Month: June 2026

SF Protests Budget Cuts Devastating Safety-Net Services, Thousands of Jobs

By Elijah GlidewellJune 22, 20260 comments

More than 100 San Francisco residents and union workers convened at City Hall on Thursday, June 18, 2026, to protest proposed budget cuts, which they asserted would significantly impair safety-net services and eliminate over 1,500 city and nonprofit positions. Organizers, citing a projected $1 billion city deficit, contended these fiscal adjustments would disproportionately affect 25,000 low-income residents and minority workforces. The demonstration occurred in advance of a crucial vote by the Budget and Appropriations Committee on the proposed municipal spending plan.

Sunday Commentary | After Measure V, the Question Isn’t Whether Measure J Works — It’s Whether the State Will Continue to Allow It

By David M. GreenwaldJune 21, 202641 comments

The defeat of Measure V in Davis reaffirmed the structural impediments to peripheral housing development, despite the city’s acknowledged need for additional housing units. The Village Farms proposal, which included up to 1,800 housing units, was rejected by a margin of less than one percentage point, underscoring the enduring impact of Measure J, which mandates voter approval for such projects. This outcome intensifies scrutiny regarding the efficacy of local approval processes, particularly from entities such as the California Department of Housing and Community Development, which has previously identified Measure J as a potential constraint on housing production.

Op-ed | The Downsides of ‘Deterrence’

By Jay StanleyJune 21, 20260 comments

The Trump Administration’s ‘Model Cities Initiative’ proposes a policing strategy heavily reliant on surveillance technologies, which proponents assert will ‘deter crime’; however, critics contend that such widespread surveillance fosters a pervasive sense of being monitored among the populace, potentially chilling dissent and diminishing the overall quality of life.

1865 Was the Blueprint

By Matt StoneJune 21, 20260 comments

Confederate soldiers, largely from non-slaveholding white populations, participated in the conflict to uphold a racial hierarchy that granted them perceived social superiority over Black individuals. This system, however, ultimately contributed to their socioeconomic disadvantage and, in numerous instances, their demise.

California Supreme Court Calls Out Yolo County District Attorney’s Use of Judicial Challenges, Opening Door to Review of Blanket 170.6 Practices

By David M. GreenwaldJune 20, 20261 comments

The California Supreme Court, in its May 28 decision in J.O. v. Superior Court, ruled that judges may now examine allegations that parties are abusing Code of Civil Procedure section 170.6 through bad-faith, blanket disqualification motions. The court specifically cited Yolo County as an example, where prosecutors utilized the statute to remove the county’s only Hispanic judge from felony criminal cases, highlighting the dangers posed by such challenges. This ruling represents a significant shift in California law, validating long-standing concerns regarding judicial independence and the potential for retaliatory actions against judges.

More Than 770,000 Children Are No Longer Receiving SNAP Benefits after Trump Changes Federal Food Program

By Nicole Santa CruzJune 20, 20260 comments

A ProPublica analysis indicates a reduction of at least 776,000 children receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This decline contradicts prior assertions by Republican proponents of President Trump’s signature domestic policy legislation, who maintained that program revisions would not adversely affect vulnerable populations.

The Business of Taking Children

By Matt StoneJune 20, 20260 comments

Analysis of the United States foster care system indicates a structural design that financially incentivizes the removal of children from their biological families. This framework directs taxpayer funds towards foster care agencies and foster parents, while providing no direct financial assistance to biological parents seeking to maintain family unity. This incentive structure, according to observers, prioritizes child removal and prolonged placement within the system over efforts toward family reunification.

Meditations: The Non-Locality and Entanglement of Consciousness

By Martin LeFevreJune 20, 20260 comments

The quantum principle of non-locality and entanglement, which describes an inherent interconnectedness, suggests human consciousness transcends localized boundaries, thereby presenting hyper-localism as an insufficient framework for addressing global ecological and economic imbalances.

Letter: Congress Is About to Trade Away Our National Security

By S StewardJune 20, 20260 comments

Representative Mike Thompson has been called upon to address Section 219 of the National Defense Authorization Act, a provision designed to integrate Israeli military technology into U.S. defense programs. This measure, critics argue, introduces substantial intellectual property and espionage risks to national security.

Newsom Condemns DOJ Probe as Baseless, Links Trump Pardons to Systemic Fraud

By Hannah KennedyJune 20, 20266 comments

Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for commencing an investigation into his administration, which he described as “baseless.” The Governor’s remarks coincided with the announcement of new entries to a state-run database detailing individuals with criminal convictions, fraud histories, or connections to the January 6 Capitol attack who received clemency or other favorable dispositions from President Donald Trump.

Advocates Rally at State Capitol in Support of Mental Health Diversion Programs

By Kayla BetuliusJune 20, 20260 comments

Advocates, legal professionals, and community leaders convened at the California State Capitol, expressing support for mental health diversion programs and contending that treatment offers a more effective response than incarceration for individuals with serious mental illness, while also urging continued investment in alternatives to traditional carceral facilities.

CA Supreme Court Strikes Down Death Sentence in Racial Justice Act Ruling

By John SchultzJune 20, 20260 comments

The California Supreme Court retroactively overturned the death sentence of Anthony Bankston, a Black man, under the California Racial Justice Act, according to a report by the Death Penalty Information Center. This decision marks the first death penalty reversal under the Act, stemming from the prosecution’s use of the term “Bengal Tiger” during the sentencing phase. The court determined this language constituted racial discrimination, violating CRJA provisions against sentences based on race or ethnicity.