Posts From James Poulos
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Despite topping polls, Condoleezza Rice not running for Senate
Political pundits and strategists finally are taking seriously that, despite topping polls, Condoleezza Rice is not running for the U.S. Senate. The decision by the former U.S. secretary of state puts California Republicans back on their heels. For the state GOP, the hunt
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Homeless ‘bill of rights’ up for Sacramento debate
It could soon get easier to live on the streets in the Golden State. As controversy swirled around the police shooting of a homeless and mentally ill man on Skid Row in Los Angeles, legislators in California considered a new set of
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Hermosa Beach oil drilling sunk by voters
Drill, baby, drill? In Hermosa Beach on Tuesday, voters instead replied: No, baby, no. On the wave of a big turnout, 79 percent of city voters rejected Measure O for “oil.” According to Ballotpedia, the measure would have authorized 34 new wells through
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CA Supreme Court curbs Jessica’s Law
In a closely-watched San Diego case, the California Supreme Court dealt a blow to Jessica’s Law. Officially called Proposition 83, it was passed in 2006 by 71 percent of state voters ready for strict limits on where registered sex offenders could live. It was
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Love for CA rooted in climate, not politics
Californians like it hot. In polling conducted by USC Dornsife and the Los Angeles Times, respondents confirmed some eye-opening facts about California’s appeal to its own residents — such as the primary importance of its largely snow-free climate. Although good weather
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Skid Row shooting appears to be complicated, unclear case
The police shooting of a homeless Skid Row resident put the LAPD back on the defensive — a posture it has found hard to change for months on end. Struggling to maintain good civic relations after a string of scandals and incidents, the
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AEG employs terrorist threat study in L.A. stadium battle
AEG, the sports and entertainment firm trying to bring the NFL to downtown Los Angeles, has escalated the war over who wins the city’s increasingly contentious stadium race. In a surprise move, AEG published a study slamming St. Louis Rams
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Bets placed on dueling online poker bills
This year could bring gambling to Internet users in California. For years, online poker has been legal in the United States, but not in the Golden State. Now, amidst a host of competing interests, a spate of new bills has
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Gun safety legislation comes under fire from unusual suspects
Whatever their enthusiasm or seriousness, California gun users have a new set of obstacles, thanks to fresh legislation intended to increase firearm safety. Both changes have raised pointed questions about naivety on technology. Senate Bill 199 was introduced by state Sen. Kevin de León,
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Silicon Valley sheriffs push cellphone surveillance
It’s not just the immense amount of information collected by such tech giants as Apple, Google and Facebook that is riling privacy advocates. Now the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department is seeking new cellphone surveillance technology — paid for by federal funds from
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