Emrys Yamanishi (PO ’25) On January 1st, 2020, California’s Assembly Bill 5 went into effect. AB5 equalizes gig work—such as ride services, dog walking, and delivery—with steady work by classifying gig workers as employees. The Bill uses a three-pronged test known as the ABC test to determine whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee. The ABC test states that A) the...
By Emrys Yamanishi In March of 2022, ClientEarth, an environmental law firm and shareholder with the gasoline company Shell, filed a lawsuit against Shell under the Companies Act 172 and 174, positing that the company was “failing to implement an energy transition that aligns with” the Paris Agreement. Garnering support from several other Shell shareholders including Nest, London...
By Sami Gottsegen PZ ’25 The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the federal right to abortion, inspired an influx of anti-abortion legislation in states across the country. Since June, twenty-four states have banned or placed heavy restrictions on abortion, representing the broader political attack on reproductive freedom. Now, a case...
By Arivumani Srivastava (PO ’26) Charter school enrollment across the United States has more than doubled since 2009 from 1.6 million to 3.4 million students, despite their increasingly polarizing position in communities and governments across the nation. This growth has been the source of contentious political debate on the efficacy and effectiveness of charter schools, resulting in bitter...
Emrys Yamanishi PO ’25 California is home to the most fast-food employees of any state in the country. Those almost 400 thousand workers currently make $15.61 per hour, averaging about $30,000 per year in wages. Reflecting the diversity of the state, over 80% of these are workers of color, almost 70% are women, and 20% have children. Many of these workers face unsafe and unsanitary...
By Arivumani Srivastava (PO ’26) Cable news attacks accusing schools of indoctrination, parents storming school board meetings, and bills proposing to prosecute teachers are all byproducts of the culture wars that have enveloped the United States during and after Trump’s presidency. Now, opponents’ have their eyes set on a new battleground: the classroom. Schools have become ground zero for...
By Nymisha Desai (PZ ’25) On September 13th 2022, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina introduced a bill to ban most abortions nationwide after 15 weeks except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Graham decided on the 15 week threshold because in his words, “the science tells us the nerve endings are developed to the point that the unborn child feels pain...
As America finally approaches a Covid-free society with looser mask rules and overall restrictions, the aftermath of the pandemic becomes clearer and highlights one of the near future’s political challenges. In education, schools’ survival and students’ academic progress were defined by the availability of funds and resources. Not surprisingly, the education quality of minority...
by Sami Gottsegen (PZ ’25) On Thursday, March 10, the Florida State Senate passed HB 7/SB 148. Now on its way to the desk of Governor Ron DeSantis, the bill, dubbed the “Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act,” is part of a series of attacks on critical race theory. In an interview with the New York Times, Trip Gabriel simply defined critical race theory as “a lens or...
by Grayson Shaw (PO ’25) “One of the main reasons I filed the lawsuit was to try to save my life… It was really horrible being sick, and the only access to water I had was poison” This testimony from Lamar Singleton, along with 18 independent lawsuits from former inmates, illustrates the reality of the Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, California. Prisoners were reportedly forced to...
