KQED Forum, July 9, 2010 Host Dave Iverson
http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R201007091000
“Some studies have indicated that in fact strangers could match at nine places commonly. And I think research shows that between siblings you’d see something like 16.7 on average matching…. So, it is actually quite common for people who are unrelated to share these genetic characteristics, which is one of the reasons familial searching isn’t all it might seem on the surface.”
The New York Times, July 8, 2010 by Steve Lohr
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/technology/09patent.html?_r=2
The R.I.M. case, said Robert P. Merges, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, proved to be “a major milestone in the evolution of the patent ecosystem,” spurring the adoption of tactics to reduce the risk of huge payouts.
San Francisco Chronicle, July 8, 2010 by Kevin Fagan
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/08/BA561EB21Q.DTL
Pacula and her four fellow researchers, who included UC Berkeley law Professor Robert MacCoun, wrote that it is entirely possible that the state Board of Equalization was right when it estimated the state could reap $1.4 billion in taxes if a now-stalled bill in the Legislature to legalize pot is passed.
-The New York Times, July 7, 2010 by Christopher Edley Jr.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/opinion/08edley.html?_r=2
The best booster shot for this recovery and the next would be to allow states to borrow from the Treasury during recessions. We did this for Wall Street and Detroit, fending off disaster. It’s even more important for states.
-CNBC, The Kudlow Report, July 9, 2010 Host Larry Kudlow
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=1541175369&play=1
States are undermining every federal attempt at stimulus because of the budget cuts they are making right now. If, instead of bailouts from the federal government, what we do is smooth the flow of federal funds to the state over time so that they can get today what they need to close their budget deficits—but then pay it back when the recovery continues—I think that’s a win-win for everybody. It’s not a bailout from federal taxpayers. It’s more like an advance on your paycheck.
California Watch, July 6, 2010 by Timothy Sandoval
http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/what-do-police-think-about-kamala-harris
“We want an attorney general who is respected by law enforcement,” he said, “but I don’t think it is as critical (to) the groups that represent district attorneys.”
-Contra Costa Times, July 6, 2010 by Matt Krupnick
http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_15436613?nclick_check=1
Few public agencies have employees who know enough about solar power to make decisions on their own, said Steve Weissman, a UC Berkeley law professor and former administrative-law judge with the California Public Utilities Commission. The determination not to seek bids “requires a greater amount of trust in the officials reaching the decision,” Weissman said. “But going out to bid doesn’t really overcome a lack of in-house expertise.”
-Contra Costa Times, July 13, 2010 by Matt Krupnick
http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_15507443
“California law exempts energy projects from bidding requirements, allowing cities, counties and schools to sign multimillion-dollar contracts with companies without shopping for the best price. The California Solar Incentive reforms should prompt more agencies to seek bids, Weissman said. “It’s easy to imagine that there are a number of entities that will be disappointed,” he said. “But it will give them a chance to go back to the bargaining table and get a better deal.”
Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2010 by Christopher Edley, Jr.
http://bit.ly/aQQRSJ
With the stroke of a pen, President Obama could do more for the economy than the second stimulus measure that’s going nowhere fast. He can create the good jobs our economy needs by using the power of federal contracting to reward employers that improve job standards. An executive order to encourage federal contractors to provide their workers with, among other things, a living wage, would require no legislation, no battle in Congress.
San Francisco Chronicle, July 4, 2010 Editorial
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/04/EDBS1E6MO8.DTL
“There is no clear and highly predictable relationship between economic variations and the rates of life-threatening crime,” said Franklin Zimring, William G. Simon Professor of Law at UC Berkeley.
From demographics to drugs to incarceration policies, they’ve all proven to be inadequate to the task, said Barry Krisberg, Distinguished Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley School of Law. “Ultimately you’re trying to model individual decisions by millions of people,” Krisberg said. “It’s very, very difficult.”
San Francisco Chronicle, July 4, 2010 by Jim Dempsey and Deirdre K. Mulligan
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/04/INAP1E6UCI.DTL
In the early days of the Internet, policymakers, advocates, companies and coalitions built a policy architecture to steer the technology toward democratic ends. These policy choices embodied the principles of openness, innovation, interconnection, nondiscrimination, user control, freedom of expression, privacy and trust. It is this symbiosis of technology and policy that produced a platform on which individuals across the globe exercise their democratic muscles.
BroadbandBreakfast.com, July 2, 2010 by David Cup
http://broadbandbreakfast.com/2010/07/experts-debate-need-for-new-digital-copyright-law/
“We’re seeing an evolution in this sector,” said Menell. However, when innovators see “policy” or “legal” they immediately think “stifling innovation.” Menell said this sort of thing happens all the time, and is in fact good for the industry. “We chill innovation in automobiles all the time because we not only care about speed, but also about the safety,” countered Menell.