisdictions, Mayor Sam Liccardo faced “enormous pressure to reach a settlement,”
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CA green jobs program disappoints
Three years after California voters passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act, the tally for “green” jobs created by the measure has fallen far short of expectations, touching off another round of controversy about the costs and consequences of the Golden State’s environmental
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