AltWeeklies Wire
Big Pharma is After Your Confidential Medical Recordsnew
A state bill that would have eroded California's strong medical privacy laws nearly passed last month. The Mental Health Association of California, the National Association of Cancer Patients, and other important health advocacy organizations supported the measure, saying they believed it would improve compliance and save lives. But the bill's opponents, which included the California Medical Association and many consumer groups, asserted that the legislation was not really about helping patients.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Jake Whitney |
07-02-2008 |
Science
Is California Witnessing the Return of the Abalone?new
The culture of abalone diving saw its heyday in the 1970s, and even though sea snail searching will never again be the same, a San Miguel Island fishery may be in the works.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Alastair Bland |
06-30-2008 |
Animal Issues
Sacramento's Newest Newlyweds Take a Spin on Our Pink Couchnew
Gays and lesbians all over California married their partners last week. But if you're going to get your picture in the paper for getting married, shouldn't it be a good picture? And if you're thinking of rejecting marriage equality for your neighbors in November, shouldn't you meet them first?
Sacramento News & Review |
Cosmo Garvin, David Jayne, Jeremy Sykes, Kel Munger, Nick Miller, Andrew Nilsen, Kimberly Brown and Shoka |
06-26-2008 |
LGBT
Buying into Same-Sex Marriage is Rejecting Queer Strugglesnew
While San Francisco has a long history of sheltering dissident queer cultures of incendiary splendor, the rush for status within the status quo threatens to delegitimize everyone who isn't ready for the Leave It to Beaver lifestyle.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Mattilda Sycamore Bernstein |
06-25-2008 |
LGBT
Eat, Drink and Be Gay Married!new
After 27 years together, one couple finally has its big, fat, Mexican, recovering-drug-addict, HIV-positive, ex-transgender gay wedding.
We're Here, We're Queer, We're Registered at Crate & Barrelnew
Notes from a gayer-than-usual Tuesday at the old courthouse in Santa Ana, California.
Marriage Licenses for All Becomes Lawnew
Tuesday, June 17, was a momentous day for gay couples in Santa Barbara County. For many, it was the day that they finally obtained a legal license to get married. For several, it was indeed their wedding date.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Catherine Meagher |
06-23-2008 |
LGBT
Protecting Obama from Gay Marriage Politicsnew
In the aftermath of the California Supreme Court victory, as many gay couples across the country have become emboldened to start fighting, a holding pattern is emerging in gay advocacy circles. GLAAD, Lambda Legal and several other prominent gay-rights organizations have been circulating a pamphlet called "Make Change, Not Lawsuits."
L.A. Weekly |
Matthew Fleischer |
06-20-2008 |
LGBT
Earthquake Experts Say There is a Way to Survive 'The Big One'new
November's Great Southern California ShakeOut -- the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history -- aims to find out how many lives and how much property can be saved through quake training and preparedness.
Pasadena Weekly |
Jana Monji and Nathan Solis |
06-17-2008 |
Disasters
Nevada Leaves Millions of Gay-Marriage Dollars on the Table in the Name of Moralitynew
Because of the utter hypocrisy, stupidity and basic mean-spiritedness of the Silver State's electorate, Las Vegas will miss out on untold millions of dollars in tourism spending that could've been for being on the forefront of the coming gay-marriage tsunami.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Steve Friess |
06-16-2008 |
LGBT
The Lawyer Behind the Historic California Case Talks Same-Sex Marriagenew
"I have lived the case and worked on it and thought about it every day for the last four years," says Shannon Minter, the legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
San Diego CityBeat |
Eric Wolff |
06-11-2008 |
LGBT
Wind Power Makes Great Strides, but Enviros Complainnew
Environmentalists may have spent a generation arguing for the use of wind and solar energy, but if you think they're OK with this, you're dreaming. In California, they're opposing plans for wind-turbine installations in Riverside County east of Los Angeles. And in San Bernardino County they are opposing the power lines that would bring the output of wind and solar installations in the desert to LA.
Boulder Weekly |
Paul Danish |
06-10-2008 |
Environment
Skipping Gaily Down the Aislenew
Now that same-sex marriage is a reality in California, Hollywood is coming out in force. The ultimate gay-celebrity wedding planner.
Boston Phoenix |
Sarra Faith Alterman |
06-09-2008 |
LGBT
Eminent Domain Targeted by California's Propositions 98 and 99new
Californians face two radically different choices for protecting private property on the June 3 ballot. But the campaigns for propositions 98 and 99 have managed to create enough confusion, suspicion and hyperbole that fresh surveys indicate neither measure is currently luring the 50-percent-plus-one voters needed for passage.
L.A. Weekly |
Jill Stewart |
05-30-2008 |
Housing & Development
Proposed Federal Laws Could Sweep Away Low-Wage Workersnew
The Shuler-Tancredo SAVE Act would require all employers to use E-Verify to check the legal status of their employees. Presently E-Verify is a free system that employers voluntarily use to check new hires. Critics point out that it has been shown to have serious shortcomings, the most problematic being the tendency to deliver "false positive" matches, declaring citizens in good standing to be illegal.
Metro Silicon Valley |
Diane Solomon |
05-29-2008 |
Business & Labor
