2013 saw emergence of potential giant CA defense contractor

Most of the reports last month that Mountain View-based Google bought Boston Dynamics — its eighth recent purchase of a robotics firm — focused on how this fit in with so many “moon shot” Google initiatives. Some stories looked forward

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Unregulated CA entrepreneurs thrive in … the pot business

Happy New Year! Are you familiar with the state that has such an innovative and advanced marijuana industry that quality control extends to making sure pot brands consistently produce the same sensations? Where entrepreneurs are turning to increasingly sophisticated tools

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Can liberty in America be saved in 2014?

What will Liberty look like in 2014? And no, it’s not a car. Liberty is something we often hear about, but isn’t exactly a topic of discussion at dinner parties. If we don’t really know what liberty is, how will

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LAT’s Vartabedian, Skelton leave LAT editorial board looking silly

When it comes to the bullet train, The Los Angeles Times’ editorial page has been left to look foolish — by its own reporter and columnist. Nexis shows no L.A. Times’ editorials on the topic for more than two years.

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Only 2 Californians make Gallup’s ‘most admired’ list

Every December Gallup asks Americans whom they “most admire.” Not surprisingly, this year’s winners repeated from last year. At 16 percent, President Obama was the most admired man. And at 15 percent, former Secretary of State — and potential next

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Rich sheltering dough in South Dakota

When Proposition 30 was being pitched in the fall of 2012, Gov. Jerry Brown and others pooh-poohed the idea that rich folks would find ways to avoid its $7 billion in new taxes. Because the national and state economies have

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San Diego’s law-driven stench problem: Dickens was right

In fall 2012, The New York Times shared a pathetic San Diego story with the nation. The piece was headlined “California Cove Blessed With Nature’s Beauty Reels From Its Stench.” Sample: “In beautiful La Jolla Cove, art galleries and coffee

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Will Kamala Harris monkey-wrench CA pension reform — again?

I’ve been following California politics obsessively since 1990, and I simply have never seen an editorial like the Los Angeles Times’ piece Friday exhorting Attorney General Kamala Harris to do an ethical and honest job in preparing a ballot statement for

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New gun laws firing in 2014

The New Year brings a fusillade of new gun laws Californians must follow. Capital Public Radio reports: Some California gun owners say they’re confused about the new gun laws that will take effect in 2014.  The law causing the most

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Housing market problems

CalWatchDog.com stories repeatedly have warned that the optimism over California being “back,” as Gov. Jerry Brown insists, may be overblown. That doesn’t mean a recession is approaching, only that policymakers ought to be careful. Now this from AP: The number

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