donal brown

Freelance journalists and photographers got no relief in federal court as the court refused to exempt them from California law AB5 that makes them employees rather than contractors. The reclassification makes it more difficult for them to find work. The freelancers claimed the law was arbitrary and irrational and violated freedom of the press. But the judge said there was a legitimate state interest in reclassifying the employees to fight inequality and that there was

Fake news on the coronavirus is rampant on social media in spite of efforts of the industry to block its flow. The nonsense ranges from the advice to use a hair blower to punch hot air into your sinuses to drinking lots of water and gargling with warm water and salt or vinegar. These treatments were supposed the kill the virus. (New York Post, March 21, 2020, by Sara Dorn) Google, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

The coronavirus pandemic prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to suspend parts of the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law. Local and state legislative agencies may now conduct public meeting by teleconference and make the meeting open to the public electronically. Agencies must still provide advance notice of meetings and designate at least one public location allowing the public to observe a meeting and offer comment. (JD Supra, March 13, 2020, press release) A citizens group