Technology

Part of bullet-train legal mystery may be answered

For close followers of the bullet-train saga, one of the most basic mysteries of recent years has been what happened after Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny’s tentative ruling in August 2013 that blocked the state from starting construction on

De Leon ‘green jobs’ vow didn’t pan out for Obama, Brown

Chris Reed October 26, 2014

New Senate President Kevin De Leon’s announcement Friday that creating a broad swath of “green jobs” would be a priority will be greeted with applause by greens in West L.A. and the Bay Area and on campus, but it will

Has CA ranch found cheap route to carbon containment? Maybe

Chris Reed October 22, 2014

If a recent San Francisco Chronicle story is right, the problem posed by carbon and other greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere — which most scientists think will play havoc with the climate — might just have a cheap, low-tech

$Anti-fracking fervor builds in CA even as it lifts U.S. economy, stature$

Anti-fracking fervor builds in CA even as it lifts U.S. economy, stature

Chris Reed October 13, 2014

Anti-fracking sentiment in California continues to build, and we’re likely to see a spate of local moratoriums aimed at blocking the oil-drilling process in many cities and counties. This is happening even in places not normally associated with petroleum production,

Japan’s 50th bullet train anniversary: What it says about CA

Chris Reed October 6, 2014

Oct. 1 marked the 50th anniversary of the beginning of commercial operations for Japan’s bullet train system. The Shinkansen is by far the most successful bullet train network in the world. The British press and just about no one else

iPad scandal latest in long line for L.A. Unified — but different

Chris Reed August 26, 2014

The abrupt decision Monday by Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy to suspend the district’s $1 billion iPad program after reports that he manipulated the decision that led to Apple winning the big contract is hugely juicy. The program already

CA editorial boards cool to anti-Uber power play

Chris Reed August 22, 2014

The editorial pages of the state’s largest newspapers largely agree about Tom Torlakson’s being undeserving of a second term as state superintendent of public instruction. Given the breadth of ideological views among these papers, that’s pretty rate. Now, rarely enough,

Associated Press blows coverage of bullet-train ruling

Chris Reed August 3, 2014

Led by the Associated Press, the mainstream media coverage of the state appellate court ruling overturning two anti-bullet train trial court rulings is somewhat peculiar in that it depicts the ruling as monumental. Read the 49-page decision, and it seems

Kings County attorney: Don’t overreact to pro-bullet train ruling

Chris Reed August 1, 2014

A state appellate court ruling announced Thursday overturning Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny’s 2013 decisions saying the state rail authority didn’t have a legal financing plan or adequate environmental reviews to proceed with construction of the initial segment of

Apollo 11 after 45 years

John Seiler July 22, 2014

I still remember in wonderment watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV 45 years ago this week. Here’s what we saw, as Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the lunar surface: A great deal of the Apollo 11 program was