The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit against Google has come to trial, and the stakes are high. Focused on the company’s original search unit, the suit contends that Google’s parent company Alphabet abused its power over search and used illegal agreements to cement its market dominance. But the company has its own advantages, above all the weak iteration of US antitrust law in the neoliberal era. Jacobin magazine analyzes U.S. antitrust law.

Many Golden State self-designated “pro-business” legislators have a lot of explaining to do, remarks the OC Independent's team, after voting in favor of SB 799. The controversial bill would treat striking employees as if they were unemployed, rendering them eligible for benefits after two weeks on strike. But is it really that business-friendly to make local taxpayers reward long, gridlocked worker–employer conflicts?

Several Bay Area cities (Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Palo Alto) sit in the top five U.S. cities with the highest minimum wages; San Jose will likely join them next year at its planned $17.60, just eight cents shy of 2023's #1. Econlib's Linda Gorman unpacks the research on minimum wage bumps, which are tied to more unemployment (particularly for low-skilled workers) and less fringe benefits.

In the OC Register, Lance Christensen analyzes SB 799, currently sitting on the governor's desk. He explains why he believes the bill—designated a “Job Killer” by the CA Chamber of Commerce—would squander taxpayer money by footing the bill for striking (instead of truly unemployed) workers.

Vox's Jerusalem Demsas is an ardent believer in rent control ordinances—but not as a sole strategy. Below, Demsas breaks down why underlying housing supply shortages aren't ever improved (and, in fact, get exacerbated) by mandated rent ceilings.

SJ's City Council bestowed generous increases on the unions representing about half of its employees. Up to $20 million may need to be removed from the 2025/26 budget to bring things into balance. Where should this come from, asks Pat Waite of Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility? Perhaps from SJ's overspending, underperforming Housing Dept, he suggests in this Opp Now exclusive.

Is there a moment when you have just rolled your eyes too many times in a particular 24-hour period while reading local media? Peter Coe Verbica, former Board of Equalization candidate, reminds us—in a fine bit of poesy—that running against the tide, challenging orthodoxies, poking the bear, standing up for fairness, and mixing metaphors with abandon can be, well, a whole lotta fun. An Opp Now exclusive.

Fox LA reports on the TikTok-viral 37-year-old man inappropriately sniffing over twenty women at local bookstores: A judge has released him back to the streets, despite numerous past arrests for burglary, robbery, and peeping on children. Some question if early release and other Woke criminal justice policies are ruining our valued public spaces (looking at you, San Jose).

The Spectator analyzes San Francisco, America's once-flourishing metro, and traces population shrinkage back to lax criminal justice approaches. Who knew that turning a blind eye to sidewalk camping, substance abuse, and non-violent offenses would only create dangerous and filthy streets—which a third of San Franciscans want to escape ASAP?

Is there a moment when you have just rolled your eyes too many times in a particular 24-hour period while reading local media? Peter Coe Verbica, former Board of Equalization candidate, reminds us—in a fine bit of poesy—that running against the tide, challenging orthodoxies, poking the bear, standing up for fairness, and mixing metaphors with abandon can be, well, a whole lotta fun. An Opp Now exclusive.

National Review's Jeffrey Blehar explains how UC institutions including Berkeley, UC Davis, and UCLA are excluding qualified instructor candidates based on their failure to conform to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology. One applicant, for instance, was dismissed for disagreeing with the practice of requiring DEI statements—years ago, on his podcast. Read Blehar's reflections below on the implications for local higher ed.