GUEST COLUMNS
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
A jaw-dropping report released Wednesday by the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy found that nearly 1,500 people, the vast majority believed to be homeless, died on the streets of Los Angeles during the pandemic — 40% because of a drug or alcohol overdose.
It is not only plug ugly — 1950s brutalist architecture at its worst — but dysfunctional to the max.
In the absence of meaningful changes in the law that prioritize public safety, more stores will face robberies and theft.
Monday, December 6, 2021
Clean energy and backup power at the household and community level can supply electricity when the grid goes down.
We must equitably invest in community-driven solutions that center the priorities on the health and economic pain we are experiencing.
Prices for live cut trees have been creeping up and will run 5-10% higher, on average, than last year, said Doug Hundley, a seasonal spokesperson for the National Christmas Tree Association.
Friday, December 3, 2021
Year end is coming, and it isn't too early to think about IRS Forms 1099. If you practice in a law firm or in-house, start thinking about how many of the little forms you, your firm or company will need to send out. Co-counsel, experts, independent contractors, consultants, they all may require one.
Whether you're gathering in person or celebrating at a distance this year, it will be tempting to overspend.
Thursday, December 2, 2021
The Ninth Circuit was recently asked to determine whether to continue to apply the Circuit's two-part extrinsic/intrinsic test for "substantial similarity" with regard to a copyright infringement claim or apply the Second Circuit's "ordinary observer" test instead.
California’s serious and prolonged drought is having serious and prolonged impacts on California’s agricultural industry, the nation’s largest.
Reducing penalties without requiring accountability is not working for drug offenses or serious crimes.
I would like to see the state of California really listen to Native voices and ask them to help protect the environment.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Taking these suggestions into consideration now as companies are building out their 2022 annual meeting checklists will give companies a head start and ensure a smoother proxy season as well as better compliance with new rules and requirements.
On appeal, no less so than in any other legal discipline, "credibility is everything." Klein, "The Evolved Appellate Brief," vol. 37, No. 1, Litigation 38, 39 (Fall 2010). The path to credibility on appeal is well-known but often not taken.
California politicians have been jousting over the state’s chronic housing shortage but now the debate is turning into a political war.
Just two days into COP26, the state sold its first ever climate-certified bond for more than $465 million.
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
The responses by Newsom and Boudin imply that they see political peril in concerns about crime.
After 70 years of squabbling, partisan politics may have been taken out of drawing political districts in California.
Monday, November 29, 2021
The Building Standards Commission should require that all new multi-family housing with parking must include EV ready charging.
Mobility argued that the PTAB's structure is unconstitutional as violative of due process because the PTAB is biased against patent owners.
Friday, November 26, 2021
One of the sticking points in President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion social policy legislation is a change in tax law that would have huge effects on California.
When it comes to major purchases, when is the expenditure worth it, and when is the cost too prohibitive relative to your financial future?
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
In 2013, California’s system of financing public schools was overhauled in an effort to close the “achievement gap,” but we still don’t know whether it’s working.
California’s future depends on sustained investment in forest health and community protection from wildfires.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
California’s treasury is awash in money, even as the state’s overall economy is sluggish, and the debate is beginning over how to spend the huge surplus.
I urge California officials to make it economically viable for commercial boat owners to go zero-emission.
Monday, November 22, 2021
Policymakers should consider how to expand access to California’s automatic retirement savings program.
California leaders need to implement these solutions to tackle short- and long-term issues at the state’s ports.
Oil companies are investing in the development of hydrogen – a fuel that can scale up clean energy production to meet global demand.
People who leased their cars before the pandemic can probably buy their vehicles at the end of the lease for much less than the going market price.
Friday, November 19, 2021
One complicating factor is that inflation is a fact of life, and it can result in meaningfully higher expenses over time.
“Island of the Blue Dolphins” is an influential part of California’s literary history, but it should not be promoted without context.
