Talks over another coronavirus relief package have stalled following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D–Calif.) insistence that the White House agree to at least $2 trillion in new spending as a precondition of continued negotiations. Senate Republicans have introduced a $1 trillion relief bill; a not insubstantial sum that is nevertheless short of the $3.5 trillion […]
The Trump campaign is continuing its attempt to paint Sen. Kamala Harris (D–Calif.) as a dangerous left-wing radical in the wake of her selection as Joe Biden’s running mate. The latest angle of attack: her support for plastic straw bans. This morning, the campaign tweeted out a short new attack ad featuring footage of Harris […]
Sen. Kamala Harris’s (D–Calif.) selection as Joe Biden’s running mate is reverberating across the political landscape, provoking enthusiastic reactions from left, right, and center, and even knocking the coronavirus pandemic off the front page. Many Democrats are cheering the selection while lots of Republicans waste no time trying to paint Harris as a dangerous radical. […]
A San Francisco judge ruled Monday that Uber and Lyft must classify their drivers as employees, a momentous decision that potentially puts companies on the hook for providing extensive benefits to these workers, including overtime pay and health insurance. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed back in May by California Attorney General […]
President Donald Trump issued a series of executive actions Saturday intended to extend coronavirus relief measures in the absence of legislation by Congress. Their legality and practical effect are still being debated. Of the four actions issued by the president over the weekend, the least controversial appears to be a memorandum allowing for the deferral […]
In Los Angeles, you can have your power turned off for having parties at your house, but not for failing to pay your power bill. On Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that he was authorizing the city-controlled Department of Water and Power (DWP) to shut off utilities to homes and businesses that host […]
The Australian state of Victoria has imposed draconian new lockdown measures to combat a surge in COVID-19 cases. Some American policymakers are calling for similar actions here. The new “Stage 4” emergency measures, ordered by Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews, impose an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew on everyone in the Melbourne Metro area, which […]
The head of an urban policy nonprofit has been hit with a complaint for describing himself as an engineer in materials written while his engineering license was expired. The case is the latest example of how licensing laws can be weaponized to chill speech. The target of the complaint is Charles Marohn, the founder and […]
When Dropkick Murphys had their St. Patrick’s Day concert canceled thanks to coronavirus, the Celtic punk rockers instead broadcast a free live “Streaming up from Boston” show on Facebook and YouTube. Such online COVID concerts have become a trend. As bans on mass gatherings persist, musicians are increasingly turning to livestreamed shows as a substitute […]
In an apparent bid to shore up his support among progressives in the San Francisco Bay Area, President Donald Trump is promising to prevent the construction of new low-income housing in suburban neighborhoods. “I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or […]
