News & Opinion

Driver’s union claims transit authority violated California open meeting law

A San Bernardino County teamster’s union has charged the Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority with failing to convene in open session before adjourning to closed session, a violation of the state’s open meeting law, the Brown Act. -db Big Bear Grizzly August 27, 2010 By Arrissa Owen Turner Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority violated the Ralph M. Brown Act, as well as California Labor Laws, according to the drivers and dispatchers’ teamster union. In a letter

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A 1st Amendment Kiss** to the LA Times for coverage of LA schools that empowers parents to hold bureaucrats and politicians accountable

A big First Amendment Kiss** to the Los Angeles Times and reporters Jason Felch, Jason Song and Doug Smith for their recent stories about LA public schools. The Times applied statistical analysis to seven years of student test scores in order to measure teachers’ effectiveness in math and English instruction. Using an outside consultant to parse student test data obtained under the California Public Records Act, the Times’ created and published online a database of

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Judge to EPA: Stop destroying records Union Pacific wants

A federal judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency yesterday to stop destroying records Union Pacific requested about lead contamination in Omaha. An expert was appointed to make sure the agency complies. August 27, 2010 By The Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. —The judge’s order resolved several issues the railroad and EPA couldn’t agree on when discussing the rules to protect records while Union Pacific’s lawsuit progresses. The Omaha-based railroad sued in June after obtaining e-mails in

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Judge refuses to stop Missouri law on sexual businesses

Missouri’s wide-ranging limitations on sexual businesses will take effect Saturday after a state judge on Friday denied a request from a coalition of sexual store owners and erotic dancers to temporarily block the new law. The Associated Press August 27, 2010 By David E. Lieb JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The nudity must stop at Missouri strip clubs. So must the lap dances and booze. And all sexually oriented businesses must abide by a midnight closing

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Sotomayor: Free speech vs. security likely to come before Court

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said yesterday that the nation’s high court likely would be asked again to weigh issues of national security versus free speech because of the recently leaked classified war documents posted on the WikiLeaks website. August 27, 2010 By The Associated Press DENVER — Sotomayor told high school and college students at the University of Denver that she couldn’t answer a student query about the security questions and free speech because

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