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Vergara ruling: Silicon Valley titan KOs teachers unions

In 16 pages, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf M. Treu dealt California’s teachers unions an unprecedented defeat. Using unsparing, uncompromising language, Judge Treu ruled that job protections passed at these unions’ behest violated the state Constitution by denying equal educational opportunity

CA innovators lead on tech surveillance

James Poulos June 10, 2014

Some of California’s lesser-known players in tech have seized the initiative in shaping the nation’s surveillance culture. Many Americans are familiar with the Taser, a nonlethal device used by law enforcement to shock and immobilize. Fewer are aware that the Taser

CA air board may invalidate 1.3 million pollution-offset credits

Wayne Lusvardi June 9, 2014

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s repeated punishment of an Arkansas waste disposal firm has led the California Air Resources Board to consider invalidating 1.3 million environmental offset credits bought from the Arkansas company by California firms to offset the effects

Are we headed for a recount in the controller’s race?

John June 9, 2014

To say that California’s race for controller is too close to call is an understatement. As of Monday morning, two Democratic candidates were locked in a statistical tie for the second spot in the November run-off, with another candidate very

GOP poised to reclaim 1/3 control in State Senate

John June 6, 2014

In recent years, California Senate Democrats have been their own worst enemy. In 2012, the Senate Democratic Caucus ran the tables, winning every contested race. With Fran Pavley, Richard Roth and Cathleen Galgiani added to his caucus, Senate President President Pro Tem Darrell

More dams or regulations to alleviate drought?

Wayne Lusvardi June 6, 2014

American diplomat Dwight Morrow wrote, “Any party which takes credit for the rain must not be surprised if its opponents blame it for the drought.” Likewise any policymakers that take credit for restoring rivers for fish and not building dams

Feds funnel money to CA hydrogen cars

James Poulos June 5, 2014

The hype surrounding electric cars is running out of gas — and the Department of Energy is directing funds toward hydrogen. Nearly $7 million in federal financial support is headed to five California developers working on hydrogen fuel cells, which emit only

Election: Dems could lose 2/3 Assembly control

John June 4, 2014

Democrats, who seized two-thirds control of the California Assembly in 2012, will have a tough time repeating the task this November. In Tuesday’s low turnout primary election, more than a half dozen members of the State Assembly — all Democrats — fell below

Gov. Brown ‘saves’ sriracha

James Poulos June 3, 2014

From the looks of it, the sriracha scandal is over, thanks to Gov. Jerry Brown. Dig deeper, however, and the sudden resolution to the nine-month-old ordeal becomes more mysterious. First, the simple part of the story. On Wednesday, the Irwindale City Council

Activists try to stop crude-by-rail

Joseph Perkins June 3, 2014

“Boom!” read the signs carried by some of the five dozen or so protesters who raised a ruckus Saturday outside the Kinder Morgan rail yard in the Contra Costa County city of Richmond. The aim of the environmental and