Trump Impact—Overblown?
As if politics weren’t crazy enough this year, Donald Trump has brought his unreality show to the 2016 Presidential race. Trump’s buffoonery has captured the attention of the media and the hearts of more than a few grumpy voters, at least for a while. But those who worry (Republicans) or hope (Democrats) that Trump’s antics […]
Regulating Marijuana
In all likelihood, California voters will be asked to decide the legal status of marijuana on the 2016 ballot. Advocates of legalization are hoping to build on the momentum in four states (Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington) and the District of Columbia that made the recreational use of marijuana legal. Two national advocacy organizations—the Drug Policy […]
California Once Again Relegated To Sideshow Status
It seems almost manifestly unfair that no Californian is running for the Presidency in 2016. After all, a little over 12% of the population resides in the Golden State which keeps growing and 1 of every 10 electoral votes is cast here. Yet California accounts for a mere 3 of our 45 presidents—Hoover, Nixon and […]
In Criminal Justice, A Life-And-Death Struggle To Get It Right
Few sights are more chilling than an empty execution chamber, with its unbuckled straps, waiting. The death penalty gets everybody’s attention. The National Registry of Exonerations, a project of the University of Michigan Law School, says that since 1989, 115 wrongfully convicted people were sentenced to death and later cleared of the charges against them […]