Studies show that transitioning to an electricity grid powered by 100% clean energy can lock in lower utility bills.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
California Gov. Gavin Newsom could continue to govern by decree indefinitely, eroding the American concept of democracy.
The addition of a community solar program can help drive the most efficient grid for all, while meeting climate goals.
Community colleges need the resources to provide the important rungs in the ladders to success for California students.
Under the America Invents Act, a party may ask the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to review and potentially cancel claims in an already-issued patent that the PTO finds to be unpatentable in light of prior art.
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Each month, federal and state officials release employment data for the preceding month, basically telling us how many Californians are employed and how many aren't.
Citing a possible surge in COVID cases and short-staffed hospitals, Newsom extended parts of his emergency order through March 2022.
Nations convening at the United Nations climate conference pledged Nov. 10 to end the sale of new gasoline-powered cars in major markets by 2035 and globally by 2040, mirroring California's plans.
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
For many decades, the decennial chore of redrawing California's congressional and legislative districts was relatively simple.
If you feel our country is slowly coming apart, you may be right. We are divided by religion, political party, race, gender and wealth. If ignored, these divisions weaken our democracy and leave our children a dysfunctional government and a society that demonizes anyone who doesn't agree with us.
California has established itself as a global leader in the fight against climate change. It has set ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets and mandated that all of the state's electricity come from carbon-free sources by 2045.
Countries across the world are coming together in Glasgow for COP26 to discuss how the world will address our climate crisis. I have joined with 537 legislators from 47 states and territories calling on the federal government to raise our ambition and strengthen our national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Seven in 10 Californians say the gap between rich and poor is getting larger, according to a statewide survey released Tuesday.
As we discussed in our previous article, "New California Workplace Law, Part One," employers must be aware of a number of new California employment laws. Below is a brief summary of Part Two.
Monday, November 15, 2021
2021 brought employers an avalanche of new laws and ever-changing COVID-19 obligations. The good news is that the California Legislature gave employers a bit of a break this session, and the changes for 2022 are not too overwhelming.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
California will receive about $45.5 billion from the infrastructure improvement legislation that Congress approved last week, which sounds like a lot of money.
During the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, Shira Shafir was trying to make vaccine appointments for some colleagues at UCLA.
If you own a home, chances are your net worth has shot up in the last year. According to a new report, skyrocketing home prices caused by a pandemic-fueled real estate frenzy have led to a scenario where homeowners in the U.S. are sitting on a record $22.7 trillion worth of home equity.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Well, that was awkward. Gov. Gavin Newsom stalled for weeks on attending last week's global conference on climate change in Glasgow, then announced at the last moment that he would, only to just as suddenly announce that he wouldn't "due to family circumstances" which were never explained.
Will California's strict vaccine rules help bring an end to the pandemic that has disproportionately ravaged communities of color — or further entrench and widen those longstanding disparities?
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
If you've never really thought about California's ports or the global supply chain before the past month, that's normal. But they're having problems now, driven by the pandemic, and it's causing a shortage of everything from computer chips to kitchen supplies.
The annual open enrollment for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans is underway, and consumers not only have more time to sign up, they are also likely to see more plan options and lower premiums for next year.
Monday, November 8, 2021
Drought, wildfires and "bomb-cyclone" rains are dramatic examples of how climate change affects our state. The proposed solutions are as complex as the problem, presenting both investment opportunities and burdens.
Officially, California has 1.4 million unemployed residents, but a new study that takes into account people who can't find jobs that pay above poverty level says the number of "functionally unemployed" is three times higher at 4.8 million.
Some describe redistricting as a giant puzzle; others call it the world's most difficult art project.
Californians learned last month that a number of foster youth were being sheltered in a county office because no other safe options were available.
As the country recovers from the pandemic, rising prices have become a worry for many Americans. But inflation has also driven up rates on some government savings bonds, creating an opportunity for people seeking a safe haven for their cash.
New York Times News Service
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies via videoconference before a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust in Washington, D.C. Wednesday.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies via videoconference before a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust in Washington, D.C. Wednesday.
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